LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Arthur Widmer, who developed some of the most widely used special effects technology in films and earned an Academy Award last year for lifetime achievement, has died. He was 92.

Widmer died of cancer on May 28, his publicist Jane Ayer told the Los Angeles Times for a story published Sunday.

If anybody has seen a local "weatherman" do a forecast on TV and stand in front of weather charts, he is not really standing in front of weather charts. He is actually standing in front of a blue screen and as he points to the weather maps, he is viewing it on a monitor. Meanwhile, the viewers at home get the impression that he is actually standing in front of a weather chart because the TV station superimposes the weather chart onto the man standing in front of the blue screen.

This is the kind of special effects technology that was pioneered by this here guy.

Award of Commendation


	Arthur Widmer received a special Award of Commendation for his lifelong achievements in the science and technology of motion pictures, in particular his significant contributions to the development of the Ultra Violet and "bluescreen" compositing processes.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented an Award of Commendation to Arthur Widmer at the Scientific and Technical Awards dinner on February 12, 2005.

Widmer was honored for his lifelong achievements in the science and technology of motion pictures, in particular his significant contributions to the development of the Ultra Violet and "bluescreen" compositing processes.

"Art's pioneering work has had a profound impact on the film industry," said Richard Edlund, chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. "In fact, many of the films we hold dear would not have been possible without his contributions to image compositing technology."

Throughout his career, Widmer continuously explored new techniques to further enhance the quality of images on film. During his tenure at Eastman Kodak, Widmer researched a variety of new methods of color photography, including Kodachrome.

In the late 1940s, he was involved with the introduction of Eastman Color Negative and Color Positive to the motion picture industry.

Widmer began his work with the Ultra Violet Traveling Matte process while at Warner Bros., where he also developed and refined technologies for other motion picture processes, including 3-D and wide screen.

Later he was hired by Universal Studios to design and build an optical department, where he researched many developments in "blue-screen" technology and optical printing and made improvements to the Color Difference System.

The Award of Commendation, along with Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical Achievements of 2004, will be presented at a gala black tie dinner on February 12, at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena.

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Award of Commendation

Arthur Widmer received a special Award of Commendation for his lifelong achievements in the science and technology of motion pictures, in particular his significant contributions to the development of the Ultra Violet and "bluescreen" compositing processes.