Gordon E. Sawyer Award

David A. Grafton received the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, an Oscar statuette, for his technological contributions to the industry.

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has voted the Gordon E. Sawyer Award to David A. Grafton, a pioneering designer of lenses for optical effects printers, which at the time of their development were adopted by nearly every visual effects facility in the motion picture industry.

The award, an Oscar statuette, was presented to Grafton at the Scientific and Technical Awards Dinner on Saturday, February 9, 2008, at The Beverly Wilshire.

Born in England in 1924, Grafton immigrated to the United States in 1953. For more than 30 years, he designed electro-optical systems for IBM, NCR, EG&G and Xerox.

In the 1970s Grafton also began consulting in the motion picture industry, where the highly specialized lenses he designed for optical effects printers enabled the seamless blending of multiple images from different sources. Working with such special effects companies as Industrial Light & Magic and Boss Film Studios, he contributed to the production of numerous feature films including “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Blade Runner.”

Grafton previously received two Scientific and Engineering Academy Awards®: in 1980 for the optical design of a telecentric anamorphic lens for motion picture optical effects printers; and in 1986 as part of the team responsible for the design and development of the Zoom Aerial 65mm Optical Printer.

Established in 1981, the Sawyer Award is “presented to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.” Grafton will be the 21st recipient of the award.

Related Links:
01/02/2008 Academy to Honor David A. Grafton with Gordon E. Sawyer Oscar®