FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- Curt O. Schaller to receive a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes Schaller’s pioneering work in camera stabilization with the TRINITY 2
- ARRI’s 20th award honoring the company’s engineers and showcasing the company’s dedication to technological innovations for the industry
February 11, 2025, Munich – Curt O. Schaller, Product Manager Camera Stabilizer Systems at ARRI, will receive a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the concept, design, and development of the TRINITY 2 camera stabilizer system. Dr. Roman Foltyn is also recognized for the software and hardware design of TRINITY’s motorized stabilized head. The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards honor the individuals and companies whose discoveries and innovations have contributed in significant and lasting ways to motion pictures.
According to the Academy, the ARRI TRINITY 2 is being awarded a Scientific and Engineering Award for “a body-worn system that combines a traditional inertial camera stabilization system with electronic gimbal technology, allowing unprecedented freedom of camera movement for acquiring shots with multiple transitions that are otherwise unobtainable.”
Curt O. Schaller comments: “This award goes to all TRINITY operators around the world! Their trust and commitment in the TRINITY concept and their extraordinary, innovative, and boundary-pushing work is what made this recognition possible in the first place. I would also like to thank the ARRI team in Munich, Vienna and the FoMa team for our many years of collaboration and I accept the award on their behalf. ARRI is a special place to work, and the ARRI spirit is reflected in the products we make. The entire organization and our technology partners are driven by innovation and a passion to produce the best to serve the industry we love.”
ARRI Managing Director Walter Trauninger congratulates in advance: “We are very grateful to the AMPAS for recognizing the groundbreaking work of so many engineers and scientists behind the scenes. This award marks the 20th time ARRI has received such a recognition from the Academy, and we are beyond humbled.” He continues: “A special congratulation to Curt for his achievements. He is a gifted professional who has his finger on the pulse of what the industry needs. His tools have helped countless filmmakers around the world and demonstrate ARRI’s commitment to providing excellent equipment and services for the motion picture industry.”
In 1984, Curt O. Schaller began training as a camera assistant and then as a cameraman at the Bavaria film and television studios in Munich, Germany. Following his training, Schaller worked as a cameraman in series productions and as a Steadicam operator in TV series, films, shows, and documentaries. In the mid-1990s, Schaller used his experience as a cameraman and Steadicam operator and began to develop his own camera stabilization systems, from which the ARTEMIS series of the company Sachtler / Vitec Videocom emerged in 2001. In 2015, Schaller developed the TRINITY system together with Roman Foltyn, a Doctor of Engineering. TRINITY is the world's first camera stabilization system to combine a mechanical and electronic stabilization system. In April 2016, ARRI took over the stabilizer business from Vitec. Since then, Schaller, as Product Manager Camera Stabilizer Systems, has been responsible for driving the further development of ARRI’s stabilizer portfolio.
Curt O. Schaller and other award recipients will be honored at the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on April 29, 2025.
About ARRI:
“Inspiring images. Since 1917.” ARRI is a global player within the motion picture industry, employing around 1,600 staff worldwide. Named after its founders August Arnold and Robert Richter, ARRI was established in Munich, Germany, where the headquarters is still located today. Other subsidiaries are in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia.
The ARRI Group consists of the business units Camera Systems, Lighting, Rental, and Solutions, as well as the subsidiary Claypaky, all dedicated to connecting creativity and future technologies for moving images and live entertainment. ARRI is a leading designer and manufacturer of camera and lighting systems for the film, broadcast, media, and entertainment industries, with a worldwide distribution and service network. The portfolio includes digital cameras, lenses, camera accessories, archive technologies, lamp heads, and lighting accessories. Along with offering exclusive technologies, ARRI Rental’s first-class services and equipment provide camera, lighting, and grip packages to professional productions around the world. ARRI Solutions offers high-quality virtual and traditional production infrastructure solutions and efficient, integrated workflows to a broad range of studio operators, producers, and enterprises. Claypaky fascinates audiences worldwide with cutting-edge live entertainment and stage lighting.
In recognition of its innovative contributions to the film and television industries, ARRI has been honored with 20 scientific and technical awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and six Engineering Emmys from the Television Academy and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
For locations and more information, please visit www.arri.com.