Academy celebrates Petro Vlahos

Jul 13, 2010 by Ian Evans

Head on down to the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood on July 29th at 8 p.m. if you’re interested in seeing a tribute to a leading innovator in the movie industry, Petro Vlahos.

Vlahos has over 35 patents on everything from camera-crane motor controls to Ultimatte, the first high-quality electronic compositing system.

His matte system work can be seen in films like Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

Vlahos has received many awards from the Academy Scientific and Technical branch and was given the Gordon E. Sawyer Award in 1993.

Tickets for “A Conversation with Petro Vlahos” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. Tickets are available for purchase by mail, at the Academy box office (8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), or online at www.oscars.org.