Engineers
of large format motion picture systems. Left
to right: Walter Siegmund & Brian O'Brien, Jr. of Todd-AO, Bill Shaw of
IMAX and Dick Babish of Cinerama. May 1997. Image by Thomas Hauerslev
William C. Shaw, one of the founders of IMAX Corporation, died on
Saturday, August 31 at age 73. Shaw died in a Toronto hospital after
suffering complications from a heart attack.
Shaw joined Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor and Robert Kerr in 1968 to
design and develop the
IMAX
projection system. The engineer responsible
for the development of the original system, Shaw also led the engineering
team which subsequently developed IMAX Dome (OMNIMAX(R)), IMAX 3D, IMAX
Solido(R), IMAX Magic Carpet(R) and IMAX HD. Shaw had a number of patents
to his credit relating to the development of the rolling loop mechanism
fundamental to the IMAX system as well as to subsequent developments for
IMAX projectors,
cameras and peripherals.
IMAX Co-CEOs Rich Gelfond and Brad Wechsler said today,
"We will miss
Bill's intellect, good humor and friendship. We were always grateful for
the key role he played in every aspect of the life of the Company, from
the invention of the technology that started an entire industry, through
to our acquisition of IMAX."
In 1985, Shaw won the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers'
John Grierson Medal. In 1986, on behalf of IMAX, he accepted a Scientific
and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
and in 1997 he attended the ceremonies in Los Angeles as IMAX accepted its
Oscar(R) statuette for Scientific and Technical Achievements. In 1988, he
was honored with a Gold Medal from the Association of Professional
Engineers of Ontario (APEO). In 1998, Shaw was awarded the Leonardo da
Vinci Award by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Shaw is survived by his wife Barbra, daughter Cami Kucera, son Scott Shaw,
grandson Daniel Kucera, brother John Shaw and sisters Isabel Pullen and
Marjorie Shaw. |
More in 70mm reading:
Graeme Ferguson Passed Away
Bill Shaw about Jan
Jacobsen
Wide Screen gathering
The Basics of
The Rolling Loop IMAX Projector
Imax Sound System
The First 70MM IMAX Cinema in
England
The Birth of IMAX
in70mm.com's IMAX Page
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