Curt O. Schaller, Product Manager Camera Stabilizer Systems at Arri, has been recognized with a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his work on the concept, design, and development of the Trinity 2 camera stabilizer system.
Dr. Roman Foltyn is also being honored for his contributions to the software and hardware design of Trinity’s motorized stabilized head. The Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards celebrate individuals and companies whose innovations have made a lasting impact on the motion picture industry.
According to the Academy, the Arri Trinity 2 is receiving the award for being: “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.”
Reflecting on the recognition, Curt O. Schaller stated: “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.”
Arri Managing Director Walter Trauninger extends his congratulations: “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.”
Schaller’s journey in the field began in 1984, when he trained as a camera assistant and later as a cameraman at the Bavaria film and television studios in Munich, Germany. He went on to work as a cameraman in series productions and as a Steadicam operator in TV series, films, shows, and documentaries.
In the mid-1990s, he leveraged his experience to develop his own camera stabilization systems, which led to the creation of the Artemis series for Sachtler/Vitec Videocom in 2001. In 2015, Schaller collaborated with Dr. Roman Foltyn to develop TRINITY, the world’s first stabilization system integrating both mechanical and electronic stabilization. ARRI acquired the stabilizer business from Vitec in April 2016, and since then, Schaller has continued to lead the development of Arri’s stabilizer portfolio.
Curt O. Schaller and the other honorees will be celebrated at the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on April 29, 2025.
