And the Academy Award goes to...

It's safe to say that most people tuning into the Academy Awards on February 26th have never heard of Side Effects Software or PV Labs, but their technology is integral to making many of Hollywood's biggest films.

This year both Ontario companies will be honoured for their technical achievements by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

It's the third such technical achievement award for Toronto-based Side Effects Software. "We pride ourselves on being innovators and getting out in front of the curve, so it's gratifying when our developers are recognized by the Academy," says Davidson who will be at the ceremony in Los Angeles on February 11th to watch programmers Andrew Clinton and Mark Elendt pick up the coveted Sci-Tech award.

Side Effects Software is the creator of Houdini, 3D software that "makes the impossible possible." It's been used in 400 feature films to date, including the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Spider-Man 3 and Titanic. In fact, nine of the last 11 films to win the Academy Award for best visual effects have used Houdini.

This latest award is for the invention and integration of micro-voxels in Houdini's Mantra tool. It improves rendering of 3D effects such as smoke and clouds and has been used in films that include The Golden Compass and The A-Team.

PV Labs of Hamilton is receiving a scientific and engineering award from the Academy for its Pictorvision Eclipse, an electronically stabilized aerial camera platform. Attached to light planes or helicopters, it ensures steady pictures.

"We're thrilled," says company president Ty Shattuck, who will attend the award presentation with the four engineers behind the game-changing innovation. "This technology has been in development for more than a decade and was specifically designed for the motion picture industry."

"We consulted closely with directors and cinematographers on what they needed."

The result? Eclipse technology unlocks a whole new level of motion picture capability and is used in pretty well every Hollywood blockbuster made today, including The Twilight Saga, Clash of the Titans and the upcoming Spider-Man 4.

What makes Ontario such a hub for the film industry? "We've had a film industry in Ontario for years," says Davidson. "We're the third largest cluster in North America."

"We've got exceptional talent coming out of Ontario's universities and colleges, and we also benefit from government support by way of R&D tax credits and targeted funding programs."

Shattuck agrees, "R&D tax credits have been vitally important for us in developing the Eclipse technology. We also take advantage of the Cooperative Education Tax Credit, an incentive that allows us to hire and train students with financial help from the government."