| The Second Special Medal for Technical Advancement: |
| Well, we have officially finished the technical portion of the competitive awards, but before we abandon the techies all together, it's time to present one more special pioneering medal for a genius in the field of motion picture technology. (And, in your haste to get to the glamour awards, please reflect for a moment on this...In the field of motion pictures, there would be no art without technology.) OK, for the final technical award in the very first Cinema Olympics, we present to you a true giant. To kick off day seven, the medal goes to... |
| William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (United States): Dickson whose parents were British, was born in France. As a youth, he developed a life-long interest in science and mechanics, and at the age of 19, began corresponding with famed inventor, Thomas Edison. When his parents moved to the United States, he secured employment with Edison, and became his valued assistant. In 1885, at the age of 25, Dickson was transferred to Edison's private research lab in Menlo Park New Jersey. He was assigned the task of developing a motion picture apparatus. In 1889, his work bore fruit and he demonstrated for Edison the Kinetophonograph, a device that could project pictures in synchronization with phonograph records. Working from these advances, he soon developed the Kinescope viewer (an improved motion picture projector.) In 1891, patents were filed for yet more fruits of Dickson's labors, the Kinetograph, a camera developed specifically for motion pictures. Dickson also oversaw the invention of processes for creating methods of developing and printing film, developing the emulsion process used, and deciding that the film used for motion pictures should be 35 mm wide. To take advantage of this new technology he created the "Black Maria" in Edison's labs, very first movie studio, where he directed all the earliest films for Edison. All of this before the age of 35. In 1895, he left the employ of Thomas Edison, and the following year, helped form American Mutoscope & Biograph Company (Biograph went on to be Edison's chief rival in the United States.) While at Biograph, he collaborated with Eugene Lauste to construct the American Biograph projection apparatus. |
| Is Dickson the "father of Cinema"? While Edison oversaw his work and provided the capital, it was Dickson who put his knowledge to work and provided the inventions. There is always controversy over who was first, and the development of motion picture technology is no exception, but William KL Dickson either invented or perfected the motion picture camera, the motion picture projector, motion picture film development and printing and the film studio. Pretty much everything needed to make a film; he had a direct hand in. Everyone who followed in this industry owes him a tremendous debt. So, the Cinema Olympics is proud to present this "no-brainer" medal to the man who is in a very real way responsible for all of us being here celebrating films today. |
| Mr. Dickson is happy to return to the country of his birth to receive his tribute. Mr. Edison is stewing in the corner of the hall, but wisely decides to keep his clap shut for once and not rush the podium to claim the credit for his former assistants work. |
| After this final technical medal, the United States increases its lead with 13 medals, followed by France with 4, Great Britain with 2 and Italy and Russia with 1 each. |