We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Houston, a longtime friend and supporter of The Entertainment Technology Center. In addition to attending our events and contributing to many of our programs, Jim served as a moderator and panelist for several of ETC’s Digital Town Square symposiums. He was a two-time Academy Award-winning engineer, SMPTE member, and 34-year veteran of the industry, serving senior positions at media leaders including Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pacific Title & Art, Walt Disney Feature Animation and, most recently, Samsung Research America.

Jim was a pioneer in computer animation, imaging standards and digital restoration. He was also a founding member of the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) committee.

“In 1992, he won an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) Scientific and Engineering Award as part of the team that developed the CAPS production system for film animation,” reports Deadline. “His second such honor came in 2007 for his contributions to the Rosetta process used in digital restoration.”

Jim is survived by his mother Margaret and siblings John, Michael, Martin, Kevin and Cathy. Funeral services are planned for Philadelphia, while a memorial service is expected for later this year in Los Angeles.