Andrew Kurtz

Background

About Andrew Kurtz

As a junior in high school, I was inspired to pursue a career in optics by the PBS program NOVA, the May 1978 episode,"Lasers, Light of the 21st Century". With BS and MS degrees in Optics, I have been an innovative optical systems engineer, research scientist, and project manager, specializing in electronic imaging systems (projection, printing, scanning, and capture), illumination and laser imaging systems, and human visual perception of images from such systems. Also, as a cinema imaging technology specialist, I have contributed to the development of a telecine film scanner (the Spirit Datacine), and film, digital, and laser digital cinema projection systems, including the IMAX GT laser projector, which can be seen at theaters including the TCL Chinese Theatre (Hollywood), the Pacific Science Center (Seattle), and the Scotiabank Theater (Toronto). These and other innovations have yielded over 120 issued US patents (partial list below) and additional pending applications, at Kodak, IMAX, and Circle Optics. Some patents have benefited Kodak and IMAX products, while others have been licensed or sold to Sony, Apple, IMAX, Carestream Health, Intellectual Ventures, and other companies. Commercial product contributions:(1) to the development at Kodak of the 1998 Primetime Emmy Award winning Philips Spirit Datacine telecine,(2) to the development of the IMAX GT and Commercial laser projectors that were recognized with a 2024 SciTech Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences,(3) to the IMAX MPX motion picture film projector, and (4) to the Kodak Polychrome Graphics Newsetter TH80. Also, a guest lecturer at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), School of Film & Animation, Motion Picture Sciences Program (2009-2019), on cinematic optical systems.