Farciot Edouart, ASC (born Alexander Farciot Edouart; November 5, 1894 – March 17, 1980) was a

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...

artist and innovator, a recognized specialist and innovator in the area of "process photography", also known as

rear projection Rear projection (background projection, process photography, etc.) is one of many in-camera effects cinematic techniques in film production for combining foreground performances with pre-filmed backgrounds. It was widely used for many years in ...

. In a career beginning in 1915, Edouart won a total of ten Academy Awards: two competitive (1942 and 1943), seven technical and scientific awards (1938, 1940, two in 1944, 1948, and two in 1956), and an honorary award for special effects (1939). He worked on approximately 350 films, the last one being '' Rosemary's Baby'' in 1968.

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fil ...

wrote "The master of process-screen photography is Farciot Edouart." Edouart was born in Northern California, the son of a portrait photographer, and began working as a cameraman while still a teenager at the production company of

Hobart Bosworth Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer. Early life Bosworth was born on August 11, 1867, in Marietta, Ohio. His father was a sea captain in the Civil W ...

. By way of

mergers and acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...

, Edouart became an employee of

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

where he started to specialise on optical effects in the mid-1920s. He worked for Paramount until his department was closed on short notice in 1967.

Academy Awards

* In 1939, Edouart shared a special

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects. History of the award The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects ...

, "For outstanding achievement in creating special photographic and sound effects" for ''

Spawn of the North ''Spawn of the North'' is a 1938 American adventure film about rival fishermen in Alaska starring George Raft and featuring Henry Fonda, Dorothy Lamour, Akim Tamiroff and John Barrymore. The picture was directed by Henry Hathaway and was an ...

'' * In 1940, he received a nomination for ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

''. * In 1940, he received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement together with Joseph E. Robbins and

William Rudolph William Rudolph (died 27 May 1975) was an American film technician, who received an Academy Award for Technical Achievement. Life Rudolph worked as a film technician for Paramount Pictures. At the 12th Academy Awards he received an Academy Award ...

for "the design and construction of a quiet portable treadmill".Academy Awards 1940
/ref> * In 1941, he received nominations for ''

Dr. Cyclops ''Dr. Cyclops'' is a 1940 American science fiction horror film from Paramount Pictures, produced by Dale Van Every and Merian C. Cooper, directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, and starring Thomas Coley, Victor Kilian, Janice Logan, Charles Halton, ...

'' and ''

Typhoon A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...

'' (both with

Gordon Jennings Gordon Jennings, A.S.C. (1896 – January 11, 1953) was an American special effects artist. He received seven Academy Awards (mainly for Best Special Effects) and was nominated for eight more in the same category. After starting 1919 in Ho ...

). * In 1942, he won for ''

I Wanted Wings ''I Wanted Wings'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and based on a book by Lieutenant Beirne Lay Jr. The film stars Ray Milland and William Holden. The supporting cast includes Wayne Morris, Brian Donlevy, Constance Mo ...

'' and was nominated for '' Aloma of the South Seas'' (both with

). * In 1943, Edouart won for ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston, Lynne Overman, Sus ...

'' (with Jennings and

William Pereira William Leonard Pereira (April 25, 1909 – November 13, 1985) was an American architect from Chicago, Illinois, who was noted for his futuristic designs of landmark buildings such as the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. Remarkably pr ...

). * In 1944, he was nominated for ''

So Proudly We Hail! ''So Proudly We Hail!'' is a 1943 American war film directed and produced by Mark Sandrich and starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard – who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance – a ...

'' (with Jennings). * In 1945, he received a nomination for '' The Story of Dr. Wassell'' (with Jennings). * In 1948, he received a nomination for '' Unconquered'' (with Devereux Jennings and Gordon Jennings).

References

External links

*
Farciot Edouart at Film Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edouart, Farciot 1894 births 1980 deaths Academy Honorary Award recipients Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners Best Visual Effects Academy Award winners Artists from Los Angeles Special effects people