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    Director Bier, production designer Duffield elected to Academy Board of Governors

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2096 Views
    Susanne Bier
    LOS ANGELES --

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced its newly elected 2018–19 Board of Governors, who assume their posts as of July 1.  

    Those elected to the Board for the first time are: Alfred Molina, Actors Branch; Tom Duffield, Designers Branch; Susanne Bier, Directors Branch; and Bonnie Arnold, Short Films and Feature Animation Branch.

    Incumbent governors reelected to the Board include: Bernard Telsey, Casting Directors Branch; Daryn Okada, Cinematographers Branch; Rory Kennedy, Documentary Branch; Jim Gianopulos, Executives Branch; Carol Littleton, Film Editors Branch; Lois Burwell, Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch; Michael Giacchino, Music Branch; Scott Millan, Sound Branch; John Knoll, Visual Effects Branch; and Billy Ray, Writers Branch.

    Returning to the Board after a hiatus are: Jeffrey Kurland, Costume Designers Branch; and Sid Ganis, Public Relations Branch

    The balloting in the Academy’s Producers Branch produced a tie between candidates Jason Blum and Jennifer Todd, necessitating a runoff election.  Voting will begin Monday, June 18, and end Tuesday, June 19.  The Academy last held a runoff election in 2016 for the Film Editors Branch.

    The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. The Board of Governors sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission.  

    For a full list of the 2017-2018 Academy governors, click here.

    Tags:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesAlfred MolinaSusanne BierTom Duffield



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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