BEIJING, Feb. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences handed out its Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards to the visual effects, sound and technical wizards two weeks before the Oscars.

It's typically held two weeks prior to the Oscars, and though the average moviegoer probably wouldn't recognize many of the award winners, who play vital part of making movies.

From the team which made it possible to digitally curl and trim outrageous hair in "The Hobbit" trilogy to the inventors of a high-speed car chase camera used in James Bond film "Casino Royale", some of the most ingenious behind-the-scenes innovators were awarded at the ceremony held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

The event gave awards to 58 individuals for 21 scientific and technical achievements. The big ones went to Dr. Larry Hornbeck and David Winchester Gray.

Veteran sound engineer and Dolby Laboratories executive David W. Gray was awarded for his groundbreaking work on movie sound. Hornbeck was awarded for the invention of a digital micromirror technology, the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), used in DLP Cinema projection.