And the Oscar Comes From...New York

This year's Oscar recipients will get to hold a sculpture that lasts, and when the Academy decided it was time to revamp their iconic trophies, they set their sights on New York. Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry in the Hudson Valley and Epner Technology, Inc. in Brooklyn got together to make the award one that will withstand time. 

Adam Demchak, Vice President of Polich Tallix, says previous trophies were made out of pewter. "So you can imagine if you're dusting your mantle and you knock your Oscar off, if it's made of pewter, it's going to be more easily damaged." The Academy turned to Demchak's company which works with bronze, a stronger metal. 

But the process didn't end there. Oscar and 56 of his identical friends were then driven to Epner Technology to be plated in laser gold. This company is known for their work plating space instruments for NASA. President David Epner says the plating process is the same for Oscar as it is for spacecraft. However, he points out a few key differences in the final product. For one, the Oscars are a "polished jewel" in comparison to the rougher look of the NASA equipment. Epner also emphasizes the awards newfound durability, saying that the Oscars are plated more heavily than the plating they do for space because so many people are handling them.

This is not the first time Epner has worked with the Academy. He recalls multiple cases in the past where previous Oscar winners were actually returning their worn out awards to the Academy in order to be recoated. Epner guaranteed that his gold will never need a makeover. 

With the combination of bronze casting and laser gold technologies, both companies say the new Oscars should last forever.