Brainstorm Multimedia
Improving Digital Filmmaking by
using Virtual Set technology.
by
Hector Viguer
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• Working Fields:
– VR-Sets for Broadcast
– Presentations.
• High end.
• Stereo.
– Real Time Render Engine.
• Aston.
• Accuweather
– Film Previz.
• R&D IPRacine
• Production - Encodacam.
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VR SET: BBC 2007.
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NASDAQ 2006.
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• 1993 Brainstorm is founded from 2
companies:
– Montesa Graphics: Software development
• Custom made software for TV stations.
• Custom render engine for animations.
– Punto y Chroma: Production House
• 1994: First VR Studio for Television
(Antena3 Spain)
• 1995: First International convention:
NAB
• UP to now selling REAL TIME
graphics solution all over the world.
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• Film related Projects
– Level 47
– ILM (Artificial intelligence)
– Shadow Projects
– General Lift (Encodacam)
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• LEVEL 47
– Low budget
– Use Virtual Set Techniques.
– Use of Precalculated VR
environments (Brenders)
– 1997
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• LEVEL 47, MOVIE CLIP
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• Industries Light & Magic
– Artificial Intelligence.
– Publications.
– Siggraph.
– 2001
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ILM.
• Computer Graphics World 2001
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ILM.
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ILM.
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ILM.
• Visual FX
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ILM.
• AI, MOVIE CLIP
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• Shadow Projects.
Puppets, puppetiers & VR
– Television: “The Book of Pooh”.
– Film tests:
• Monkey King.
• Sizzling Kung Fu Mice.
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Shadow Projects.
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Shadow Projects.
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Shadow Projects.
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Shadow Projects.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• Monkey King.
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Shadow Projects.
• MOKEY KING, MOVIE CLIP
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Shadow Projects.
• Sizzling Kung Fu Mice.
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Shadow Projects.
• Sizzling Kung Fu Mice.
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Shadow Projects.
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Shadow Projects.
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Brainstorm Evolution.
• General Lift.
– Motion Capture Specialist.
– Joint Development:
• Encodacam.
– Projects:
• Panavision demo.
• I Robot (Vancouver) 2004
• Stealth (Australia) 2005
• Shark Boy and Lava Girl, 2005
• Riddick Chronicles, 2006
• Speed Racer, 2007/2008
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General Lift.
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General Lift.
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General Lift.
• Sizzling Kung Fu Mice.
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General Lift.
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General Lift.
• PANAVISION DEMO, MOVIE
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General Lift.
• I ROBOT
– Vancouver 2004.
– Press Releases
• Cinefex 99
• Cinema UK
• ACS
• Film and Video
• Premiere
• Summer of supervisors
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General Lift.
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General Lift.
• I ROBOT
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General Lift.
• I ROBOT
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General Lift.
• I ROBOT, MOVIE CLIPS
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General Lift.
• SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL
– 2005
– Movie CLIPS
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General Lift.
• Riddick Chronicles (2006)
• SPEED RACER (2007)
– Shooting finished
– Nothing can be shown.
– Shortly on the screens.
• FUTURE:
– General Lift working independent from
Brainstorm.
– Superman?
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VR Set Technology Applied.
• Benefits (I).
– Director can see.
• Choosing the shots.
– Cameramen can Frame.
• Framing with 3D environment.
• Continuing shots over 3D.
– Dailies with low quality 3D.
• Daily preview with CG BG.
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VR Set Technology Applied.
• Benefits (II).
– Camera tracking position is
recorded.
• No need of Post process tracking
retrieval.
– Only good shots with BG are kept.
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VR Set Technology Applied.
• CURRENT STATUS.
– IP-RACINE improvements.
– HD Preview is possible.
– Preview quality is growing very fast.
• Due to 3D Graphic cards and games.
– Less Hardware required.
• Shaders technology
• Chromakey using shaders.
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RealTime PREVIZ
• Current status of Quality.
• SHADERS, MOVIE CLIP
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FILM - REAL TIME - PREVIZ.
• REAL TIME RENDERING
– SDI and HD rendering in real time.
– Real-time software Chroma-Key for
low quality preview.
• EQUIPMENT & COST REDUCTION
– Off the shelf Graphic Boards:
• Shader technology
• OpenGL optimizations.
• VIRTUAL CAMERA PARAMETERS
SENT TO VIPER CAMERA.
– Embedded as metadata
• LOCAL DATA RECORDING
– Timecode/Camera parameters/Events
data recorder.
– SD SDI video recorder.
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Original VR FILM DIAGRAM.
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Improved VR FILM DIAGRAM
SYSTEM WORKFLOW
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Workflow improvements.
• OnSet Previsualization:
– Cost Reduction:
• Removal of Video Equipment.
• Internal ChromaKey and Delay.
• OnSet PostProcessing.
– HD Clip Playback directly in
Brainstorm.
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POSTPROCESSING.
• QUASI-REALTIME.
• ON-SET High Quality
Shot Preview.
• Automated Tool.
• Using Shaders:
– Textured Phong Lighting.
– Textured Bump Map
Lighting.
– High quality defocus.
– High quality lighting effects
– Software Chromakey
– Colour Correction
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VR Set Technology Applied.
• FUTURE.
– Seems promising.
– But is slowly starting to be adopted.
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