On the current project I am working on we have the honor of being the first to use some brand new technology developed by a UK based company called Kontrolfreax.
When working with computer animation or CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) the images are presented to the viewer through the use of a "Virtual Camera". This virtual camera records the images in the same way that a real camera would were it able to record the images in a virtual world. You can select lenses etc that perfectly match what a real life camera would see. This helps marry the CGI to live footage.
The Virtual Camera films a virtual world which is mapped out in three dimensions. Sometimes this virtual world is imagined and sometimes it represents a real space.
Traditionally this virtual world was created after principal photography was completed and then added to the green screen shots that had been filmed. But now Kontrolfreax is offering a new solution that gives the film makers a easier way of dealing with this virtual world.
With the Kontrolfreax system the virtual world is created before shooting begins (in a low resolution render - similar to the kind of quality you would see on google earth).
Then sensors are attached to all the camera equipment we are using (Heads, Dolly, Crane Etc...) So now where ever our camera moves the sensors instruct the virtual camera to make the identical move in our virtual world.
The result is that when we film green screens we can immediately see what the backgrounds will be on our video take off and make the necessary adjustments to the shot or to the virtual world to make sure that the finished product will look great. There is also a massive time saving for post production because the virtual world gets married to the live action as we shoot so high rez rendering can begin as soon as an edit has been done (All the maths is done already "in camera" so to say).
Our film is being shot on the Arri D21 cameras and the system works well with them, but I don't see any reason that the system couldn't work on any format providing the video take off is clean enough to be able to key off green screen live (So I guess HD is preferable for this).
As an AD the system has plus points and minus points. First the negative: because the virtual world offers almost endless possibilities for backgrounds especially if the foreground sets are limited a lot of time can be spent on set tweaking an additional dimension of each shot while the crew stand and wait. But to its credit if the system is used with discipline then the images it provides instantly can show the director and actors the space they are in and how things look and there are far less conversations about an imaginary world that going to be created in post - so its a time saver too.
You can see more about Kontolfreax at their website:
LINK
