RED = New Era in VFX

[Scott M]

Often I wonder what will be the next amazing effect in films, and I use the "Bullet Time" effect from the Matrix as an example.

This led me to wonder if RED has considered that it could take that effect to a new level.

Because of it's size and relatively cost effective nature, couldn't something like this:



be achieved using RED's? In which case, the movement and travel of the "Bullet Time" effect could essentially become a non-linear series of "camera" movments in an epic moment in time? :D

If so, I think it'd be a pretty sweet project that would introduce the power and versatility this camera will bring to filmmaking.

[Stephen Williams]

Often I wonder what will be the next amazing effect in films, and I use the "Bullet Time" effect from the Matrix as an example.

This led me to wonder if RED has considered that it could take that effect to a new level.

Because of it's size and relatively cost effective nature, couldn't something like this:



be achieved using RED's? In which case, the movement and travel of the "Bullet Time" effect could essentially become a non-linear series of "camera" movments in an epic moment in time? :D

If so, I think it'd be a pretty sweet project that would introduce the power and versatility this camera will bring to filmmaking.

Hi,

I was shooting bullet time on Friday using 50 Canon DSLR's & a Viper! Your biggest problem will be getting a license from Dayton Taylor at Digital Air who holds the pattents on the technique. The camera pan/tilt/roll heads we used were the ones from the Matrix! We speed ramped the array from 300 fps to 25 fps, more interesting effect IMHO.


Stephen

[Jarred Land]

We actually did the bullet time effect with a single camera up in Vancouver a couple years ago in a movie called House of the Dead.. it was basically a big lazy susan that span a camera around very fast and the talent standed still (or moved) in the middle. Insurance and Bond company ended shutting it down pretty quick cause it was so friggin dangerous.

Using high speed cameras its very possible as well, as you can make time almost freeze.. I shot this scene of water at 500fps and coulda slowed it down alot more.


http://purposelabs.com/water_full_color.wmv

[Charles Papert]

We did a hilariously low-tech version of Bullet Time on the upcoming release "Balls of Fury", where the actors playing ping-pong (to the death, of course!) froze, I wrapped around them with the Steadicam, and then they unfroze again. The CGI ball spinning in place was the crowning touch. Viewable here, I think about halfway through the trailer.

This was shot on the Panavision Genesis, by the way.

[Stephen Williams]

Hi Jarred,

A director in Zurich built a rig like that which spun the camera 360 degrees in about 1 second, using an Arri III @ 100 fps worked very well. Above 100fps the film jammed! I don't think that guy had any insurance!

Stephen

We actually did the bullet time effect with a single camera up in Vancouver a couple years ago in a movie called House of the Dead.. it was basically a big lazy susan that span a camera around very fast and the talent standed still (or moved) in the middle. Insurance and Bond company ended shutting it down pretty quick cause it was so friggin dangerous.

Using high speed cameras its very possible as well, as you can make time almost freeze.. I shot this scene of water at 500fps and coulda slowed it down alot more.


http://purposelabs.com/water_full_color.wmv

[Justin Anderson]

Your biggest problem will be getting a license from Dayton Taylor at Digital Air who holds the pattents on the technique. The camera pan/tilt/roll heads we used were the ones from the Matrix! We speed ramped the array from 300 fps to 25 fps, more interesting effect IMHO.


Stephen

you can patent something like that?

how dumb. What part of it is patented?

[Stephen Williams]

you can patent something like that?

how dumb. What part of it is patented?

Hi Justin,

So it would seem!

http://www.digitalair.com/intprop.html

I Quote;-
"Digital Air is committed to the enforcement of its intellectual property. We strongly urge owners of unlicensed camera systems, films, television commercials, music videos, sports programs and other properties that infringe our patents, as well as those planning to make such systems or properties, to contact us immediately for a license"

Stephen

[Zakaree Sandberg]

Hi Justin,

So it would seem!

http://www.digitalair.com/intprop.html

I Quote;-
"Digital Air is committed to the enforcement of its intellectual property. We strongly urge owners of unlicensed camera systems, films, television commercials, music videos, sports programs and other properties that infringe our patents, as well as those planning to make such systems or properties, to contact us immediately for a license"

Stephen

how would they know? u can just say you used a different technique

[_BK]

I have also used that lazy susan rig here in vancouver a couple years ago... maaaan, that thing was a disaster just waiting to happen.

I personally think that the traditional bullet time methods have almost reached the end of their lifespan. With computers now able to re-create actors with very high precision and new highspeed cameras coming onto the market, it is becoming much simpler and cost effective to do bullet time.

Im personally curious to try the new digi 1000fps 2k Phantom camera... put that thing on a fairly fast moving rig and you will have something very similar to bullet time, but for a fracion of the cost and setup time.

Im still not to sure what RED's impact on visual effects is going to be. On one hand, its great to have access to 4k plates at no extra cost or re-scanning. But, the complete lack of grain is something that is a bit scarry to me as a VFX supervisor. It means that more work is going to have to be put into the CG to match RED's perfection...

[garageman]

Considering I'd seen the technique in the late 80's in England utilised by someone else, I hardly think they have a worldwide patent on a technique like that. Seems a bit too oppurtunist to me.