News Stories

Augmented reality set to enhance London Eye's pods

2.23.2012

[London Telegraph]

…Visitors to the London Eye will, from next month, be able use a new app for tablets and phones based on Google’s Android operating system, and subsequently for Apple’s iPhones and iPads.

The app works by enabling users to “see” right through the bottom of the Eye capsule to the Thames below. The aim is to enhance the sense of being above London, rather than being stuck inside a pod. On-screen information tells users about the workings of the Eye itself, and about the sites you can see as you point your phone’s camera towards them. To further promote the app, there are audio guides from three perspectives and in five languages. Wi-Fi, too, will be free for all in the area around the Eye itself.  …

Yesterday supermodel Helena Christensen was at Selfridges, in London, to unveil the “Fantasy Mirror” in association with lingerie brand Triumph. The company plans to do away with the need for shoppers to try on clothes by deploying a full-size high-resolution TV screen to give the illusion of standing in front of a mirror in a changing room. Motion sensors scan anyone standing directly in front of it, and infra-red technology creates what the company describes as “a highly accurate 3D reconstruction of the environment”. It says “the camera tracks the viewers’ body which is then translated on to the screen as a 3D silhouette of a female avatar that moves in real time to the viewers’ own motion”.  …

Read the full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9098169/Augmented-reality-set-to-enhance-London-Eyes-pods.html

Hugo Blu-ray 3D Review

2.23.2012

[Big Picture Big Sound Magazine]

…

The Picture

In the post-World-War-I era of Hugo, film is exalted as one of the great spectacles of its day, and now Scorsese has echoed that same spirit of technology and showmanship by making this his first film shot in 3D. The results are outstanding, with an appreciable depth in most scenes, particularly the bustling locales of the train station. Subtle successful touches are layered in, sprays of dust and so on, and we may find ourselves tempted to bat away the frequent snowflakes.

Computer-generated effects are heavily employed, and here too a strong, credible dimensionality is displayed, as in the Parisian cityscape. This was also Marty’s first movie to be capture digitally and the 16:9 image has a gorgeous clarity, right down wrinkles and pores and the faintest glint of perspiration. There’s a pleasing, filmic warmth thankfully, and an intoxicating color palette.

…

Read the full review here: http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Hugo-Blu-ray-3D.shtml

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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