You Can Now Control A Robotic Camera Arm With An iPad – ON SET REVIEW
WRITTEN BY MIKE MAHER
FOR PREMIUM BEATS
I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FUTURE OF FILMMAKING FIRSTHAND. IT’S A MIX OF MANDALORIAN-ESQUE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION AND ROBOTIC CAMERA ARMS THAT YOU CAN NOW CONTROL WITH AN IOS DEVICE.
EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF FILMMAKING ADVANCEMENT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. THE DSLR BOOM, EDITING ON LAPTOPS AND NOW PHONES, GIMBALS, DRONES, ROBOTS, AND RECENTLY THE LATEST IN VIRTUAL PRODUCTION.
WHAT I’M ABOUT TO TELL YOU ABOUT IS THE CULMINATION OF ALL OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES INTO ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE DISPLAYS I’VE YET TO SEE IN MY CAREER. THE NEW MOTORIZED PRECISION APP BRINGS THE CONTROL OF THEIR ROBOTIC CAMERA ARMS ONTO IPADS AND IPHONES.
A FEW YEARS AGO, AT SIGGRAPH, EPIC GAMES INVITED ME TO THEIR INFAMOUS VIRTUAL PRODUCTION DEMO, WHERE THEY PUT A MOTORCYCLE IN FRONT OF AN LED VOLUME THAT CREATED A REALISTIC 3D ENVIRONMENT. THEY USED A TECHNOCRANE WITH A CAMERA TRACKER TO CAPTURE THE ACTOR AND BIKE, WHILE THE BACKGROUND DISPLAY RENDERED MOVEMENT IN REAL-TIME. WHAT I DIDN’T KNOW THEN IS THAT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WERE ALREADY USING THAT EXACT SETUP ON THE SET OF THE MANDALORIAN.
TODAY, I AM STANDING WITH THE CREWS OF SHIFT DYNAMICS AND GEAR 7 IN NASHVILLE, TN WATCHING THEM CAPTURE ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE ON THE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION STAGE AT ARC STUDIOS. THE DIFFERENCE IS THIS TIME; THEY ARE SHOOTING ON A MOTORIZED PRECISION COLOSSUS ROBOTIC CAMERA ARM. THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT I’LL TOUCH ON IN JUST A MOMENT.
YOU MAY RECALL A FEW YEARS BACK WHEN I TALKED ABOUT MOTORIZED PRECISION’S KIRA ROBOT THAT SHOT A MICROSOFT COMMERCIAL USING AND XBOX CONTROLLER. THE CONTROLLER WOULD ALLOW THE ROBOT OPERATOR TO USE THE LEFT JOYSTICK TO MOVE THE ROBOTIC ARM AND THE RIGHT JOYSTICK TO PAN THE CAMERA. YOU COULD ALSO USE THE CONTROLLER TO SET KEYFRAMES AND THEN PROGRAM YOUR ENTIRE MOVE IN THE PALM OF YOUR HANDS. THEN YOU’D GO INTO MP STUDIO ON YOUR MACHINE AND RUN THROUGH THE CAMERA MOVES.
SO WHAT’S HAPPENED SINCE THEN? TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS WE COULDN’T EVEN FATHOM.
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