LEICESTER, U.K.—Cooke Optics has partnered with EZtrack to develop a seamlessly integrated system that will blur the line between production and post-production by allowing film makers to merge images from on-set cameras with high-quality computer generated (CG) elements in Near Real Time (NRT). 

An integral aspect of the project is Cooke’s /i Technology maps, which allow precise and accurate manipulation of the digital image. This means lens distortion can be corrected quickly, CG elements added to the undistorted image, and then the image can be re-distorted, so the CG element is matched to how the lens sees it, the companies reported. 

This technology is coupled with the EZtrack system’s ability to deliver precise camera movement tracking, together with lens and camera data, plus the movement of many other on-set elements such as mechanical cranes. This allows the VFX and camera teams to accurately know the position and movement of the camera at all times, while also providing access to all the Cooke /i Metadata.

The combination means that a director can sit on-set watching the feed from the live cameras with a real time version of a basic CG render for the sake of positioning. Even more importantly, the collaboration between Cooke and EZtrack means that all the data collected can be used by the on-set VFX team to produce an updated rendering of the required CG that, while not big-screen-ready, is more than good enough to allow the editor to see their vision come to life in Near Real Time.

This allows filmmakers to have confidence in the shot, but also provides them with the freedom to re-think a shot if necessary before they reach the post-production phase, when laborious re-shoots are prohibitively costly. 

This innovation in the cinematography process debuted on the Italian film “Comandante.”

The project used Cooke’s 1.8x Anamorphic/i Full Frame Plus lenses as well as /i Technology, which enabled Cooke and EZtrack to provide spatially accurate, frame accurate distortion maps, that track focus pulls across time for spherical and anamorphic lenses.

Cooke and EZtrack co-developed key technical workflow aspects which fed into The Foundry’s NUKE, whose VFX compositing software delivered the Near Real Time (NRT) workflow utilized in the film. Cooke worked closely with EZtrack, The Foundry, Kevin Todd Haug and David Stump, ASC, in realizing this creative and technical achievement. Other visual effects vendors involved in the project included Wow Tapes and Bottleship, and it was produced by Indigo Films and O’Groove Productions. 

Daniela Kesselem, chief product officer at Cooke, said: “This revolutionary innovation from Cooke Optics and EZtrack may have started on `Comandante’, but the flexibility and creative control it offers filmmakers means it will feature in many more productions in the years to come”.

Timothée de Goussencourt, EZtrack CTO added that “Participating in this project was really a challenge, I think that together with Cooke we pushed the limits of what is possible. The result we got with the anamorphic lenses is incredible”.

Visit Cooke stand 48 at CineGear Los Angeles on June 2-3 2023 to see a live demonstration of the Near Real Time technology in action, in partnership with EZtrack.

Chelmsford, Mass. – July 16, 2019 – Broadcast Pix™ today announced Emerson College, a private college in Boston devoted to communication and the arts, is using a new BPswitch™ GX integrated production switcher to produce live coverage of four team sports on campus. Installed in late 2018 during winter break, the new BPswitch was used throughout last season when the men’s basketball team won its first NEWMAC championship title.

The BPswitch anchors the control room in the Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gym, which hosts all home games for men’s and women’s basketball as well as men’s and women’s volleyball. The control room is located a floor above the basketball court, and is designed with a traditional three-row setup. Tim MacArthur, associate director for media technologies and production, said the college is exploring the idea of using the BPswitch-based control room for remote productions of other campus sports as well.

“The big draw for us was getting into BPfusion for graphics and the integration with the Daktronics scoreboard,” explained MacArthur. “The all-in-one device was also very appealing to us. There is a real ease of workflow with Broadcast Pix.”

BPfusion is a software option that works with BPswitch’s integrated NewBlueNTX multi-layer 3D motion graphics CG to streamline the creation of data-intensive graphics for sports, elections, and more. It uses templates to create customized graphics that update automatically using data from scoreboards, RSS feeds, and other IP-based sources without re-keying the data.

“The ease of use of the NewBlueNTX was another big draw,” MacArthur added. “The graphics are a step up from what we’ve done in the past, with easily modified templates that look great.”

All four of the switcher’s outputs are used to populate monitors in the control room, including two large panels in the front of the room and individual monitors for the TD and audio stations. MacArthur said the BPview™ integrated multi-view was customized for sports production, but there is a separate layout for an awards gala that is hosted in the gym every April.

While the students do not use the BPswitch’s file-based macros during productions, MacArthur said there is one macro that preps the switcher for production, so there is a consistent look no matter which student is serving as technical director. Coverage is produced in 720p and streamed live to the Emerson Lions YouTube channel.

With very limited funding for the gym’s video production system, students rely on mostly hand-me-down equipment. The new BPswitch, for example, replaced an existing Broadcast Pix Granite™ system that had been donated to the school. MacArthur said it was a seamless upgrade, and the school was able to keep its existing Broadcast Pix control panel.

There are dozens of sports productions throughout the school year, all produced with volunteer student crews. There is also no formal instruction for the BPswitch (or any other video equipment) in the gym’s control room. Instead, student volunteers teach themselves and each other how to use the equipment.

According to MacArthur, typical games have a three-camera setup with play-by-play and color commentators along with instant replay. Some games have as many as six cameras as well as a sideline commentator, but even single camera productions are run through the BPswitch to take advantage of the BPfusion graphics.

About Broadcast Pix
With a tightly coupled switcher and 3D motion graphics CG, Broadcast Pix provides the most fully integrated live video production systems with patented control and automation technology. From compact units to large-scale, multi-system solutions, every Broadcast Pix features an extensive toolset that makes it easy to optimize and customize your workflows locally and over IP. Plus, its BPNet ecosystem provides secure cloud services and asset management. Founded in 2002, Broadcast Pix has customers in more than 100 countries and is the leader in fully integrated production switchers for government, broadcast, streaming, live event, and visual radio applications. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, BPswitch, BPview, and Granite are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented. Switchers are made in USA.

Chelmsford, Mass. – May 28, 2019 – Broadcast Pix™ today announced the city of Riverview, Mich., has upgraded its City Hall control room with a BPswitch™ MX integrated production switcher. The system is used to produce coverage of one school board and two city council meetings each month.

According to Kim Harper, IT manager for the city, the Broadcast Pix Commander™ touchscreen control platform was an important selling point for the new system. Commander’s streamlined user interface makes it easy to execute sophisticated productions, even for non-technical personnel. Its intuitive controls simplify switching, PTZ camera control, and the use of graphics, clips, and effects.

Lawrence Cross, cable producer, said four PTZOptics PTZ cameras follow the meeting activities, with three cameras covering the dais and one camera positioned to capture guest and visitor comments. The Riverview control room includes both a touchscreen and traditional control panel. Cross said the cameras can be positioned using a traditional control panel or with preset macros through the Commander interface that automatically focus on members of the council.

Riverview is Cross’ first job in professional video, and he said he was able to quickly learn the workflow for meeting coverage using BPswitch. “It works great,” he explained. “You can put a show together in 10 minutes. It’s really easy.”

A document camera, used in chambers to display supporting information during meetings, is also fed into the video switcher. Plus, meeting coverage includes limited graphics produced with BPswitch’s integrated NewBlueNTX multi-layer 3D motion graphics CG during productions. BPview™, the system’s customizable multi-view, populates two screens in the control room.

Meetings run live on local Comcast and WOW! cable channels, and are streamed live and available on-demand on the city's website. Meetings are shot in HD but downconverted to SD for cable distribution. Harper said the system was installed in January 2018 to replace an aging Ross production switcher. Sound Planning Communications in Redford Township, Mich., handled the sale and system integration.

About Broadcast Pix
With a tightly coupled switcher and 3D motion graphics CG, Broadcast Pix provides the most fully integrated live video production systems with patented control and automation technology. From compact units to large-scale, multi-system solutions, every Broadcast Pix features an extensive toolset that makes it easy to optimize and customize your workflows locally and over IP. Plus, its BPNet ecosystem provides secure cloud services and asset management. Founded in 2002, Broadcast Pix has customers in more than 100 countries and is the leader in fully integrated production switchers for government, broadcast, streaming, live event, and visual radio applications. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Broadcast Pix Commander, BPswitch, and BPview are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented. Switchers are made in USA.

Shoot production can be a chaotic beast, no matter how much meticulous planning or pre-visualization goes into a campaign. Creative agencies and studios alike will come face-to-face with all kinds of unexpected variables outside of their control—from disruptive weather to faulty equipment, and awkward logistics. Even the use of visual effects and computer graphics can be unpredictable—push hardware or software too far and you might, very abruptly, hit an undiscovered limit.

As Saddington Baynes has expanded further into on-set shoot production, we've had to adapt to new kinds of challenges. In many cases, merging live-action and CG work is key to maintaining the client's vision when a shoot goes awry, and there are many different techniques that can help maintain standards of quality.

How can creatives best adapt to the behind-the-scenes challenges of live action shooting and CG to utiliZe the myriad benefits both before and after being on-set? Here are five key rules that any shoot production expert worth their salt should be thinking about.

1. CONTROL THE WEATHER

You can plan as much as you'd like, but when Mother Nature is ready to let loose with rain, snow, hail, or worse, all you can really do is react as quickly and safely as possible—and have a backup plan or two ready in your back pocket.

That's where CG can be a life-saver. If your shoot schedule doesn't allow the flexibility to return another day or otherwise find a live-action solution to any weather-related dilemmas, then you can harness the power of CG to complete projects or tweak results. One potential option is to use LIDAR scanning to capture useful location data, in case you need to rebuild assets after the fact.

It happens to everyone. On one shoot, a freak late-season snowfall blanketed the entire set, forcing an early wrap. Another time, while shooting a car campaign in Arizona, we had to deal with a punishing sandstorm. We didn't realize how painful it could be—and that's true for our equipment, too.

Things can get wild out there, but Mother Nature's ill-timed intrusions can be corrected in post, taking all the pressure off after you've evaded any unexpected storms.

2. THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER

CG can also help overcome a wide array of unexpected location issues. How a location looks in a staged photo may not always be what you see once you arrive. Perhaps it's degraded or in need of upkeep. It could even be an issue of lighting, when time of year or other variables affect what you're able to capture.

You might not have the time to make a location change, or your client might be dead-set on sticking with the locale. When that happens, it's up to you to make it work.

In one case, a home we planned to shoot in had months of overgrown plant life, and didn't look nearly as glamorous as the architectural shots had suggested. Furthermore, a hedge had been visibly munched on by caterpillars; it was a scraggly mess. In the end, we had to do significant work to beautify the location in a hurry.

It's often much easier and even less time-intensive to use CG to fine-tune location shoots after the fact. Whether that's paint clean-up or removing objects, adding CG buildings or other elements to the live-action footage, or changing the lighting conditions, it's all very possible. Digital tinkering can save a whole lot of physical struggle and frustration, and it provides much more flexibility to get the look exactly right.

3. LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Going into a shoot with an understanding of how CG can help finish a project is key, as you never know when a technological malfunction might derail a perfect shoot plan. Dealing with an unexpected tech headache can eat up your shoot time and limit the amount of workable footage you're able to capture on-set. Troubleshooting may only take you so far.

Whether you need to rebuild an environment from scratch or reframe shots, the power of CG makes it possible to salvage a shoot that's gone awry. Be ready to pivot as needed and integrate a larger share of CG work in post as needed.

4. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

No shoot will ever go 100 percent as expected, and if you're lucky, any hurdles will be small ones. If you're not so lucky, then a lack of preparation can prove very costly indeed. Experience will help you navigate many issues, but intelligent pre-shoot planning is invaluable.

Battle-plan for an array of issues like those mentioned earlier, and think about using CG to address potential problems before they happen. For example, you can use CG to engineer camera setups and angles, and prepare for elements like lighting and reflections. With CG always available as a tool, we come into shoots better prepared and leave knowing that we're ready to deliver the client's vision.

5. RETHINK THE BALANCE

As both a VFX supervisor and shoot director, I know well the immense power of CG—how it can fix live-action footage and empower creators. Of course, you always want to capture as much as possible on-set, but integrated production methods allow for so much more flexibility than strictly traditional methods.

Knowing your client and what they're seeking creatively is also essential. You need to engineer an approach that's going to give the maximum amount of flexibility. It's necessary to be able to move camera angles or change lighting, improving on the original deliverables or adjusting to client feedback. That’s something we can excel at by implementing visualization on-set, holding up a consumer-grade tablet to map out elements quickly and accurately, again blending live action and CG to eliminate creative roadblocks before they appear.

Experience is the key to keeping a cool head and finding simple, streamlined solutions to an unpredictable shoot. Integrated, CG-driven techniques are available to solve most potential issues, you can now go into a shoot feeling confident, capable, and ready to execute on your vision.

Andrew White is creative director at Saddington Baynes in London.