Archive for the ‘Virtual Sets’ Category

Ultimatte offers top-line keying solution

Virtual environments require more than just a clean key to be convincing, says J. David Hoffman of Brainstorm America, the company behind NBC’s virtual election night sets.

“To get a truly believable virtual environment you have to match color and lighting, said Hoffman.

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New system could bring virtual environments to affiliate level

Fully immersive and interactive 3D environments are becoming more and more popular but are still outside the reach of many local TV stations.

However, Brainstorm America hopes to change that with its new “all-in-one” offering starting at $120,000 per camera, says Brainstorm America’s J. David Hoffman. The system includes a robotic camera with built-in motion sensors that make real-time movement possible and is flexible enough to be moved to new locations or even in the field.

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Vizrt virtual sets add interaction between talent, ’scenery’

During a press demonstration at the 2009 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Vizrt showed off its virtual set offering, which can be combined with its now famous hologram creation or as a standalone product.

The set product is similar in that it allows real-time camera moves but adds the ability for talent to stand behind virtual elements. For example, during the demo, Vizrt’s talent appeared inside a virtual subway car and then stepped out through the open doors onto the platform. He could also walk between the ticket gates on the boarding platform in another scene.

Vizrt virtual environments can also be filmed using handheld cameras. Using a series of five white balls attached to the camera and five ceiling-mounted cameras that track the movement of each ball, the Vizrt computers combined this positioning data with the virtual environment to complete the effect.

CNN’s hologram technology ten years in the making

The idea for CNN’s hologram technology first hatched ten years ago in the head of David Bowman at CNN, says Shalom Nachshon of Vizrt, the company that, teamed with Stats, made the effect a reality a decade later.

“Back then, the technology didn’t exist,” said Nachshon. However, as CNN began prepping for the 2008 election coverage, the idea resurfaced and the research and development team at Vizrt believed they could successfully create the look Bowman envisioned.

Already familiar with Stats’ technical capabilities, Vizrt integrated technology from both companies to create the final CNN hologram effect. Though the hologram technology is available in full HD, CNN opted to add some noise to the picture in order to add a “Star Trek” look to it that also reinforced the fact that the reporter wasn’t physically in the New York stuido.

Stats unveils first look at virtual set technology

Stats unveiled its first look at its standalone virtual set technology that runs off the same backbone of Vizrt’s hologram technology used on CNN this election season.

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Brainstorm-Dragon adds dynamic new angle to real-time graphics

Brainstorm-Dragon is demonstrating an interesting new real-time graphic implementation at NAB 2009.

The system is dubbed as a “markerless camera tracking system” adds some exciting new dimensions and possibilities to the world of 3D news graphics. The system doesn’t require any senors and therefore is highly portable.

In our demonstration, poster-board size sheet of material was utilized. One side was white while the other was a green hue. (more…)

Suze Orman goes virtual

The Suze Orman Show on CNBC has debuted a new virtual set by Full Mental Jacket and Brainstorm.

The new set allows information to be displayed in new and innovative ways, “One advantage of a virtual set is that informational graphics can be inserted directly into the template, making them crisp and clear.” With this new setup, Suze Orman can give here advice with charts and graphs appearing all over. The technology powering this virtual setup is the same technology NewscastStudio reported on at NAB 2008.

Continue reading for more pics and information. (more…)

NewscastStudio Election Wrapup

This year’s election season was full of many new looks, toys, gizmos and hype-generating devices… but this begs the question, how much was really necessary?

Did CNN need to spend over $300,000 to beam a reporter into their New York Communications Center? Did NBC need to create a scaled down “Democracy Plaza” renamed as “Election Plaza?” Did FOX need a giant touch screen? (more…)

Actually, it’s not even a hologram

A physics expert tells the Chicago Tribune that CNN’s images of Jessica Yellin and singer will.i.am images aren’t technically holograms — and neither was Princess Leia in “Star Wars.”

Another expert agrees: “A ‘real’ hologram uses diffraction to reconstruct the wave front that would have come from the actual 3D object. A hologram cannot be viewed from the front and from behind as in the CNN segment—this was a dead giveaway that the image shown was not in fact a hologram. A real hologram can only be viewed within a specific range of viewing angles.”

Also:

• Gizmodo has an article explaining how the system works
• CNN’s own video that goes behind-the-scenes of the ‘hologram’

Video clip pokes fun at CNN holograms

Roundup of reactions to election night

• Inside the studios of Fox News on Election Night
• After a Night of Illusions, Television Records Reality
• Anchors, Beamed in and Live, Are Skittish
• On TV, Computer Graphics Eclipse The News, Anchors, Results

Inside NBC’s green room

The virtual studio set NBC is using seems rather small — but of course that doesn’t mean anything when you’re talking about computer generated sets!

We’re guessing the raised disc on the floor allows talent to know where the center of the “floor” is and where most of the graphs come out of.

Thanks to MIchael for the tip.