Blurring the line between production and post production: NewTek demonstrates Virtual Cinematography in Lightwave
Newtek has long been one of the most innovative digital content creation companies out there. Originally an Amiga based company, with products such as DigiView, the first colour digitizer for a computer, and the Video Toaster which gave users the power of a live switching studio via an add on card , they’ve continued to innovate through the years. This year at SIGGRAPH is no different, as Rob Powers, VP of 3D development took the stage to demonstrate the virtual cinematography capabilities of Lightwave 3D 10, the latest version of their long running 3D modeling and animation software.
Powers has had some experience in this field, as he created the world’s first 64 bit animation, to demonstrate 64 bit pipelines in Microsoft Windows, and worked on James Cameron’s Avatar, first as Animation Technical Director then Virtual Art Department Supervisor. In the Lightwave 10 video, he demonstrates a camera hooked up to the V-Cam system, which then sends direct camera information into the Lightwave interface in real time, allowing a real cameraman to navigate a virtual set.
It changes the interaction you have with the software. The software feeds the artists process, the film makers process and not the other way around.
The system is also capable of recording zoom information in real time. As well as the camera, a secondary device in the video was able to control a spotlight in real time. This is a huge step forward in the realm of 3D animation, as it allows the filmmakers to decide how to handle a CGI shot first hand, taking down a major barrier between the animation software and real world filming.
If the video above isn’t playing for you, you can find it here as well.
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