Technology Title: Smart

Tech ID: 13-1563D

Technology Summary:

In the current video production environment, the ability to previsualize shots utilizing a virtual camera system requires expensive hardware and large spaces making this technology accessible to a limited audience. To overcome these limitations, a student/faculty Drexel team has developed an innovative low-cost alternative called the Smart VCS that offers the potential to make virtual cinematograhy accessible to the consumer market while offering an array of novel features. The Smart VCS is able to achieve both advantages by integrating consumer technologies such a multi-touch tablet (iPad) and motion controller (PS3 Move) with openly accessible game engines. The Smart VCS system is designed for directors, both amateur and professional, who wish to embrace the notion of Virtual Production for films and game cinematics without a big studio budget. The Smart VCS enables a director to compose and record camera motions in freespace and manipulate scene elements, such as characters & environments, through a real-time intuitive touch interface that is guided by system intelligence and based on cinematic principles.

Applications:

 Game level design  Real-time compositing & post-production  Architectural visualization

Advantage(s):

 Lower equipment costs  Lower production costs – supports iterative production pipeline allowing directors and cinematographers to experiment with their compositions throughout the production process instead of simply at the previsualization stage  Tablet (iPad) integration - provides opportunity to build intelligence into the tool that may open up a new market of amateur content makers while also enabling higher quality content  Smaller/Lighter Form Factor

IP Status: Patent Pending

Inventors: Girish Balakrishnan, Paul Diefenbach

Relevant Publications: SIGGRAPH 2013 Conference (SIGGRAPH Talk Site)

Multi-media Links:

Video Demonstration Production Blog Unity Awards 2013