We’ve all seen behind the scenes footage from films like ‘Lord of The Rings’ and the revamped ‘Planet of the Apes’. Where some poor actor is dressed head to toe in green spandex, with markers all over their body, only to be replaced by a digital character in post-production.
3D motion capture – as the process is called – is a technique that has traditionally been reserved for big budget Hollywood features, due to the cost implications involved. This maybe about to change however, as recent advances mean it’s not only blockbuster films that will have access to the technology. Independent film makers, branded content and corporate productions could soon be able to utilise these production methods, thanks to Depth Sensors.
Depth Sensors work by casting a pattern of infrared light onto an object, which isn’t visible to the naked eye. This sends a distorted feed of dots back to the infrared camera, where the processor calculates the depth from the displacement of the dots.
The benefits of this sort of tech being available to a mass market are obvious, and the prospect of this being available to anybody involved in film making is appealing to say the least. Indeed, it permeates so many aspects of production, that it’s hard not get excited. For instance, it will allow a production designer to capture a likeness of an object and 3D print it. While a costume designer would be able to take exact measurements of an actor, and get a costume made to those specifications.
Smart phone users too, could soon have access to the technology. It could be applied to the mapping and directional software within the device, allowing the user to map their location when lost, and search an app like Google Maps for their location. One third of clothing purchased online is returned due to size issues, the infrared projector on a smart phone could take your exact measurements and find clothing to match your build. While new health apps will be able to document your weight loss and muscle growth at the click of a selfie.
The significance to your business must not be over looked, even the smallest of start-up’s could utilise the tech to produced high end promotional video content, design an app that can interact with the customer in a more intimate way or simply provide a map to the office, that makes it hard for even the most directionless of us to get lost.
Those business trying to stay ahead of the curve, would do well to explore the possibilities of Depth Sensors now. As the prospect of integration into current productions methods will offer a USP to those quick to adapt.