GENERATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL MOVIES WITH IMPROVED DEPTH CONTROL

• US 20090160934A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Newell, Paul, Neuman, Robert, Hendrickson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

Techniques for creating 3-D movies allow improved control over camera positioning parameters and editing of depth in post-process to provide for a smoother variation in the viewer'"'"'s convergence distance and a more pleasant viewing experience. A director can define reference parameters related to a desired viewing experience, and camera positioning parameters are derived therefrom. A depth script specifying piecewise continuous variations in reference parameters can be applied in post-process to generate 3-D shots, scenes, or movies. These techniques can be applied in both computer-generated and live-action 3-D movies.

Claims

1. A method for creating a three-dimensional movie, the method comprising:

establishing a reference parameter value for each of a plurality of reference parameters, the plurality of reference parameters defining a far triangle and a near triangle associated with a shot;

determining, based on the reference parameter values, camera positioning parameters for a first camera and a second camera, the camera positioning parameters including an interaxial distance between the first camera and the second camera; and

obtaining, using the camera positioning parameters, a respective sequence of images of a shot for each of the first camera and the second camera.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of reference parameters includes:

a far distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a far plane;

a near distance parameter corresponding to a distance from the plane of the first camera and the second camera to a near plane;

a far offset parameter corresponding to an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the far plane; and

a near offset parameter corresponding to an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the near plane.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the values for the far offset parameter and the near offset parameter each correspond to a fraction of a width of the image.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of reference parameters includes:

a far distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a far plane;

a screen distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a zero plane, wherein an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the zero plane is zero; and

a far offset parameter corresponding to an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the far plane.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the value for the far offset parameter corresponds to a fraction of a width of the image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the camera positioning parameters further include a toe-in angle for at least one of the first camera and the second camera.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

defining a focal length for the first and second cameras,

wherein the camera positioning parameters further include a film-back offset distance for at least one of the first and second cameras wherein the film-back offset distance is determined based in part on the focal length.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

specifying reference parameter values for the reference parameters for each of a plurality of shots comprising the movie,

wherein the reference parameter values are selected such that the far triangle and the near triangle vary in a piecewise continuous manner across successive shots in the movie.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the reference parameter values includes:

determining an apparent width of an object in the scene; and

selecting at least some of the reference parameter values based on the apparent width of the object.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the reference parameters include:

a far distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a far plane; and

a screen distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a zero plane, wherein an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the zero plane is zero; and

wherein the reference parameter values are selected such that a distance between the far plane and the zero plane is approximately equal to the width of the object.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining, using the camera positioning parameters, the respective sequence of images of a shot for each of the first camera and the second camera includes:

determining a first virtual camera position and a second virtual camera position using the camera positioning parameters for the first camera and the second camera, respectively;

rendering a first image of scene geometry using the first virtual camera position; and

rendering a second image of the scene geometry using the second virtual camera position.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining, using the camera positioning parameters, the respective sequence of images of a shot for each of the first camera and the second camera includes:

filming a live-action shot using a camera system that records depth-related information;

extracting scene geometry from the live-action shot and the depth-related information; and

rendering the scene using the extracted scene geometry and image re-projection.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the sequence of images obtained for each of the first camera and the second camera on a storage medium.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the storage medium comprises film.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the storage medium comprises a computer-readable storage medium that stores a digital representation of the sequence of images obtained for each of the first camera and the second camera.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

displaying the images such that an image obtained for the first camera is visible to only one of a viewer'"'"'s eyes and an image obtained from the second camera is visible to only the other of a viewer'"'"'s eyes.

17. A method for creating a movie, the method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of shots, each shot comprising a sequence of initial images, each initial image having depth information associated therewith;

sequencing the plurality of shots to create a scene;

defining a piecewise continuous depth script for the scene; and

regenerating each of the plurality of shots as a sequence of stereoscopic images having depth properties determined based on the depth script and the depth information associated with the initial images.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein obtaining the plurality of shots includes rendering the plurality of shots from scene geometry.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein regenerating the plurality of shots includes re-rendering the plurality of shots from the scene geometry.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein obtaining the plurality of shots includes filming a live-action shot using a camera system that records information usable to extract depth information.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein regenerating each of the plurality of shots includes:

extracting scene geometry from the live-action shots and the depth information; and

rendering a stereoscopic image using the extracted scene geometry and image re-projection.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein defining the piecewise continuous depth script includes establishing values for a set of reference parameters for each shot, the set of reference parameters characterizing stereoscopic properties of an image including a convergence distance, wherein the reference parameters are variable in a piecewise continuous manner.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein regenerating each of the plurality of shots includes:

using the reference parameters to compute camera positioning parameters for a pair of cameras; and

regenerating each of the plurality of shots using the camera positioning parameters and the depth information.

24. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium encoded with program code for controlling the operation of a computer system, the program code including:

program code for receiving user input establishing a reference parameter value for each of a plurality of reference parameters, the plurality of reference parameters defining a far triangle and a near triangle associated with a shot;

program code for determining, based on the reference parameter values, camera positioning parameters for a first camera and a second camera, the camera positioning parameters including an interaxial distance between the first camera and the second camera; and

program code for obtaining, using the camera positioning parameters, a respective sequence of images of a shot for each of the first camera and the second camera.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the plurality of reference parameters includes:

a far distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a far plane;

a near distance parameter corresponding to a distance from the plane of the first camera and the second camera to a near plane;

a far offset parameter corresponding to an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the far plane; and

a near offset parameter corresponding to an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the near plane.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the plurality of reference parameters includes:

a far distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a far plane;

a screen distance parameter corresponding to a distance from a plane of the first camera and the second camera to a zero plane, wherein an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the zero plane is zero; and

a far offset parameter corresponding to an offset distance between a left-eye point and a right-eye point in the far plane.

27. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the camera positioning parameters further include a toe-in angle for at least one of the first camera and the second camera.

28. The computer program product of claim 24 further comprising:

program code for defining a focal length of the first and second cameras,

wherein the program code for determining the camera positioning parameters includes program code for determining a film-back offset distance for at least one of the first and second cameras wherein the film-back offset distance is determined based in part on the focal length.