Method, apparatus and system for providing reproducible digital imagery products from film content

• US 8,982,409 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Pines, Joshua, Kutcka, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange, Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US12/086,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20090201367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,218 Days
• Field of Search: 348/97, 348/E3.002, 348/104, 358/1.9, 355/40
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/253 Picture signal generating by scanning motion picture films or slide opaques, e.g. for telecine scanning details therefor H04N3/36 ; standard conversion therefor H04N7/0112

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for the transfer of motion picture film to reproducible digital imagery products such as digital dailies. In one embodiment of the present invention, a scanning device provides a log video signal representation of received film content, the log video signal including at least grey scale values of the colors of the received film content for enabling a quantitative assessment of the film content exposure information for providing repeatable and reproducible values from which a cinematographer/director of photography could order the color correction or adjustment of the film content in a reproducible manner understood by a color correction specialist or “timer”.

Claims

1. A method for providing a reproducible digital imagery product from film content, comprising:

scanning said film content;

determining grey scale density values for colors of said film content;

determining offset values for said grey scale density values to color correct said digital imagery representation of said film content;

generating a 10 bit log video signal representation of said film content-comprising a low resolution and low compression signal that encodes the grey scale density values and offset values, which is acceptable for producing dailies;

manipulating said grey scale density values of said log video signal representation of said film content; and

applying said manipulations to a corresponding digital data file representation of said film content for producing a color corrected film quality digital data file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation of said film content is color corrected for a specific display environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation contains grey scale values of said film content on a scene by scene basis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said log video signal representation of said film content is used to produce dailies.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said scanning provides separate color components of said film content and respective information regarding mapping and density values for said colors components of said film content.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing respective density offsets for said color components of said film content for color correcting said log video signal representation of said film content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said density offsets comprise linear offsets.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said density offsets are configured to provide values between 0 and 50 to emulate analog printer light offset values.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing said log video signal representation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said log video signal representation is stored on a scene by scene basis.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said stored log video signal is used as a starting point for a digital intermediate.

12. A color correction device for film content, comprising:

an interface configured to enable an adjustment of grey scale density values of a 10 bit log video signal representation of said film content to color correct said log video signal representation, said log video signal representation of said film content comprising grey scale density values for the colors of said film content and offset values for said grey scale density values to color correct said film content, wherein said 10 bit log video signal representation comprises a low resolution and low compression signal, which is acceptable for producing dailies, and further configured to apply manipulations of said grey scale density values of said log video signal representation of said film content and to a corresponding digital data file representation of said film content for producing a color corrected film quality digital data file.

13. The color correction device of claim 12, wherein said user interface comprises at least one of a wireless remote control, a pointing device, such as a mouse or a trackball, a voice recognition system, a touch screen, on screen menus, buttons, and knobs.

14. A system for providing a reproducible digital imagery product from film content and color correction thereof, comprising:

a scanning device for generating a 10 bit log video signal representation of said film content; and

a color correction device for adjusting density values of said 10 bit log video signal representation of said film content to color correct said 10 bit log video signal representation, said 10 bit log video signal representation comprising grey scale density values for the colors of said film content, and for applying said adjustments to a corresponding digital data file representation of said film content for producing a color corrected film quality digital data file,

wherein said 10 bit log video signal representation comprises a low resolution and low compression signal, which is acceptable for producing dailies.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising storage for storing a color corrected log video signal representation.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising storage for storing said log video signal representation from said scanning device before said color correction.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said scanning device further generates a digital data file representation of said film content.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising storage for storing said digital data file.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein said scanning device comprises a telecine.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said scanning device provides full dynamic range scanning of said film content.