Method and system for filming

• US 9,033,522 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Holicom Film Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Holicom Film Ltd.
• Inventors: Ley, Stephen, O'Connell, Ian Christopher, Finn, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Dowling, William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROOKS, JERRY L.
• Application Number:
  US13/054,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20110149248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 353/122, 348/14.08, 362/236, 362/184
• US Class Current: 353/122
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/56 by projecting aerial or floating images
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/02 Illuminating scene
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/06 Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/07 Arrangements of lamps in studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/112 according to a given display mode, e.g. for interlaced or progressive display mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/132 Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/137 Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/587 involving temporal sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. decimation or subsequent interpolation of pictures in a video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2226 Determination of depth image, e.g. for foreground/background separation determining depth by image analysis in general G06T7/50; segmentation by image analysis in general G06T7/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

This invention concerns a method of filming a subjected to be projected as a Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image. The method may comprise filming a subject under a lighting arrangement having one or more front lights for illuminating a front of a subject and one or more backlights. The lights may be controlled such that the total brightness of the one or more front lights, as measured of the subject, is less than or approximately the same as the total brightness of the one or more backlights, as measured at the subject. The subject may be located directly above one or more floor lights such the subject is illuminated from below by the one or more floor lights. The lights may comprise one or more LEDs. A drop-off distance of the front lights may be less than a distance between the front lights and a backscreen. The invention further concerns a lighting control system comprising an input device for receiving inputs on characteristics of the subject to be filmed and a controller arranged to determine from the inputs a required configuration for the lamps and send control signals to at least one of the lamps to cause the lamps to adjust to the required configuration. The lighting system may comprise a controller connected to a data link providing data on a lighting environment at a location where the film of the subject is being projected as a Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image, the controller controlling the lamps to adjust configuration during filming in response to data on changes in the lighting environment.

Claims

1. A method of filming a subject to produce film suitable for projecting in a manner that creates a Pepper'"'"'s Ghost of the subject, the filming being carried out in a studio, the method comprising:

filming a subject under a lighting arrangement having one of more front lights for illuminating a front of the subject and one or more back lights, the one or more front lights and one or more back lights to provide significant illumination of the subject wherein the lights are controlled such that the total brightness of the one or more front lights, as measured at the subject, is less than or approximately the same as the total brightness of the one or more back lights, as measured at the subject to create a rim of light around the subject to sharpen an outline of the subject,

wherein the studio further comprises a back screen;

wherein the front lights are angled such that a majority of light emitted by the front lights is not reflected by the back screen back to an image capture device; and

wherein a floor supporting the subject is reflective and light reflected from the subject during the filming is captured such that captured images corresponding to the light reflected from the floor are displayed during projection of the Pepper'"'"'s Ghost of the subject.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total brightness, as measured at the subject, of the back lights to the total brightness of the front lights, as measured at the subject, is greater than 2:

3.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the total brightness of the one or more front lights, as measured at the subject, is less than the total brightness of the one or more back lights, as measured at the subject.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the lighting arrangement further comprises one or more side lights for illuminating a side of the subject.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the one or more side lights are for illuminating both sides of the subject.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the one or more side lights illuminate the subject with a total brightness, as measured at the subject, that is less than the total brightness of the one or more back lights, as measured at the subject.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the one or more rear lights, one or more front lights and one or more side lights comprise different lamps for illuminating (predominately) different sections of the subject.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the different sections comprise vertical sections of the subject.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more front lights comprise one of:

(i) a profile spotlight for illuminating a head of the subject;

(ii) a profile spotlight for illuminating the torso of the subject;

(iii) a profile spotlight for illuminating legs and feet of the subject; and

(iv) any combination of (i) to (iii).

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the one or more back lights comprise one of:

(i) a profile spotlight for illuminating a head of the subject;

(ii) a profile spotlight for illuminating the torso of the subject;

(iii) a profile spotlight for illuminating legs and feet of the subject; and

(iv) any combination of (i) to (iii).

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the lighting arrangement may further comprise overhead lights positioned substantially directly above the subject.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the one or more front lights further comprise a profile spotlight for illuminating the eyes of the subject.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the one or more front lights further comprise a fill lamp for illuminating the subject from below.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the one or more front side and back lights are arranged to illuminate a cuboid volume such that, when the subject moves horizontally within the cuboid volume, a nature of the illumination on the subject remains substantially the same.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the lights are controlled to match lighting effects for the subject being filmed to lighting effects at a location of the projected Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image.

16. A method according to claim 15 comprising controlling the lights illuminating the subject in response to a changing lighting environment at the location of the projected Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the lighting arrangement further comprises one or more floor lights, wherein the subject is located directly above the one or more floor lights such that the subject is illuminated from below by the one or more floor lights.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein at least 10%, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, at least 90% or substantially all of the illumination of the subject by the lighting arrangement is provided by the one or more LEDs.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the filming of a subject to be projected as a Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image comprises projecting a telepresence, wherein the light output characteristics of the LEDs are controlled substantially in real time.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the lights are controlled to create a colour temperature for the subject being filmed that substantially matches the colour temperature of person/objects at the location of the projected Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image.

21. A method according to claim 1, comprising filming a subject with a camera to produce a film, wherein a shutter speed of the camera is between 1/25″

1 second and 1/120″

1 second, and delivering the film to a Pepper'"'"'s Ghost projection system.

22. A method according to claim 1, comprising projecting the film through a semitransparent screen positioned at an angle, preferably 45 degrees, to the projected film and an audience eyeline such that film images are visible to the audience superimposed on a backdrop to the screen.

23. A method according to claim 1, comprising projecting the film such that the Pepper'"'"'s Ghost image of the subject appears at the same height as the subject in real-life.

24. A method of filming a subject to produce film suitable for projecting in a manner that creates a Pepper'"'"'s Ghost of the subject, the filming being carried out in a studio, the method comprising:

filming a subject under a lighting arrangement having one of more front lights for illuminating a front of the subject and one or more back lights, the one or more front lights and one or more back lights to provide significant illumination of the subject wherein the lights are controlled such that the total brightness of the one or more front lights, as measured at the subject, is less than or approximately the same as the total brightness of the one or more back lights, as measured at the subject to create a rim of light around the subject to sharpen an outline of the subject,

wherein the studio further comprises flooring supporting the subject, the flooring being reflective; and

wherein light reflected from the subject during the filming is captured such that captured images corresponding to the light reflected from the flooring are displayed during projection of the Pepper'"'"'s Ghost of the subject giving the Pepper'"'"'s Ghost the appearance of opacity.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the studio further comprises a back screen.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the front lights are angled such that a majority of light emitted by the front lights is not reflected by the back screen back to an image capture device.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the back screen is blue or green in color.