Sometimes you come across something which really gives you a jolt. The work Robert Hodgin does is clever and beautiful:

Solar, with lyrics. from flight404 on Vimeo.

He uses Processing, an open-source programming environment for graphics and audio. See their exhibition space for more examples of what can be done. Robert Hodgin has a bit of his stuff on that page too, and great explanations of how the software was used (Birds/Flocking).

I’ve become quite interested in procedural animation of late, and have been wondering what we can do with Massive (and a bit of time) to create some visualisations. We’ve done a bit of stuff on films using Massive to create things other than crowds (like traffic, pedestrians, etc); so another logical step would be to use it with some input data to drive different aspects of it… hmmm… music clip anyone? With the right input data, I am sure you could make something quite special.

(Full disclosure: like most people, I’ve had a lenticular fascination since I was a kid. I just didn’t know what to call it…)

Now, of the technology, the immediate, demonstrated applications are variable focus (in post); or the ability to move the camera and change perspective within about a 10° arc. While this is something readily achievable in a layered composite, the implications of it being readily available and nicely packaged with a bow are quite interesting (see: focus stacking, helicon focus). And, if (if!) it can be applied to moving images, then there would depth information that you could use to extract layers. That is, you wouldn’t have to pull a key; you could go without green-screen; rotoscoping would be easy… oh, the possibilities… Okay, I’m getting way ahead of the technology.

But then, beyond the “3D” hype, there have been a lot of recent, significant developments in sensor technology, such as the Panasonic high dynamic range sensor… and even the CIA is hocking its image technology. Yes, the Central Intelligence Agency. Insert your conspiracy theories here. How about the Gigapan $300 (?) photo-robot…

While we may wait for a new digital camera in the coming months, we should probably bear in mind that Moore’s Law can be applied to digital photography and cinematography…

More reading: Refocus Imaging; Max Hodges comments; Stephen Shankland article; Photography 2.0/R&D…

I was wondering when this would happen, while there have already been a few, this auction is for a “soon to ship” RED One body (the idea being you can skip the waiting list… a bit like those people that stand in line for you at Disneyland!) Check it out here. One day to go…

Kubrick — via Bagelturf — shooting in candlelight using a modified Zeiss f/0.7 lens originally intended for spy satellites. I don’t think I saw the f/0.7, but I am pretty sure the f/1 Zeiss he had modified to mount onto a Mitchell camera was at the Kubrick exhibition in the ACMI (Melbourne) last year. There is an extract from American Cinematographer about it at Visual Memory (they also have a trove of additional Stanley Kubrick archives).

Current fast lenses include the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/1, VFX Supervisor Tommy Oshima has one… as do quite a few others… current version is $6k USD new. There is also the discontinued Canon EF 50mm f/1.0.