Tag Archives: video

World First- HDR Video

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The natural world presents our visual system with a wide range of colours and intensities. Furthermore, the scene may be constantly changing with, for example, significant differences in lighting levels going from outside to inside or simply as the sun goes behind some clouds etc. A human eye can see detail in regions that vary by 1:10(4) at any given eye adaption level.

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A traditional camera, on the other hand, is only capable of capturing a limited range of lighting in any scene, ie Low Dynamic Range (LDR). The actual range captured depends on the exposure and f-stop setting of the camera. The remainder of the image outside this limited range is either under or over exposed. Images that can reproduce a large portion of the luminance dynamic range available in the real world are known as High Dynamic Range (HDR).

HDR imagery offers a more representative description of image-based digital content by storing data with a higher bit-depth per pixel than the more conventional LDR images. HDR images are typically either created in computer graphics or generated from a number of static images.

A HDR system capable of capturing, storing, transmitting and delivering dynamic HDR images, covering at least 20 f-stops, at full high-definition resolution, at 30 frames-pre-second, did not exist in a single camera unit…

until now !

I had the pleasure of joining Christian Payne (@documentally) at WMG, part of the University of Warwick, where we had a demonstration of the world’s first High Dynamic Range video recording camera, followed by interviews and discussions with key team members.

World First- HDR Video (High Dynamic Range) from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

This system is owned and developed by WMG under the brand GoHDR and is based in the University of Warwick in the West Midlands region (UK).

The encoding/decoding software being developed by GoHDR has the potential to be enabling technology, which helps bring about the widespread adoption of HDR video for the home entertainment market.

Led by the Visualisation team and Professor Alan Chalmers under contract with Spheron VR in Germany, the camera is capable of 20 f-stops, full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution at 30 frames per second.

A key challenge to the widespread adoption of this HDR camera is making manageable the huge data stream that it generates. This is very much higher than a normal video camera with the HDR camera capturing data at 24 MBytes per frame or 42 Gigabytes per minute of footage, compared to just 9 Gigabytes for a minute of normal video footage.

Advances in compression is required and this is additional research and development that the team are currently delivering.

For more information, please visit http://www.GoHDR.com

Super-widescreen Projection

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Amazing what you can do with a bit of applied knowledge.

This short video shows the stage of the Lowry Arts Centre in Manchester- the screen and corporate stage set is a temporary 1-day installation, for an event I produced and coordinated for the British Council of Shopping Centres, back in 1999. The video itself shows just a small part of the event- this piece is just the opening introduction that was captured in an empty conference hall during technical rehearsal checks.

Super-widescreen Projection from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

Using powerpoint and photoshop images as the background, the embedding and overlaying of live video, afterfx, graphics, text and moving images are produced from a system called Suite P. The system incorporated all the above, and also allowed for live camera relay and incomming satellite video links to be placed anywhere on the screen, on-demand, during the event.

Owned by Blitz Communications (the production company I was working for at the time), the system is based around 3, soft-edge masked large screen digital video projectors, with images hitting the screen to produce a 20x8m image, from a distance of approximately 100metres, front projected.

The technical knowledge behind the design of the software system and soft-edge masking controller was completed by Alan Cox, and the widescreen display programmer was Richard Turner. I’ve got to give a huge hat-tip to those guys- they were (and still are) so far ahead of the game (remember this is 1999 we’re talking about here).

The system was installed overnight after the orchestra had vacated the stage, and was up and running for 8am the following morning. If memory serves me correct, there were 8 technical staff on the crew for this event.

It just goes to show just how forward thinking the appliance of technical skills and expertise can push the boundaries. I feel privileged to be able to work with such technical experts from time to time. It’s guys like these that shape the future of technology, so standards such as this become commonplace in the hi-tech world we live in today.

If this type of presentation is something you are interested in for your events, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Inspiration, snow and whisky

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Hat tip to Hannah Nicklin, thank you.

So, it’s 3.19am, I’ve just saved 3000 words as a draft, and I spot a tweet from Hannah: “A watched Posterous never autoposts.”

So, now I’m stuck for creativity and inspiration, it’s time for some fresh air.

The heavens have gently, silently delivered another 2 inches of beautiful virgin snow outside. “Ah what the hell, it won’t hurt” thinks I. So, with my iphone in hand, out I go to the garden, and grab this:

Snow Tree

Snow Tree

So, now inspired (and cold), I search for “snow, trees and video” on Google, and it comes up with this:

Ommwriter from Herraiz Soto on Vimeo.

Inspiration and platform found in one go. Thank you Ommwriter- you look delightful…tomorrow I’ll have a play.

Now it’s time for a quick Balvenie- hell I’m going to go get all natural with it- usually I’d add a little water, but there’s snow outside, and it’s wonderful.
This time I’ll put a coat on, and add a small scoop of snow into the glass.
Who says I don’t think about the environment.

Then, probably, bed. Let’s see.

07 Clive Dutton

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On Friday 11th July, I was invited to interview Clive Dutton OBE.
Clive is the Director of Planning and Regeneration at Birmingham City Council.
He has been in post since February 2005, and with the original remit to “shake things up”- he’s certainly fulfilled the brief.
Filmed on the 25th floor of Alpha Tower, Clive gives us his views of the past, The Big City Plan, communication, his successes and achievement, London and Birmingham’s future.
Clive will be leaving Birmingham soon, to take up the position of Executive Director for Regeneration, Planning and Property at the London Borough of Newham.

Clive Dutton from Paul Hadley on Vimeo.

Sincere thanks must go to Nat Higginbottom of Aquila TV for helping me with his editing skills. This has shown up that I need to get the white balance on the cameras sorted, so colours are shown in better contrast, plus I need better microphones- that’s 2 things I’ll put right for all future interviews.