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Content Creation
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The content for the DimensionElevator consists of four synchronized video clips. This section covers some of the specifics of ways to create this content.
Content can be created by filming with four cameras simultaniously, each camera pointing in a different direction. We call this setup the omnicam.
In order for the videostreams to playback properly in the installation, the cameras must be precisely lined up. In order to accomplish this, we propose a mount that all of the cameras can be attached to. This is easily accomplished because every camera already has a tripod mounting hole.
The omnicam mount consists of a plate covered with a thin sheet of rubber (the cameras will sit on the rubber which will keep them from slipping or rotating) with four holes drilled through the rubber and the plate. Using screws, the cameras can be attached to the plate.
An additional hole in the center of the plate allows the entire plate to be attached to any tripod.
Another requirement is that every camera must have a 90 degree field of view. If the cameras do not have a 90 degree field of view, they will only record four wedges of the environment, and not the whole thing. To attain a 90 degree field of view the cameras will need wide angle lenses.
While any kind of camera can be used (film or video) we are currently planning on using the very small mini-dv cameras. These cameras are so small that they could all be mounted onto a relatively small omnicam mount and the total package would be very portable. In addition, the recorded images capture a more accurate picture the closer that the four lenses of the four cameras are to each other. With the small mini-dv video cameras the lenses would be within 8 inches of one another.
Any kind of camera can be used because the image can always be transferred to video.
The small mini-dv cameras cost from $1000 to $2000 each.
Three dimensional environments can be created on the computer using existing software packages such as 3D Studio Max.
Once an environment is created, it can be recorded out to videostreams in the same way that an actual environment can be recorded.
This is done using four virtual cameras in the same configuration as the four cameras in an omnicam, essentially creating a virtual omnicam.
With the virtual omnicam the lenses can easily be configured to have a 90 degree field of view. Also, the lenses can be placed at the same location in space.
The virtual omnicam will output four standard video files.
3D software packages cost from $1000 to $5000.
Pieces can be created on the computer using 2D animation / motion graphics packages such as Adobe AfterEffects. The pieces can incorporate still images, video clips, text, graphics primitives, etc.
Create a canvas that spans all four video screens, a canvas that is four times as wide as a standard video screen. Create your animation on this canvas, paying attention to what happens at the left and right edges. The left and the right edges will join when the animation is projected in the installation, so ideally those two edges will match up. This is very similar to creating a texture that is intended to tile, where the bottom and top edges match and the left and the right edges match.
Once the large animation has been completed, it can be rendered out to four separate video files. These video files will serve as the content for the installation.
Content can really be created in any way as long as it can finally be converted to 4 video streams. A painting or drawing can be recorded while in progress. Individual pages from an animation can be scanned into the computer. Photographs can be scanned into the computer. Sculptures can be filmed.
A standard path could be to somehow convert the traditional media into a digital format, and then arrange it as described above in the 2D Computer section.
We have mentioned creating 4 "video streams". The final format of these streams is dependent on what media the playback system eventually takes. However, we have not decided on our playback system yet.
Several formats are likely:
MPEG2 computer files.
The most likely is to create Windows AVI or QuickTime computer files compressed in the MPEG2 format. MPEG2 is the compression format used for DVDs. It is a good format because it is very small and because it can be played out of any computer with a DVD decoder card, that is, any computer with a DVD drive. These video files can be shared by copying them directly from computer to computer over a network, or by writing them to some transportable media like DVD-RAM drives, CDs, ZIP Disks or external harddrives.
VideoCDs
Another useful format is to create VideoCDs with MPEG1 compressed video written to them. These are standard CD media with video information written onto them instead of audio information. These can be played in DVD drives. For one piece, an artist must create 4 VideoCDs
VHS tapes
Finally, it might make sense to write out the video to four VHS cassette tapes.
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