Film set system and processing unit incorparated therein

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a film set system for gathering and monitoring data during a filmrecording session, and a processing unit incorporated therein.

Background of the invention

The film cameras of today have a simple video camera mounted inside the ocular. This is called a video splitter unit. Information about the camera speed, and how many feet of film that has been rolling since the camera operator changed the film magazine, is embedded in the signal from this camera. The video signal from this video splitter unit is then sent on a video cable to a unit called video assist. The video assist unit is mounted on a trolley and consists of a video distribution amplifier that splits the signal it receives from the video splitter unit, and distributes it to a video recorder and a video monitor, or it is looped through the video recorder and connected to the monitor. In most cases the video assist demands quite some power, and is based on a 220/110V mains power supply. This trolley is dragged around all day on every location, and taken care of by a video assist operator. On some occasions the signal from the video splitter unit may also be connected to a wireless video transmitter so that the director or camera operator can keep an eye on what is happening via a video receiver that is connected to a portable TV.

Today's solution is limiting in the following ways:

There is normally only one trolley on each film set, so a lot of people need to see the screen. Sometimes there is a regular crowd elbowing to see the screen. The video recorder will have no proper reference to the various scenes recorded, and finding the right recording among several identical takes on the same scene can be tedious and difficult.

The equipment is running on mains power supply. This means setting up a power generator when filming outdoors, introducing noise and extra labour. A lot of today's cameras and sound recorders operate on battery.

The video monitor and recorder are often of consumer quality as setting up a trolley with professional equipment is unreasonably expensive. The video assist will often suffer breakdowns and are renowned to break when you most need it not to.

The video assist provides very little extra features. It is a large unit doing a very small, though necessary piece of work.

Prior art systems are also disclosed in US 20030152362-A1, WO 2005025234-A1 and US20040250288-A1.

Objects of the invention

A main object of the invention is to provide a unit and system for gathering and transmitting data on a set during a filming session, which register and transmits all ongoing activity throughout the filming session, the system allowing full monitoring and recording of data online allowing full communication on all levels within the film set and crew. The invention provides the information from the camera and filming session in a unique user interface incorporating several functions, both during a filming session and for the process after shooting and making of the film.

Another object is to provide for a system which provides for a durable and economic solution for organizing a film set.

Yet another object is to provide for a solution which allows for additional data and metadata and remote control of units within the film set (as film camera) from both ends.

Brief summary of the invention

The present invention provides a processing unit which can be mounted on the film camera, or connected to the film camera and is fed with the video splitted signal from the film camera. The processing unit presents the information from the camera and filming session in a unique user interface incorporating several functions.

The invention provides a wireless network, and the video signal can be accessed in the covering area of this network. Any device with a wireless network receiver, like a laptop computer, a handheld computer (pocket PC) or a dedicated receiver can then view and record the video splitted signal.

The invention also enables receiving signals to control functions on the film camera, like focus, aperture, record and stop.

The characteristic features of the invention appear from the attached claims.

These and other features as well as advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the attached drawings.

B r i e f d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e d r aw i n g s

Fig. 1 shows a block schematic of the system of the present invention and inventive the processing unit therein.

Fig. 2 shows a block schematic of the inventive processing unit.

D e t a i l e d d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e i n v e nt i o n

A film set consists of several well-defined tasks, many of them linked to different technical devices. The following explanation is in order to enlighten the advantages the invention brings to the film set.

The director is the person who very much has the last word on what is happening on the set, and who decides when a filmed scene is good enough. Each scene is filmed several times, different "takes", in order to get everything just right. The director has to be able to review the takes until he is satisfied. The director of photography and the camera operator/cinematographer is often the same person. He/she controls the film camera during the takes and view the scene optically through the camera lens via the camera ocular. The camera operator sees to it that the camera is ready for the take, changes/reloads film, set the aperture etc. The focus puller adjusts lens focus as decided by the film director and the director of Photography, often by the use of a remote control.

The grip crew moves cranes and dollies, upon which the camera is mounted, along tracks to predefined speeds and according to cue points. The light crew sees to it that the scene is properly lit during the takes, and make adjustments according to feedback from the film director and the director of photography. The script controller takes care of continuity. That is, if one day you filmed several scenes and takes from a dinner with several guests, and continued the filming of these scenes the next day, the script controller would make sure that "Miss Sophie's glass of wine" was exactly as empty or ¹ A full and the candles burnt by the same amount as in the scene to be cut in before the one we are filming.

To facilitate the control of all these details, the film cameras of today has a simple video camera mounted inside the ocular. This is called the video splitter. Information about the camera speed, and how many feet of film that has been rolling since the camera operator changed the film magazine, is embedded in the signal from this camera. The video signal from this video splitter is then sent on a video cable to a video assist unit.

The video assist unit is mounted on a trolley and consists of a video distribution amplifier that splits the signal it receives from the video splitter, and distributes it to a video recorder and a video monitor, or it is looped through the video recorder and connected to the monitor. In most cases the video assist demands quite some power, and is based on a 220/11 OV mains power supply. This trolley is dragged around all day on every location, and taken care of by a video assist operator.

On some occasions the signal from the video splitter may also be connected to a wireless video transmitter so that the film director or camera operator can keep an eye on what is happening via a video receiver that is connected to a portable TV.

After each "take" (recording), the time code is read off the display on the film camera and noted in the recording log together with the counter on the video recorder in the video assist trolley. The time code is a signal containing a unique number following each frame of the film in the film camera. The time code signal is also used to synchronize separate recording devices on the set, for example the sound recorder.

After the last take there are several uses for the videotape(s) from the video assist trolley. Most important is for the film director to be sure that everything worked out as expected, and that the acting was spot on. Then the director of photography needs to have a look at framing and that the film was running as expected at the correct speed. The script controller needs to check the continuity before next interconnecting scene and so on.

As the signal from the video splitter is now on videotape, the crew have to search back and forth on the tape in order to find the scenes they are looking for.

The present invention brings the whole film set a leap forward.

The processing unit is mounted on the film camera, or connected to the film camera, and is fed with a video sp lifted signal from the film camera internal chip camera. The processing unit can also be fed a separate set of metadata, (i.e. time code). The

processing unit draws a modest amount of power directly from the film camera and will make little or no difference to the power consumption of the camera. The processing unit takes this information and presents them in a user interface incorporating several functions. The pocessing unit then set up a wireless network, and the video signal can be accessed in the covering area of this network. Any device with a wireless network receiver, like a laptop computer, a handheld computer (pocket PC) or a dedicated receiver can then view and record the video splitted signal. The network protocol is an international standard, so the system can be used practically anywhere in the world, as opposed to UHF/VHF systems.

Now the happy film director can record the takes directly onto his own laptop where the takes are being stored as separate video files. He/she can then manoeuvre through them non-linearly, in the succession they are to be cut if he/she wishes, and select best takes. When the metadata channel has been used for the time code, the bonus is that the whole production can relate to only one time reference as opposed by the traditional tape based video assist. The Script can via the options in the user interface choose to take snapshots from each take that he/she can use for securing the continuity scene by scene. It is now faster and easier to store and compare snapshots from each scene and take. The director of photography can check framing and movements and that the sound person didn't drop the microphone boom in the frame of the picture. He/she can also store stills from the video files to remind him how to set up the next shot on that location. As the video assist trolley is redundant, the video assist person can enjoy the days off or help the Grip crew "velcroing" a pocket PC on the dolly handle so they can view the camera movement live, and aid in cueing their moves. The sound recordal assisting person operating the microphone boom pole can also attach a pocket PC on the pole, and so see for himself that the microphone and it's shadow is out of the picture frame.

AU of these functions are independent of each other, and they can all carry out their functions at the same time. These functions also provide benefits to the production budget and time schedule.

As the invention provides means for bringing the film camera online for all having a correct connection code, it is possible to control and monitor different camera functions from a distance, contrary to what would be possible with traditional remote control equipment. This could be practical if the camera is operated when hanging in a climbing harness on a south wall of some mountain and the rest of the crew is 400 meters below.

Fig. 1 shows a block schematic illustrating the present invention. A film camera 1 is provided with a video splitter unit 2 which feeds video signals, to a processing unit 3, said unit 3 including essential features of the present invention. More specifically, the unit 3, as described below with reference to fig. 2, is an electronic device comprising means for reading signals from the video splitter unit on the film camera 1 and means for embedding or storing of data. The unit 3 will also include means for transmitting of all data and signals and additional remote control signals.

The unit 3 gets power 4 from film camera 1. An audio recorder 5 may also feed signals to the unit 3. The unit 3 communicates with the film camera 1 through a remote control signal line 6, and a metadata comminication line 7. The unit 3 has means for transmitting all the collected signals to a wireless network 10, as used by today's computer networks. The communication which the unit 3 has with the film camera and other auxilliary equipment is suitably based on two-way communication or duplex communication. The signals may then be picked up by desktop computers or laptop computers 11, handheld computers 12 (pocked PC's or advanced mobile phones), or a dedicated receiver 13 which may distribute video assist signals from unit 3 to a video recorder and monitor 15, 16, audio signals to loudspeakers 17, metadata to a computer 19 and remote control signals 6 to a remote controller 18.

Fig. 2 shows a block schematic illustrating electronic features of the unit 3. The unit 3 acts as a web server and comprises a CPU 20, WAN network 21, analogue-to-digital converter 22 and solid-state memory 23. The unit 3 is programmed to deal with video, audio and metadata signals from the video splitter unit 2 and camera 1 , said signals being processed by the unit 3 and transmitted (on WAN) wireless to a computer 19 or dedicated receiver 13 as illustrated on fig. 1. Numerals 25, 26, 27 indicate video signal

input and Audio input/output 25, metadata and remote control signal input 26, and power input 27

The unit 3, according to the invention, is mounted on the film camera I ₅ or located somewhere else on the set, but connected with the film camera 1, and is fed with the video splitted signal from the film camera. The video splitter unit 2 is suitably is a chip camera receiving the same image as the main picture recorded. The unit 3 can also be supplied with a separate set of metadata, for example a time code. The unit 3 consumes a modest amount of power and if it is connected on the film camera 1, its power consumption will make little or no difference to the overall power consumption of the camera 1.

The unit 3 is capable of delivering its information output for presentation thereof in a unique user interface incorporating several functions. These include time stamp, film time code, voice recording or even other metadata, e.g. GPS position data or any other data fed to the processing unit 3. The invention provides for setting up a wireless network, and the video signals can be accessed suitably anywhere within a coverage area of such network. Any device with a wireless network receiver, like desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer (pocket PC) or a dedicated receiver can then view and record the video splitted signal. Snapshots can be taken at any time. The network protocol is conventional and is an international standard, so the system can be used practically anywhere in the world.

In addition to the above mentioned, the unit 3 is capable of receiving signals to control functions on the film camera, like focus, aperture, record and stop.

The invention is not comparable to a simple video transmitter. The invention brings the film camera online, and adds significant functionality, practicality, and a new degree of freedom and flexibility to the film set.

Although the processing unit has means for gathering, processing and embedding / storing data related to video signals and metadata, it is also conceivable that data related

to sound signals, camera position and camera posture may be processed by the processing unit 3 and be made available to the auxilliary equipment.