ADVERTI SEMENT FEATURE | BROWN I AN MOT ION
AN ARRAY OF ARRAYS Camera rental house Brownian Motion introduces a new modular array rig system for VFX shoots
Historically, when you undertake an array shoot, it is generally the VFX department saying, “To achieve this plate shot we need X amount of pixels covering X field-of-view, and need X number of cameras in this configuration”. This is then passed to the rental house and their grip department to make it happen – often at very short notice. Brownian Motion’s Head Honcho Jeff Brown explains how the company’s approach is to make that process easier and faster. “One of the primary reasons we have built a series of ‘off-the-shelf’ configurations is to eliminate the extra work and last- minute engineering that is often required to get a VFX shoot out the door. Because there’s no one-size-fits-all VFX camera array, we’ve made multiple versions of six-way and three-way rigs that can offer anything from 8K x 4K up to 18K x 8K in resolution and can be toed-in and toed-out, offering the different benefits that those configurations entail. Another factor is that, to date, multi- camera array set-ups have been the domain of large flight heads for helicopter aerials. Because of the additional stabilisation those heads require, they can be over 100 kg with payload. So when a VFX array rig comes in on a film, it’s often over the weight capability of whatever equipment the production already has. They then have to source a different crane, a different head or a different technician – and that adds time and expense to the production. So what we wanted to do was create a series of lightweight versions of those rigs with the same functionality, but which are able to interface directly with any existing kit that’s already on a shoot. For example, when a client rings up and says, “We need a six Alexa Mini toed-in array” we can say,
“We have a package that only weighs 50kg, which will work with the flight head you have already in your shoot package”. CUSTOM ENGINEERING Brownian have made a series of modular parts: registration plates for the camera positions, different tongue sections for different head systems, adjustable tilt plates and a counterweight system. “We’ve made it a quick selection of parts and then just a counterbalance process for the stabilised head being used, depending on the camera and lens combination on the front. We’ve made some of the most commonly requested setups incorporating Alexa Minis, Red Heliums and Red Monstros both toed-in and toed-out. On those rigs we’ve chosen to go with 24mm Ultra Primes, which offer low distortion and a good field-of-view, but we could just as easily use 18, 20, 35mm of any lens type or whatever the requirement is for the VFX department.” Brownian also have a stock of blank plates that are ready to go, minus holes for the camera positions. “That means it’s literally a few hours turnaround for a custom setup – different camera layout, different lens choice integrated into the rest of the modular system, and then you’re good to go. This modular approach has its advantages. Now you don’t have to build a rig from scratch at short notice.” POST FRIENDLY Brownian has always had one foot in post- production, with a heritage of digital camera knowledge and DIT services. The past few years have also seen them become the de facto rental facility for high-end, custom- built 360° video/VR cameras rigs.
“This knowledge of post-stitching software and a collaboration with Lexhag VFX allows us to engineer in-house, knowing what works and what doesn’t for lens choice and camera positioning. What we’ll be offering is a rig that has a PTGui template or Nuke Project file that goes with it, effectively a file that we can send across with test footage to the VFX supervisor in advance and say, ‘This is the rig, here’s some test files and here’s the template’. Obviously, that will always require finessing depending on subject matter, but it will give a good starting point very early in the process so the correct rig can be chosen, giving the right coverage and resolution for the project.” Brownian are able to offer a one-stop service for the camera rental, the rig design and build, and the technical crewing for VFX shoots. “We are bringing together the knowledge and skills of engineering, digital camera systems and post production to make array shooting as simple as a standard rental package”.
46 DEF I N I T ION | OCTOBER 20 1 8
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