Film Ties: An Architecture for Collaborative Data-driven Cinematography

Abstract

The ability to store, share, and re-use digital assets is of primary importance in the film production pipeline. Digital assets typically include texture images, three-dimensional models, and scripts for creating special effects such as water or explosions. Despite the growing use of virtual cinematography in the film production pipeline, existing tools to manage digital assets are unable to harness the knowledge inherent in the creative composition and editing decisions made by cinematographers. This work introduces Film Ties, a new form of visual communication in which a first artist creates a virtual camera composition whose visual composition properties are stored into a database allowing other artists to adopt that composition for use in their own different virtual scenes. On adopting a composition, the system computes a comparable composition of subjects situated in a second virtual environment. Artists can post comments on shared compositions using text or propose additional compositions that adapt or improve upon the original composition. The stored compositions and suggested edits also serve as an educational resource for junior filmmakers and film students.