Computers, 3D photography

[P3D John W Roberts <roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On the subject of what can be done using computers today, and the
decreasing ability to distinguish between what's "photographic" and
what was computer-generated or computer-manipulated, my expectation
regarding the music video "Like a Rolling Stone" appears to be confirmed
by the fact that it was made using the abilities of "Buf Compagnie",
a company that produces many works of computer processed video:

http://www.imaginet.fr./~buf/

While most of the video is a sequence of distorted images, there are a
number of scenes including people (party scenes, people splashing in water,
etc.) in which the motion of the scene is completely frozen, but the "camera
view" shifts smoothly to the side, showing the scene at different angles,
and uncovering different areas of the background. Though of course the
television picture is 2D, it produces a very surrealistic effect to see
a moving picture of a frozen scene (especially when it's lit by a
photographic flash). The only way I could think of to do it (other than a
stereo camera with dozens of closely-spaced lenses) was to take two or more
2D photos at the same instant, then feed them into a computer and use it
to create an extremely realistic 3D model, with all surfaces mapped with what
was actually shown in the photographs. The point of view could then be shifted
arbitrarily (with some limitations) like it can for a conventionally-produced
3D computer model.

>From the company's list of capabilities, it appears that they would indeed
be capable of doing this. If so, this would be a significant step forward
in what can be done in 3D (if you can shift a 2D view, you can also make a
stereo pair from any of an arbitrary number of positions, change the
apparent distance to an object and the "focal length" of the lens, etc.).

I haven't been able to find the video and a pair of Pulfrich glasses at
the same time, but I don't have any reason to believe that these scenes
wouldn't produce Pulfrich effect stereo.

They also made "The City of Lost Children", a computer-generated video
clip which is very weird IMO, but which has some very realistic looking
images. (I believe it won the 1996 Eurographics award.)

When looking at computer-processed images of this kind, it's often extremely
difficult to tell whether objects were fully computer-generated, or adapted
from photographs, and given the variety of techniques in use, the distinction
seems to be getting less relevant. This work at video resolution and presented
in 2D illustrates that similar work in stereo and at "35mm" resolution is
also possible.

Note that the blending of the "photographic" and the "artistic" is not new -
in the 1939 movie "Gone with the Wind", many of the spectacular mansion
scenes (including those with people moving in the scenes) were partially
painted. Use of computers to extend this capability to realistic 3D 
is a relatively recent innovation.

Here's some information from the company's web page. I have no connection with
the company. "REAL" is short for "realisateur" = director.
[As always, all opinions are my own.]
 - John R
.....

BUF COMPAGNIE 
9 AVENUE DE VILLIERS
75017 PARIS 
FRANCE
TEL: 0 (11)33 .1.47.66.02.00 
FAX: 0(11)33.1.47.66.03.02


3."LIKE A ROLLING STONE" REAL: M.GONDRY
Gold Clio US 96
D&AD Silver Award 96
IMAGINA 96 Best Video Clip
Siggraph 96

THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN" REAL: M. CARO & J.P. JEUNET 
IMAGINA 96 special effects Grand Prix
Siggraph 95


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