>> Digital Media

Digital Storyboarding
A storyboard, usually done with paper and pencil, is a graphic, sequential depiction of a story based on a series of images. Each image recalls major events of the story. Once the storyboard is prepared, one begins to see interconnections, how one idea relates to another, and how all the pieces stick together. Storyboarding also allows one to experiment with different camera angles, background settings, lighting etc, but in a very simplified manner.

Traditionally, storyboarding was done with paper and pencil. These days, it is being done more and more using 3D animation software, as film directors experiment with multiple camera angles with 3D virtual replicas of actual locations where they want to film. In this way, they have more freedom to experiment and save film costs as well.

3D Character Animation

Character animation is the art of giving life-like movements to a virtual person (or character). Many regard this form of animation as the hardest to master, and skilled character animators are hard to come by. Examples of character animation include Toy Story, Shrek, Antz etc.

Broadcast Animation

Any kind of non-character based computer generated animation seen on TV can be referred to Broadcast Animation. A good example of this kind of animation is the self-promotion animations you see on Showtime's TV channels.

Architectural Walkthrough

An architectural walkthrough is a computer-based animation that simulates the visual experience of moving through a three dimensional model of a building.

An architectural walkthrough allows an architect to show a client a proposed architectural design, and obtain real-time feedback as the client "walks" through the interior of the building interactively. As a result, faults in the architectural plan may be found earlier in the design cycle, thereby saving time and money.

Such a walkthrough is also helpful in promoting an as yet unfinished building for marketing purposes.

Product Visualization

Product visualization is about taking data or information or product designs and turning them into a 3D computer-generated image/animation.

Process Animation

Process animation is a way of digitally visualizing technical processes as animations.

Compositing

Integration of digital elements into live or recorded video footage Compositing is the art of mixing computer generated imagery with real life video footage. You must have seen the computer-generated maps behind the weatherman during weather reports on CNN/BBC. That's one example of a digital background that was composited behind live video. In many Hollywood movies, real actors are often placed in front of, or within digital environments--in some of Star Trek's episodes and movies, for example, one often sees real actors walking on a space ship in space.

Alternatively, computer generated elements are often composited inside real footage. The dinosaurs in Jurassic Park are an example of this.

Non Linear Editing

Non Linear editing (NLE) is a little like working with a sophisticated word processor; it allows segments to be inserted, deleted and moved around at any point in the editing process.

In NLE the original video segments are captured with a video capture card, which our Targa 3000 does quite well, and transferred to computer hard disks. The editing system can then access and arrange them in any order, almost instantly. In the not-so-old days, editing was a linear process. Final videos were generated by assembling the various video clips available and playing them back in a predefined order; i.e., in a 1-2-3 sequence.

This type of editing can be likened to writing, say, a proposal with a typewriter (remember typewriters?). You must have your material well organized before you start, because once committed to paper, changes/removals are difficult to make and may even require a complete retype! At K.O.N.C.E.P.T, we utilize the Targa 3000 as our main NLE solution. It allows us to capture video footage, or use digital footage created using our 3D animation software, arrange different video clips, sync audio, and then output to Beta cam video tapes, which are widely used in the professional TV industry due to their superior quality over VHS tapes.