Tag: Canada

Watch 3D Movies Without Glasses?

Posted on by Big City

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I love 3D just as much as the next person. I can admit that I saw Avatar in 3D 4 times and it was a magical experience that changed my expectations of movie from that moment on, but why don’t I see every movie in 3D? Those over size “fit all” but fit no-one, headache giving glasses that comes with going 3D. I don’t know about you but I usually have to take them off half way through the movie for a couple minutes just to control the pain they give me, and for how much extra it is I’m not to happy about it. So when I found out about this new projector screen that will take away my biggest problem with 3D cinema movies I was very intrigued .

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Left image using just Parallax Barriers, creating a different image for each viewer. Right image is Cinema 3D, giving each viewer the full image.

This new tech is called Cinema 3D allows a 3D experience with out glasses from anywhere in a theatre. Now this is big because we have glasses free 3D already but only on a small scale like TV screens. The way it works right now is using parallax barriers witch is a series of slits in front of the screen that allows the viewers eyes to each see a different set of pixels creating the illusion of depth. Unfortunately this can’t work in a theatre because your position to the screen has to be very specific for it to work. Cinema 3D  however uses a series of mirrors and leases to give each viewer a parallax barrier. This lets the image to be the same anywhere in the theatre.

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Cinema 3D screen with mirrors and lenses

Now don’t be expecting to go out next month to see 3D with out glasses. Researcher are only working with the concept in a small theatre with a screen thats not much bigger then a pad of paper and only 200 pixels. And if thats not a bummer enough they don’t even now how feasible it will be do to the fact that their small paper size screen needs about 50 sets of mirrors and lenses. This tech may not be coming out to soon but its defiantly a step in the right direction and makes me very excited for the future.

 

–Stephanie Bradshaw

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Portable Action Cameras – The New Age of Sport Filming?

Posted on by Carlos Jochico

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First of all, what is an Action Camera?

An action camera is a device that people normally use to record footage of movement/activities that a normal camera wouldn’t normally be able to do. Action cameras were designed to have a wide variety of features and functions that are used for sport or activity filming. Comparing an action camera to a regular normal point and shoot camera will have many differences as similarities. Action cameras are normally smaller and more lightweight which makes it easier to handle and attach to certain surfaces such as: helmets, surfboards, and the occasional selfie stick (using tripods that are specifically created for these types of cameras). But don’t let the size fool you, action cameras are very tough and durable, and some have the capability of being waterproof, without needing to buy a specific waterproof case. It being a small camera, a very popular question is asked “How good is the video quality of the camera?” have no fear it’s 2016! because there are action cameras nowadays that already have the capability to capture 4K video with at least 15 – 30 fps! Action cameras also a wider angled lens, which means they can capture more and can also a more ‘fish eyed’ type of shot. Some examples of action cameras being used are: under water exploring, attaching it to your pet, skydiving, roller coaster, skate boarding, and even being able to be sent out to outer space.

How to choose the right action camera. When choosing an action camera, you would want to look at the specifications.  Each action camera are very similar, yet some are created with different features and different settings. You would want to compare, or look for one that maybe the right size and weight (having the capability to fit inside your pocket, or just what seems best for you). You’d also want to look at the video resolution, there are action cameras that can only capture 720p and 1080p (which is already good) but some people may have 4K televisions at home, so you’d want to get one that can film up to 4K resolution. Another thing about video quality, is the FPS (Frames Per Second) which is basically how smoothly you want the video to turn out. Normal YouTube videos are usually at 30fps and already are good. Some people on the other hand, are looking for that extra 30 frames and want 60fps, some action cameras may not have the capability of recording 60 fps at the wanted resolution. Something that some people also take into consideration is water proof. There are action cameras that can only go a maximum depth of water, only splash proof, or require a special housing to prevent water from entering the camera. These play an important factor if you want to go diving with your action camera. There are some action camera companies such as: Garmin that also allow for location to be included and tracked when you record a video.

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Some action cameras have the 360 degree feature, where the video that is recorded, is captured in a 360 degree angle. This means when you view the video, you will have the ability to view it in all directions. For example: If someone set up a 360 degree action camera in the middle of the room, you will be able to view the entire room with ease. Also with a 360 degree action camera, it allows for the user to interact with the video and making it more interesting and entertaining. There are action cameras that also have the ability to connect to devices via WiFi and Bluetooth to upload videos, and to connect to apps that are designed for certain action camera.

We’ve all heard of the term “Go Pro” Well, Go Pro is the most well known creators of action cameras. Another two very well known companies for creating action cameras are: Tom Tom and Olympus. These two brands are the competitors of Go Pro. The company Go Pro is so popular, that most people wouldn’t even call it an action camera and instead a Go Pro. The company also has added a new invention that allows you to take your action camera into a whole new level. Drones, Go Pro has created a drone that you can mount your Go Pro action camera into to record and capture footage of things not capable by the average human. Things such as: birds eye view, going off a cliff, and even going onto a highway. On YouTube, you can find various different videos where drones are used to record footages of concerts, or just an aerial view of a specific area.

In the end, it all comes down to your preference, and your use for the action camera. If you don’t need a waterproof camera, you don’t have to spend any extra on that feature. Or if 4K is something that you don’t need, that saves you a lot, because the 4K quality resolution won’t matter if you own a regular television. You can only really tell what’s 4K if you own a television that is meant for 4K resolution and computers that can process the high resolution. If you don’t want a GPS action camera, then maybe find one that does’t have a location feature. It’s easy to find what’s ‘best for your buck’ if you do some research and find out the different cameras that each different company produces.

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– Carlos Jochico, Big City

Stop Motion Animation

Posted on by Carlos Jochico

First of all, what is stop motion?

Stop motion is another way of creating film, but instead you’re using a bunch of photos of and playing them at a high speed to give the illusion that it’s moving.

For example: the movie ‘Wallace and Gromit The Curse of The Were Rabbit’, the characters were made out of clay. Which is called claymation (clay animation) How it works, is they use clay to sculpt their subject like Wallace, then place him into a set. Then they take a picture of him, and depending on what they want him to do, they slightly move a part of him then proceed to take another picture. After multiple pictures later, it’ll look like that the character is moving on it’s own. Clay isn’t the only way to create stop motion films, other people use Legos as well. The main idea of stop motion is just to create the effect that an inanimate object can move on it’s own.

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When creating your own stop motion, you’ll need a few things. First a camera, it doesn’t matter what kind of camera, as long as you can import it’s images into your computer. Which is for post production (editing). You’ll also need lighting, preferably indoor lighting. If you use outdoor lighting (the sun) then the stop motion will look funny. Why? well because stop motion takes time, and as you may be shooting outside, the sun might be blocked by clouds and affect your scene. Another thing that is very crucial for stop motion animation, is a tripod. Having a tripod is the most important thing in creating stop motion. You can still do it without a tripod, but your creation will look very shaky. Once you have these, all you need now is your subject.

Stop motion isn’t always necessarily about making inanimate objects come to life, you can also achieve cool effects with just a person. For example: have a friend jump in place, and while mid-air take a photo, have him/her repeat this and after every jump, have them move up one step. If done correctly, it will look like your friend is flying in the air.

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The Gourd of Life in the NSI Online Short Film Festival!

Posted on by Big City

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Hello everyone, I am proud to announce the addition of our short film “The Gourd of Life” in the NSI Online Short Film Festival. The video was made a little while back for the 48 Hour Film Project here in Toronto, in which you are required to develop, shoot, and produce a final film within, you guessed it, 48 hours! Not to mention you have to incorporate a specific character, line of dialogue and, a prop into your film. The team worked very hard and this is a great accomplishment for everyone that was a part of it. We thank the people at NSI, it is an honor to be recognized in this annual festival and we hope you as the audience enjoy the video as much as we do!