Broadcast Now BVE article on Open Source for Film

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/future-of-hire-is-in-the-post/5083589.article?blocktitle=Comment&contentID=40051

Future of hire is in the post

Following Panavision’s purchase of post firm Light Iron in December, Dan Mulligan asks if there is greater emphasis on all-in-one rental models - and makes the case for open-source technology

Panavison’s acquisition of Light Iron combines a traditional box-rental camera facility with a newly established post and location services concern in a model that could prove to be the future for hire and post firms.

Hire companies that offer a multifaceted roster of services deliver a number of benefits to production, not least the ability to build a single workflow pipeline, which will provide more control over costs. By including post services with camera rental, it is possible to affiliate cameras with systems and workflows to create a tight and efficient production process that delivers real benefit in terms of time and cost savings.

With shooting ratios increasing and a greater variety of cameras being used, particularly small, high-quality cameras for travelling and PoV shots, anything that speeds up turnaround will be of benefit.

The quickest way to speed up the post process is to have quick access to the master data from the captured camera cards and media. This has proved to be effective, especially when it happens on location, because it allows transcodes to pass straight from the camera and data back-up utility to the edit.

So which way will it go? Will hire firms expand into on-set and post capabilities, or is there an opportunity for post firms to add hire? I believe there is scope for both.

Back in the 1990s, post firms offered free HD cameras such as the Sony F900 if you used their facilities. I can’t see this being repeated, but with developments in camera sensors, facilities’ deeper knowledge of colour and RAW workflows will inevitably lead to more location-based lab solutions.

There should still be room for the box-shifter hire companies, especially those that already support digital camera hire by providing post toolsets such as laptops and software for data ingest and dailies transcoding. Today’s new cameras are primarily a sensor first, with the build coming around this. Support is needed for all these new cameras – and that support can be considerable.

In the short term, I think dedicated box shifters will still be required, but as digital film production increases workloads and delivers more options, the need to consolidate will become more critical. However, the leap into dedicated post can be huge. Location VFX is increasingly important so integration, which we have begun at Pure Digital Services, is becoming a requirement.

At Rogue Element Films and Pure Digital, we have been running a camera rental and location post business since 2006 and 2008 respectively. We have kept them as separate entities, but the new landscape is changing this.

We are now offering an open modular camera and post system consisting of several open-source hardware and software solutions. We are combining this with efforts to build the first open-source digital cinema camera (pictured) and workflows. As a result, we are helping to evolve a creative platform that really supports the needs of film-makers, industry professionals, artists and enthusiasts.

That will allow collaboration and the opportunity to create and develop new tools for working. The aim is to create free and open technology, and make all the generated knowledge freely available to everyone, encouraging participation along the way.

As well as engaging the open-source community with the possibilities of film production, the Open Source Cinema UK project will take an active approach to establishing new software and hardware that can help deliver these results. We will be creating and developing ‘OpenFlow’, a new slate of workflows and software development for the entire film production pipeline.

From the point of view of our business, we will be able to offer exactly what the client wants and needs for the project they are undertaking.

Dan Mulligan is managing director of Rogue Element Films and Pure Digital Services and CEO of Open Source Cinema UK

TV-Bay article for BVE 2015 : Open Source for Film

TV-Bay online magazine, called KitPlus, has printed this 3 page article on Open Source for Film and TV Production.

Link here : https://www.tv-bay.com/imag/issue098/files/63.html

Pages 63-66 in the magazine, it is online and downloads inside its own browser. Enjoy.

Preperation and results are key

Planning and execution are so important as are practical results

OpenFlow and a film-focused OS– although it does sound very useful and that bringing companies together to create software for everyone's mutual benefit is obviously the foundations of Open Source, we have to bear in mind that when it comes to our marketing material and our presentations, that people can be and are naturally fairly skeptical creatures.

Telling people about a longer term broad goal is all very nice, but no one will take us too seriously and won't believe us enough to jump on board the project unless they can see, and perceive some evidence, specifics and planning to see it as realistic and get excited by it :

-evidence – are there existing functional prototypes of this project or its components, are there precedents, or a proof-of-concept?

-specifics – exactly how does the project work on a technical level, what components are there?

-planning – a realistic, researched and detailed roadmap – how are we going to get there? what resources (human/social/physical/financial) are required and where will they come from?

It is absolutely worthwhile telling people about our OpenFlow project as a future goal, but it should be in combination with talking about the day-to-day reality. We do want to encourage people to interact, share and contribute and if everyone can see what we are already working on with Apertus camera and the testing and workflow support then this will hopefully be the case, engagement and excitement in the project.

OpenFlow is a great set of solutions, but it's also quite far-off, so by introducing small practical steps and components are the all-important evidence, the effect of which lasts longer than a flash of inspiration.

To this aim next we will go to the start of the shooting process with the cameras and explain the philosophy behind the Apertusº Axiom 4K Open Source Cinema camera. Beta testing, image examples, and actual footage and examples so we can show what Open Source for Film Production has the capability to offer.

Why Open Source for Film Production?

Why Open Source for Film Production?

Or perhaps why our Company has decided to take this Open Source journey, what it was that garnered our interest and how we decided that by taking the Open Source approach we feel it will have a positive effect on our business model, even though the perhaps the commonly perceived wisdom is that Open Source should represent the free/libre model (which it should for a lot of areas certainly)

One of the main reasons for looking at Open Source for Film Production was the realisation that so much of what is becoming Open Source today fits into the new digital pipeline. Open Networks, Open Data, Big data all these new enviroments are applicable here also.

Another reason was the huge collaborative scope that a modern movie encompasses could be easily streamlined with a more Open approach.

In some respects I am not only advocating libre/free open source solutions but also a much more open approach to the way we use software and hardware and how that is applied to how movies are actually made. Other elements then become part of the same thinking such as ethical solutions and renewable energy sources.

Huge strides are being made to standardise the digital workflow, one area being the camera sensors and how the colour space is interpreted and what is a future proof approach to 'wrappng' the media (digital negative) into a standard file format.

For me there is huge scope here for a collaborative approach to the storing and delivery of media content, whether shot for TV or Theatrical release. Sensors, capture devices, dedicated Open Source workflow options, open operating systems for speed of transfers are all elements that can be encompassed through Open Source ethos and approach.

Network Nine News Article Feb 2015

Open Source for Film and TV Production …by Daniel Mulligan

via NetworkNineNews

#opensourcecinema

via @NetworkNineNews

New article based on Open Source for Film Production 

http://networkninenews.com/2015/02/19/open-source-for-film-and-tv-production-by-daniel-mulligan-m-d-rogue-element-digital/

Axiom 4K graded still - JPG at 4K

Below is a single image graded at 4K and exported as a JPG.

From the Axiom 4K camera using CMV12000 CMOSIS sensor.

New hardware list for 2015

New hardware updates for our 2015 list on the newly updated website. 

As new options begin to open up for Open Source hardware we will continue to list what is available and who is supplying what.

http://www.opensourcecinemauk.com/hardware.php

Software list for Open Source

Open Source Software lists -updated February 2015

In addition to the new hardware list please find a new software list that is either fully Open or offers the opportunity to engage with the software.

http://www.opensourcecinemauk.com/press.php

New press page online

Since 2014 we have been very fortunate to generate some good early press, hopefully this will continue into 2015 as we grow and develop further.

Link below to our new press page on our updated site

http://www.opensourcecinemauk.com/press.php

The Axiom - Introduction

Please find an early render of the Axiom camera build, plus a nice schematic for one of the internal boards that has the sensor attached to it.

The Open philosophy is very much part of our aims to introduce Open Source solutions for Film Production, and perhaps take it a step further with a more ethical approach to the equipment also.

We are doing a lot of work in the background to make sure we have at least some options for Open Source solutions for both hardware and software, but we are fully aware that only working models and existing functional prototypes will prove the development is working.

Our first step will be to show the Axiom camera working and shooting and from that starting point of proving the sensor can indeed see and capture images our journey will grow from there.

Many thanks
Daniel Mulligan Feb 2015
Open Technology for Professional Film Production

Apertusº Axiom sample footage

Below is a link to some sample footage posted online via the Apertus website. As part of the introduction to this camera we will post some image examples and build up to when the first beta versions are available to then test with.

Hopefully NAB 2015 will have a new announcement on that progress, but below please find some early test footage.

As explained we will be researching and developing new workflows to fine tune the sensor and make sure we have a sensor performing at its very best, all based on Open Source software and hardware.


https://apertus.org/node/351

Apertusº Axiom 4K Camera

Please find an introduction to the Open Source camera system currently being developed by Apertusº, called the Axiom.

It uses a CMOSIS 4K sensor and here at Open Source Cinema UK we will be testing the first beta models released this year. Hopefully around NAB 2015 we will see the first early beta models that can be tested and used.

Our aim is to use this open camera project to create workflows and additional resources for the capture, storage and delivery of 4K content all based on Open Source ethos.

www.apertus.org

As we research the sensor we will create RAW workflows and new approaches to sensor capture that will enhance the processing capabilities and deliver images that can then be delivered through Post and DI and further.

It is an exciting journey and one we hope will engage more of you to join in and help develop a full pipeline that grows as the camera grows.

Workflows for RAW - Sensor Processing

Open Source Cinema and OpenFlow are both continuing and long term broad goals.


A full sensor workflow roadmap will come soon as we test the new sensors from CMOSIS, the CMV12000. As will introductions to the Apertusº project and Axiom camera.


RAW data testing rushes for Open workflows later this year also.


The project will be running various tests to explore the suitability for Open Source workflows for sensor processing and dailies delivery.


We are looking at what we would call true sensor workflow, that is capturing unprocessed data directly from the sensor, and fine tuning that sensor to preserve every bit of information it captures.

Software pool and Film orientated OS - 2015-18

We are hoping to develop, present and encourage new development in all facets of Film Production and delivery, but we have to be acutely aware that there needs to be evidence of our aims and that a fully open roadmap explaining a realistic schedule and approach is the only way forward.

Wishing to have fully implemented software and delivering the code and results are two differing things, so we will start to do some testing this next few weeks and start presenting real world examples of workflow and results from actual rushes so we can begin that process of migrating from strong ideas to working realities.

Thank you
Daniel Mulligan 2015

Digital Film Production Open Source : The Sensor

Our aim through the development of this site, software and community resources is to aid the continued development of Digital Film Production, and that by encouraging an Open Source approach that strong collaboration will entice and develop the software and hardware even further.

By having an entire web based resource as our collective support for any issues is one of the advantages of that open philosophy.

Our intention is to develop new ways of ownership of the images and to encourage a broader approach to the art of the image, thus allowing better craft and practice.

By taking ownership of the media directly from the main camera sensor, a sensor now that can be built and used as to your own needs, will allow even more custom approaches to the software that manipulates those images.

The Axiom camera is an Open Source camera, the first of its type, and as such at this stage houses a 4K sensor. This will grow and the thought being that as new sensors become available then the upgrade can take place to that new sensor. Also of interest is the way of then making sure you are achieving the very best results from the sensor chosen, knowing what it is doing and perfecting the colour science and delivery of the images.

Once recording and then maintaining the integrity of the Original Negative (OCDN) then Open Source solutions will allow new software to custom process these unprocessed sensor raw images and produce results previously unattainable via current processing techniques. To process raw sensor data as you wish it to be processed and to maintain the colour palette chosen is an incredible option that shouldn't be overlooked.

For me this is now a key reason to engage in an Open Camera platform, and to then expand into Open source workflows, or 'OpenFlow' for the processing and delivery of those images.

A successful project? An 'OpenFlow' approach.

It is a probable pre-condition for any new potential open source success that having something that is runnable and testable to use as being essential. All new Open Source communities will start with a few early users and those users will be hopefully be tomorrow’s developers so it is essential that this is recognised as early as possible.

A successful Open Source community will know that attracting quality external contribution depends on the ease by which the software code, documentation, project memory and other outputs can be accessed and improved upon by others.

So to this end in a community inspired project, it is reasonable for people to participate in order to satisfy their own needs, you might wish to call it ‘scratching an itch’.  So an individual’s main motivation may not be to build an entire community, but to solve a singular specific problem they face in their job, and in Digital Film production there are always new issues to be deal with and find a fix for, which is where we feel an Open Community and resource for those who wish to use it will be a valuable asset to the industry. For this reason, Open Source Cinema UK should be run in such a way that the process and community overhead do not get in the way of people pursuing their own interests and solutions.

So we wish to use tools that are appropriate to this community, film production, and to keep them to a bare minimum. Such tools should ultimately facilitate, and not dictate so much.

To support this early and frequent releases of any new software and hardware, through the Open Flow pipeline, are crucial for building a sustainable open source project. Releases should attract users, some of these users then become contributors, and more contributors make the project stronger. The downside of releasing early and often is that one needs to manage user expectations. Projects need to be clear about the status of their releases and draw attention to any known bugs in the documentation at all stages.

You do not need to be a software developer to contribute to an open source project. The code, documentation and artwork that make up an open source project have all been created, tested, used, discussed and refined by members of that project community. These processes can be broken down into multiple tasks, requiring different skills, levels of involvement and technical expertise.

The quickest, easiest and most significant way to provide such support in the early stages of involvement is for us to answer newcomers’ questions. These are often best answered by those who have themselves recently experienced the same issues. By answering questions from newcomers, you will also be helping the project by saving the developers' time.

A successful project, Open Source Digital Film Production solutions and services, we certainly hope so.

Project building for 2015

It is our intention that the tools and processes used by project members on a daily basis are made as transparent and appealing as possible, and that the adoption path into the community is clear, welcoming and informative, so that new contributors will join in. 

Hopefully potential members and contributors  will be attracted by the prospect of being part of a potentially successful and self-sustainable project. 

Some of these contributors may attracted by particular aspects of the product. Others may be attracted by the technical challenge, the prospect of acquiring new knowledge, or simply by the opportunity to improve or showcase their skills. 

All these and other forms of engaging with external collaborators and contributors will be considered and specified in our proposed project’s governance document, which is due this year as we grow and acquire new solutions.

Open Source our future in our own hands

During 2014 we researched the possibilities for Open Source to be recognised as developing for Film Production new and more exciting ways in which to work.

This new area of innovation and future development was very important part of how we will all work in the future and approach & encourage new film production techniques.

Digital Film Production, where new sensor heavy cameras are used to capture light and expose an OCDN (Original Camera Digital Negative) and then allow those images to be instantly saved/processed to proprietary capture cards, is a fast paced and constantly evolving arena. Once those images are stored on the original media they require backing up first and foremost and then those copies have their dailies workload applied to them, meaning transcoding to varying required formats for all departments that need them (edit, VFX etc)

Then the next stage includes colour science pipeline (from sensor capture to DI), full VFX workflows, colour grading for both dailies and final DI, delivery and DCP.

There is a lot of work that each frame goes through and manipulated until the final conform and delivery is completed.

Open Source has the potential to engage in all these departments with hardware support, software development and innovation and constant evolution of current practices.

We can take even more control of our images, from the sensors onwards, and Open Source ecology will allow us to participate and evolve, so we can take the future in our own hands.

Daniel Mulligan Feb 04th 2015

Daniel Mulligan message - Open Source Cinema UK

Dear All,

It feels the right time to introduce myself to this blog and explain why we are approaching Open Source for Film Production, which I have been researching and working on now for nearly a full year, and still it is a subject that needs a lot more explaining and development, but that is why I am now involved, it is exciting and could revolutionise the industry over the coming years.

I have a background starting in cameras (assisting and focus pulling) then graduating up the ranks to Camara Operating for F1, BBC Dramas then 2nd Unit Cinematography for Feature Theatrical Productions.

During this time I also started and ran privately a camera rental house supplying digital cameras plus an onset/location company providing location post and digital camera workflows.

This culminated just recently with a 2-3 year stint at Technicolor as their locations digital dailies supervisor, looking after projects such as Jupiter Ascending, Mortdecai and The Man from UNCLE.

During this long time servicing and working I have seen a few changes and re-iterations of the current digital workflows and it has struck me over time how much we do rely on proprietary systems for most delivery. Quite rightly as they do deliver, for VFX to DI to onset LUTs and more.

I then made contact with Apertusº in Vienna, who were funding and developing an Open Source 4K camera. I went to see them and was immediately struck by how little Open Source, for both software and hardware, is utilised by the Film Production community.

Certain single elements are there, Blender for 3D, DCP creation, but nothing has been created and developed to service an entire production workflow for shooting films digitally.

It is quite a broad subject with a wide scope and in this blog entry a little short as the subject has many more strands to it, such as sensor processing, transcoding, VFX, DI and colour, LUTs and more, plus add in the actual cameras themselves then we have a very deep set of requirements needed for the entire Productions pipeline and workflows.

But by approaching the subject now, and also introducing and researching ethical approaches to feature film production, I am hoping that we can create a community of like minded contributors who would like to see Open Source for Film production become stronger and a more realistic proposition as it continues to thrive and develop.

Thank you for reading,
Daniel Mulligan
January 27th 2015