Axiom 4K Open Source Camera demonstration

September 04th 2016 Hardware Demo

Hebden Bridge OSHUG

This workshop will demonstrate an entire RAW 4K workflow from the sensor and develop an image in 4K. Capturing and processing from a 4K sensor and showing what can be done through open source access to the hardware. Demonstrating the Axiom hardware, its capabilities and explaining why open source is applicable to this type of application.

Hardware, backbone, pipeline, colour science, sensors, sensor processing, raw imaging.

Open Source Hardware

Open Source Software

Apertusº Axiom OS 4K camera system - beta

Run by: Daniel Mulligan

Open Source and Feature Film Production - 

September 02nd 2016 OSHUG Hedben Bridge TALK

Having researched and examined how open source has reached out into many areas of current working environments, Daniel Mulligan was struck by how little open source seems to be used within the film production community. It appearing that little has been developed for an entire production workflow and backbone, from the sensor and how it is used and manipulated, the colour science and workflow.

Examples do exist, such as ACES (Academy Color Encoding System), providing a free, open source colour and look management architecture. This has been taken forward through the educational department of the Oscars and by established Industry practitioners, but being such a new subject has as yet to completely encompass the entire workflow.

Thus seeking to further the understanding and appreciation of production processes we can create a diverse array of programs and hardware for filmmakers (and institutions) to provide unique opportunities for engagement with the principles of open source relating to film production, and by approaching the subject now and introducing hardware research with an ethical ethos and approach, the belief is that we can further educate those who would like to see open source become a stronger and more realistic proposition as it continues to thrive and develop. Learning, teaching and research are all encompassed in the entire pipeline for a production. Open content, open practice, open data, open access are all elements that can be attributed to open source for film and education. 

On this basis contact was established with Apertusº for their open source 4K camera hardware. This has allowed us to tackle the subject fully by developing not only sensor technology but also the processing involved. We have currently had delivered the very first shipped Open Source 4K hardware camera and testing fully its capabilities. 

The aim is to create free and open technology and hardware, and make all the generated knowledge freely available to everyone, encouraging participation along the way. By developing this approach we can create a production pathway that includes subjects such as open data, open collaboration and open hardware and software.

Open source film production is an emerging environment effecting production tremendously, and is a perfect example of collaboration and education developing in multiple areas for the future, and can all be developed with an extremely strong emphasis on hardware development with software support.

Daniel Mulligan started in cameras (assisting and focus pulling), before then graduating up the ranks to Camara Operating for F1, BBC Dramas then 2nd Unit Cinematography for Feature Theatrical Productions.

Daniel also started and privately ran a 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 time Daniel has seen a few changes and re-iterations of the current digital workflows and it has struck him over time how much we do rely on proprietary systems for most delivery. And perhaps quite rightly so, as the delivery requirements for VFX to DI, to onset LUTs and more need that service. But applying an Open Source ethos to the entire production pipeline, from colour science to sensors to processing to the backbone and workflows, we can allow more control and achieving results that improve costs, delivery times and the quality of the images captured and how they are processed.

Open Source Film Production

Open Source Hardware

Open Source Software

Thoughts on Open Source for Film 2016

Hello,

It made sense to just review why this blog is here and to explain our philosophy towards Open Source and its myriad possibilities.

Naturally a camera of this sort, with a sensor free to be worked on and all settings to be changed and adjusted, isn't for everybody. What is being allowed though is a completely custom and open approach to realising and setting your perfect camera. Yes it will take a little planning and development work, but fundamentally it offers a wonderful opportunity, for those like minded, to really dig into the processing of the data from a digital sensor, play with the settings (voltages for example) and actually consider your own workflows and processing pathways.

As mentioned this clearly isn't for everyone, but for those with the time and inclination will benefit from increased knowledge and this can benefit everyone in the longer term.

It is easier to shoot and use the proprietary system that now exists, from Alexa to GoPro, but this new approach offers, for me, a little bit more control. And yes, given time the possibilities will be endless.

I can see new sensor development being easier to manage in such an open environment, we have now built our own Cine Lab for Research & Innovation for sensor capture and processing, to examine how much more we can capture and process from these sensors and what we can really achieve from the results.

Again I come back to the major fact this is Open Source for Film Production, narrative film making, and to go this route is not such an easy path to take for anyone with all the inherent hard work, coding, understanding required to make everything work, when previously this has all been done for you.

From the sensor though and recording truly uncompressed imaging data from a current 4K sensor we can then look forward to developing not only the processing but also the workloads and colour pipelines.

ACES is Open Source for example, Sony OCIO is OS too and many many more Open Source approaches and resources are developing rapidly, as the future for a lot of Companies revolves around an Open Source approach and ethos.

Yes not all environments and circumstances are Open Source, and it is a fairly broad term to just label to an environment that requires many factors and task to be completed to be perhaps a fully Open Source entire workflow, but it is coming and developing fast and having received the very first OS 4K Camera shipped we are hoping to help encourage and develop this approach further and further.

Many thanks

Daniel Mulligan

AXIOM beta, 1st one delivered 2016

Hello,

It is with great pleasure to announce that we have received the very first shipped Early AXIOM Beta hardware kit outside of the core developer team in April 2016.

This kit features the final hardware but currently has no enclosure and the software is still in the early beta stage. 

It is intended for the community and those who want to participate and contribute to the software as well as calibration, color science and workflow challenges that a 4K raw Super35 global shutter camera implies.

Many thanks

Daniel Mulligan May 2016

May 09th 2016 UPDATE

May 09th 2016

Hello,

We have come a long way since the start of this OS Project and it feels again a good time for an update.

Having now received the very first ever shipped AXIOM beta camera we are delighted to already begin testing and evaluating the sensor and the camera.

We have created some social media presence with Instagram account, YouTube Channel, Twitter and also running a blog through Definition Magazine on the camera updates.

With this in mind we are excited to be approaching the idea of building a Research & Innovation Film Production Lab, initially called Cine Lab, to develop new sensor technology principles, processing techniques and work on entire workflow pipelines, with a naturally heavy bias towards Open Source toolsets for the future development of an entire Production workflow, with both software and hardware being cornerstones to the developments.

In my minds eye the whole principle behind such a project would not only encourage development of our workflows but provide much more accurate overall results. By looking at the workflow for Film shoots and how it could encompass Open Data, Open SDN, GPU and CPU processing and more.

It feels like a very good way to develop workflows for Film Production, and that Open Source for Film Production is but a small key to open that door for future R&I developments.

Warmest regards
Daniel Mulligan

OER16 Edinburgh Abstract Application

Please see below our application for the OER Open Education Conference :

OER16 19-20th April 2016. This year our theme is open culture and it is being hosted by University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Innovative approaches to opening up cultural heritage collections for education 

Having researched and examined how Open Source has reached out into many areas of education I was struck by how little education exists for Open Source in tandem with the Film Production community. It seems little has been developed for an entire production workflow from the sensor and how it is used and manipulated, the colour science and the workflow (utilising both software and hardware). 

Examples exist such as ACES (Academy Color Encoding System) providing a free, open source colour and look management architecture. http://www.oscars.org/science-technology/sci-tech-projects/aces through the educational department of the Oscars.org, and has been taken onwards by Universities in the USA, but being such a new subject has as yet to appear as an Academic reference. Thus seeking to further the understanding and appreciation of production processes we can create a diverse array of programs for students, teachers, filmmakers, scholars and institutions to provide unique opportunities for engagement with the principles of Open Source relating to Film Production and by approaching the subject now and introducing education and research with an ethical ethos and approach the belief is that we can educate further those who would like to see Open Source become stronger and a more realistic proposition as it continues to thrive and develop. Learning, teaching and research are all encompassed in the entire pipeline for a production. Open Content, Open Practice, Open Data, Open Access are all elements that can be attributed to Open Source for Film and education. 

The aim is to create free and open technology, and make all the generated knowledge freely available to everyone, encouraging participation along the way. By developing this approach we can create an educational pathway that includes subjects such as open data, open collaboration and open hardware and software. As I can envisage new approaches to Film Education, it is clear that at some intersection Open Source will have a valuable role to play. New emerging fields of research are developing based on Colour Science and Colour Grading, effecting Cinematography. New information in assessing how we develop film for the digital age is changing and Open Source will have a major impact here. 

By teaching new ways of working that would previously be the benefit of a few we can now broaden the education to many more encompassing all this new information. My idea of how to change and introduce a new approach to Film Education is with an Open Source ethos and developing reliable influence testing, scholarships and a new colour science unit. We will be designing, creating and developing OpenFlow as a new suite of workflow and software development tools for the entire film production pipeline. Sensor processing, bayer patten development http://www.ece.ncsu.edu/imaging/Publications/2002/demosaicking-JEI-02.pdf with software development would all be encouraged to teach and educate on how these processes actually work, having a huge impact and why we approach production roles in a certain fashion, creating deeper knowledge and better understanding for future engagement, educationally and professionally. 

In summary it is my belief that Open Source Film Production is an emerging environment effecting education tremendously, is a perfect example of collaboration and education developing in multiple areas for the future and can all be developed with an extremely strong emphasis on education. 

https://twitter.com/OERConf

https://oer16.oerconf.org

Current Axiom Development Status (Jan. 20th, 2016)

Current Development Status (Jan. 20th, 2016) 

Watch this space as we will try to constantly keep it up to date with the most up to date AXIOM Beta development and production information. www.opensourcecinemauk.com

The camera internal webserver is up and running an can already serve image sensor register tables as well as Piecewiese Linear Reponse (PLR) HDR curve graphs. Color science related tasks like color calibration, non-linearity measurements as well as fixed pattern noise compensation, etc. are in full swing already. The final PCB revisions of all boards for the Early Betas have been received from OSHPark and after assembly have been tested and verified. The hardware seems to be free of design faults or bugs (as far as we can tell) and the camera is able to operate and work flawlessly from a hardware point of view. Not every single hardware component has been thoroughly tested in every possible operation mode so there is still a small chance that minor problems will be identified in the future - but we are rather optimistic everything is in order. We are also making progress with creating testing hardware that runs automated verification on the electronics for quality assurance. HDMI live output is working as well as recording high speed bursts into RAM - the sensor runs on a lower than max clock frequency so from the software side performance is set to increase over time. A small batch of Early Betas for developers and early adopters is currently being assembled manually by our team - which is a bit slow but automated assembly for such low quantities just makes no sense financially. Once those vouchers have been fulfilled the next production batch will start.