Graphics systemreproduces headformoviesequence
Demetrios A. Michalopoulos · 1976
Fromthecompanythatbrought you YulBrynner's eyes, nowcomesPeter Fonda's head-all basedonsophisticated space ageimageprocessing techniques. A couple ofyearsagoInformation International, Inc., LosAngeles, created special effects forthefilmWestworld thatsimulated thewayinwhichrobotgunslinger Brynner perceived people and objects asa screen comprised of3,600 tiny squares, eachwithauniform color. Now,forthefilm's sequel, American International Pictures' Futureworld, currently goingintogeneral release, the companyhas takensuchcomputer graphics special effects a majorleap forward. InFutureworld, visitors toafuturistic resort arereplaced byclones, preciseduplicates ofthemselves. InformationInternational, employing techniques usedforillustrating complex scientific phenomena in3-Dcolor movies, created thespecial effects fora40-second sequence inwhichFonda's clone isconstructed. Fondawas photographed by three cameras setatprecise 45-degree angles ashewasrotated onanindextable. Largeblowups ofthefilmstrips were made,andplaced threeata timeona datatablet withtwocursors. An operator thensculpted Fonda's features intoa computermemoryto create thebasic topological data.This encoded dataconsisted ofthecoordinates ofsome4,000planar polygons ofthe actor's hair andface. Thisdatathenwasinserted intoa GrafixImanufactured by Information International. Thesystem isdesigned to electronically readprinted information andconvert ittodigital formforcomputerprocessing; itcanthenrearrange andupdatethestored information for republication. Inthisinstance, itwas employed toconvert the3-Ddataon Fonda's features intothelook ofhis headfromaparticular viewpoint, onfilm. Inthesequence, details ofaformless headgradually arefilled inuntil thehead clearly isFonda's. Thisillusion was achieved bydevising shortsegments of film, eachwithmoredataadded. Weare.implementing recent computer techniques tocreatenatural-appearing pictures of3-dimensional objects inenvironments, commentsJohnWhitney, Jr., ofInformation International's motion picture projects, who workedon the earlier robot's-eye effects andthenew illusions. Inmanyways,these digital computer processes looktosimulate thelawsof nature intherealworldofphysics. For everyframeoffilmweexpose, we calculate values forperspective; object color and surface characteristics; position, angle, andcenter ofview; lighting position, color, andstrength; depthcuing, andmanyother variables.