SDVR Workshop

Basics of Stereoscopic Production

Company Twitter: @VRTULINC

My Twitter: @CaseySapp
Social Media Hashtag: #SDVR
PPT Available at www.vrtul.io/blog

Agenda

01
02
03
04
3

Introduction to VRTL (pr. Virtual)

Inherent Challenges of Live Capture Stereoscopic

Production
Stereo Micro-Lesson

Q&A

Inspirasign.com

Agenda

Experts in Live Capture VR

Scripting
Filming
Post-Production
App Development

Why VR

Personal; Immersive

Accessible; Low-Cost

2016

Safe; No Risk

Interactive; Social

Inspirasign.com

Why VR?

Inherent Challenges of Stereo Camera Overview

Monoscopic - 2 camera solutions (Theta, IZugar, Kodak, Pro)

Monoscopic More than 2 cameras solutions

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo Camera Overview

Stereoscopic 180 FOV - 2 camera solutions

Stereoscopic >2 camera solutions, circular arrangement

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo Camera Overview

Stereoscopic - >2 camera solutions, parallel arrangement

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Production

More Cameras
expense
potential for failure
manual adjustments
monitoring
Limited live-stitching options for preview (mostly
mono)
data footprint
3GB / min : 2D 6 cam Hero 4 rig
7GB / min : 3D 14 cam Hero 4 rig

10

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Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Production

Hardware Needs (beyond mono projects)
Stereo capable computer monitor
passive recommended (especially with After Effects)
2x+ High speed storage
most shots will require compositing fixes = more
storage
Software Needs
Compositing Software (required)
After Effects, Nuke, Fusion, etc.
Additional software (optional / not covered)
Mettle Skybox Studio
Dashwood 3D
Algorithmic plugins

11

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Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Camera sync
Stereo geometric alignment

12

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Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Camera sync
Stereo geometric alignment

13

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Camera sync
Stereo geometric alignment

14

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Camera sync
Stereo geometric alignment

15

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Color balance

16

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Artifact correction

17

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Artifact correction

18

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Artifact correction

19

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Stitch line issues

20

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Stitch line issues

21

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Stitch line issues

22

Inspirasign.com

Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Stitching complications (beyond mono)
Auto-stitch can lead to unwanted stereo depth artifacts
Additional stereo alignment between perspectives
camera holders
manufacturing errors
lens aberrations
etc
Quality complications
Additional image transformations
1 or 2 for mono
3 or 4 for stereo
stitch, S3D alignment, stitch adjust, stereo blending

23

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Inherent Challenges

Inherent Challenges of Stereo VR Post-Production

Quality complications
Final result will be res per eye (compared to mono)

24

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Inherent Challenges

Micro-Lesson
Assumptions
Kolor Autopano Video (& Giga) and After Effects
www.kolor.com
www.adobe.com/AfterEffects
Kolor
Proceed as normal: import, sync, stitch frame(s)
Giga - edit stitch in Giga
Refine left as normal
Right cameras
Delete all auto-solves
Solve each to its left camera ONLY
Resolves some vertical alignment issues
Solve for distant points only
Sets convergence in the distance
Reduces manual stereo adjustments to blend
angles
25

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
Giga - edit stitch in Giga

26

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
Giga - edit stitch in Giga

27

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
Kolor
Let Kolor fix color???

28

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
Kolor
Export each cam from Kolor as an image sequence or movie

29

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
Kolor
Export each cam from Kolor as an image sequence or
movie

30

Inspirasign.com

Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
Kolor
Quality considerations
More transforms = softer image
Options
High-res interim files (from Kolor)
UV workflow

31

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Stitch Left eye completely first!!!
Basic steps (left eye)
Roto seams between angles
Manual alignment between angles (if needed)
Additional paint and roto corrections (often for FG objs)
Adjust color balance
Half way done!

32

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Stitch Left eye completely first!!!

33

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Duplicate Left eye stitch to make Right eye stitch
Inherits all work done to left eye
Preview comps
Stereo preview

34

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Preview comps
Stereo preview

35

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Preview comps
Stereo preview

36

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Preview comps
Color balance preview

37

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Preview comps
Color balance preview

38

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Right cam fixes (to match left cam)
Sync
Color balance
Adjust geometric attributes to align with right cam
paint strokes, rotos, etc
Fix discrepancies (lens flares, glow, etc)
Result: each angle is PERFECT!

39

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Stereo blending between angles (right eye stitch only)
Adjust stitch lines, placing them in depth
Adjust relative depth at seams
Techniques: transforms, grid warps, disparity
warps

40

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Micro-Lesson

Micro-Lesson
After Effects
Export comps to prefered format
image sequences recommended
Review, Editing, and Revisions

41

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Micro-Lesson

Contact Us:
WWW.VRTUL.IO
Casey Sapp, Founder casey@vrtul.io
Matt DeJohn, VP of Production matt@vrtul.io