Dahnielson

How can motion control be used?

Now, I will try to describe how the motion controls repeatability, programmability and precision can best be used in the creation of motion pictures, commercials, music videos and television programs. Even if the possibilities are endless, here are some general categories.

Live action

In the past motion control rigs could not operate in real time. But modern rigs of today are able to do live action photography, due to better motors and clever engineering. This makes it possible to shoot actors against blue or greenscreen to later put them in a motion control photographed model or CGI environment, usually a combination of both. You can multiply extras by shooting the same group over and over again but in different places. Or using the “freeze time” gag, where multiple stillcameras in a row or arc are trigged at the same moment, that makes it possible to track around a freezed moment. Motion control can be used to repeat the same movement, and make it possible to let people shot against bluescreen walk around in this “freezed” world.

Models

Miniature photography have been the widest use of motion control through the years. By shooting the model with motion control you can make model spaceship and airplanes fly. Put live action humans and computer generated characters into a model. Or instead of having many model spaceship or airplanes you can re-photograph the same model over and over again put in different positions.

CGI

By shooting live action or model plates with motion control, integration of computer generated elements are made easier and less painful. And you have the ability to use the motion data from the motion control pass into your 3D software and let its camera use the same data or vice versa.

Tabletop

Tabletop shots have always been common in commercials. With a motion controlled camera you can navigate a macro, endoscope, borescope or snorkel/periscope lens over your products in really tight close ups.

Animation and timelaps

Traditionally when you shooting animation you create camera moves by moving the camera by hand or mechanically between exposures in so called stop-motion. But with motion control you have the ability to move the camera during exposures, that will create small amount of motion blur just like in a live action image. The process are often referred to as go-motion as opposite to stop-motion.