Haydn Robinson's Personal Statement

Haydn Robinson's Personal Statement

Since as long as I can remember I have always had a fascination with moving image, this combined with a strong aspiration to understand the workings behind some of the great visual effects masterpieces that had me fooled as youngster into believing that dinosaurs are still alive and that Star Wars was real, is partially the reason for my choice to pursue a career in visual effects. Sixteen years later and I have developed a basic understanding of the capabilities of visual effects producing programmes. Over the past three years at university, many skills have been acquired, including knowledge of how to operate a Sony XDCAM, backlighting a green screen and using Keylight, a basic understanding of 3D modelling, texturing and lighting in both Maya and Cinema 4D and a range of skills developed in After Effects, including compositing, generating visual effects and motion graphics.

After gaining an understanding of these techniques and processes, I became inspired to write a short film with an accompanying trailer to promote the idea to be produced as a feature film. This idea is based on some of the work by David Icke, to which I have received outstanding feedback with everyone who has analysed my spin on the idea, being able to give no reason why funding councils would not be willing to invest in this production. It takes on the current interest in CGI base Sci-fi and combines the use of conspiracy theory with psychological thriller to subconsciously provoke many questions raised by modern society. This truly deep idea has bags of potential and is expected to further the reputation of the British Visual Effects and film industry. Whilst it maybe apparent that this is my first attempt at scriptwriting it demonstrates some of the key skills that I have developed and promotes a possible route that this idea could take.

“The Return of Nibiru” aims to follow in the footsteps of “THX 1138” and “District 9” in terms of an idea first devised as a student film making it to the big screen. The only real criticism I have received from my tutors throughout my time at University is; “trying to achieve a professional looking finish,” “aiming too high” and “attempting the unachievable.” In hindsight I would agree with this, both my lack of knowledge and the five-year old computers provided by the college hindered my goals and my results, however this has not set me back in what I aim to achieve. My planned career path given funding for my film isn't granted, is to work my way up through a visual effects/post-production company, aiming to be a visual effects supervisor by the age of thirty. In the meantime I will continue to script-write in my spare time as it is a new found enjoyable hobby of mine, I feel I have a magnitude of ideas waiting to be expressed and I am sure that one will hit the big screen by 2020.

Blu-ray Announces 3D Format

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) recently announced the finalization and release of the “Blu-ray 3D™” specification. It leverages the technical advantages of the BD format to deliver “unmatched picture quality” as well as uniformity and compatibility across the full range of Blu-ray 3D products, both hardware and software. The specification is also designed to allow the PS3 to play back Blu-ray 3D content in 3-D.

The entire article can be found here; http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3924

Format War Looms Over 3DTV

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month was overrun with companies demonstrating 3D television systems for the home. But despite the impressive viewing experiences on offer, the spectre of a lengthy battle between competing formats hangs over the latest shiny offerings.

TV studios and hardware companies alike are now building on the public's rediscovered love of 3D movies. Satellite broadcaster Sky recently treated press to examples of soccer games and boxing matches filmed in 3D by strapping two regular cameras side by side, and Panasonic last week started to make 3D Blu-ray video discs at its Hollywood factory.

However, anyone interested in a 3D system for the home must pick between three or more very different and incompatible technologies. At present, material designed for one system usually cannot be played on another.

Polarised views

One approach – already well established for virtual environments used by engineers and surgeons – involves a home theatre projector running at high frequency to deliver left and right images in rapid succession.

The viewer wears LCD spectacles that alternately block the left and right eye view to ensure that each eye only sees the correct viewpoint – timing is synchronised via a wireless link with the projector.

Panasonic's 3D offering uses a plasma screen to flash the alternate left and right images, and should be on sale in the near future.

South Korean firm Hyundai uses an LCD screen to display left and right images simultaneously, using a filter over the screen to polarise the two images differently. The viewer wears polarising spectacles to see 3D image.

This system is already on sale in Japan, where limited 3D TV broadcasts started last year, and has also been adopted by Sky.

'Confusing' situation

Experts say that the sudden appearance on the market of incompatible rival technologies could hold the 3D home movie back.

"With several competing technologies – and none of them adopted as industry standards – the fragmentation could seriously impede progress, generate confusion and slow consumer uptake," says Sarah Carroll, at consumer electronics research firm Futuresource Consulting.

The closest the industry currently has to a standard is Panasonic's campaign to add 3D playback to the Blu-ray standard.

If other manufacturers get on board, the move could lead to a single format for discs or broadcasts that any 3D or even 2D TV set can play. So far they have put development of competing technologies first.