The IP-RACINE project was a 40-month, 11+ million Euro European Commission-funded effort to improve digital cinema workflow from content capture to exhibition. The project involved 11 partners across the cinema industry value chain working on 6 areas: virtual studios, post-production, exhibition, image/sound processing, skills training, and promotion. The project developed prototypes and demonstrated interoperability between partner technologies to create a coherent digital cinema workflow from scene to screen.

1. IP-Racine is sponsored by the E.C. FP6
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2. IP-RACINE
Digital Cinema
from Scene to Screen
An overview after 40 months
Josep Blat – Eugenia Fuenmayor
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3. Project Objectives
Increase
Interoperability
along the Digital Cinema
chain
Reduce
Costs Advance
the technology
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4. Working areas
Digital Cinema improvement needed
‘from Scene to Screen’
Six working
groups
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5. Partners
• 11+ M€ budget, 8+ M€ EU contribution
• Capture Thomson (GVN and DTO)
• Virtual Studios Brainstorm
• Post-production Pandora, FilmLight, DVS
• Exhibition XDC, Barco
• User – Studios MediaPro
• Research institutes UoH, JRS, UG,
FSSG, BM-UPF (Coordinators)
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6. Workflow
Visual Effects, Compression
Group Dynamics (U. of Glasgow)
(UPF)
Virtual Surround
Sound (FBM) Color corrector De-interlacing
e-studio (UPF)
(Pandora)
(Brainstorm)
Projector
(Barco)
Metadata tools (JRS)
Viper/Venom
(GVN/DTO)
Clipster SAN (Spycer) Solo server
(DVS) (DVS) (XDC)
Quadraphonic
Auditorium
sound
sound system
(FSSG-CNR) 3D interpolation
Baselight Four
(U.of Hasselt)
(Filmlight)
Graphics
Framework
(UPF)
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7. Workflow integration examples
DVS - Thomson/GVN:
• Metadata Transfer via SDI
• Recording via IT interfaces from Viper camera to DVS-SAN
JRS - DVS:
• JRS metadata extraction service integrated into DVS Spycer
DVS - XDC:
• DCP master as interface from postproduction to playout
FilmLight - DVS:
• Spycer running on FilmLight parallel filesystem
UPF - FilmLight:
• Parallelisable graphics framework
Brainstorm – GVN:
• Sending Camera tracking position through Standard RS232 protocol
Brainstorm – DVS:
• Reading back the Tracking information from the DPX headers
Brainstorm – FBM UPF:
• Virtual Image and Audio Integration
Other real-world integration
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8. Achievements
• O1. To create an integrated DC Workflow (“From
scene to screen”),
– Not a unique workflow, Not a linear workflow, Not a
uniform, homogeneous environment, and Built on top of
existing infrastructure
– Left: testbed integration – Right: real world integration
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9. Achievements
• Metadata & Standards Requirements
• Workflow Enhancement & Tools
• Essence and Metadata Workflow
– Deal with metadata diversity; mapping (standards or extensions); tools
(workflow, extraction, preservation, search, conversion, exchange) defined
– Non unique workflow, service oriented architecture defined
– Pictorial summaries, WMO, content analysis tools
– New Spycer (file server, backup)
– New Clipster (NAS solution & bridge; DCDM generation, RT JPEG2000
decoder)
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10. Achievements
• Supporting Scalable Graphics
– Multiplatform graphics framework supporting modern graphics
programming, parallelisation, high-level XML control
• Colour Calibration and Conversion
– On-set colour adjustments and monitoring - tools
– Colour visualisation, measurement, communication (Truelight)
– ICC/Academy standards proposal
• Implementation of highly
scalable architecture
– Demonstrated at IBC 2007
• NFS-integration of parallel file
system; Better SAN integration
(with bandwidth throttling);
Editorial integration through AAF,
MXF, XML; Fast access of
another cluster's parallel file
system; All 10GigE inter- and
intra-cluster fabric
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11. Interoperability (testbed 3)
Background
composition
Estudio FBM
H (Brainstorm)
D Laptop Laptop HIL acceleration
S (JRS) (DVS) board
D (Pandora)
I Ethernet HDSDI + Color corrector
DPX (Pandora) (U. of Glasgow)
Metadata DPX
Footage Phase I
HDSDI + DPX
(U.of Hasselt) SAN
External
hard disk (DVS) Baselight (UPF)
SAN (Filmlight)
(DPX + Metadata) Software installation
SAN
Viper Image Warping
Capture flamenco with HIL
Clipster
band
HDSDI + (DVS)
(Grass Valley) DPX HDSDI Projector
(Barco)
(back-up)
HDSDI +
JPEG 2000
MXF +XML Auditorium
Solo server sound system
(XDC)
5.1 audio synchronized FBM
with video FSSG-CNR
5.1 wave tracks
Footage (for audio synchronization)
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12. Achievements
• O2 To provide improved digital cameras
– To fully integrate electronic acquisition into the digital
workflow
• Embedding of metadata in VIPER output to improve workflow
• On camera VENOM solid state recorder
• More robust mechanics for VIPER
• Increased pixel rates
• Flexible 10Gig Ethernet transmission
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13. Achievements
• … O2 To provide improved digital cameras
– To develop a flexible and robust recording solution for
metadata and uncompressed essence that fits within the
workflow
• VENOM solid state recorder
• Hard disk field recorder for back-up
Generations of Viper and Venom …
Generation of metadata, images, 10GE new transport format
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14. Achievements
• O3 To develop film resolution 3-D virtual studio
technologies
– High Quality RT ‘preview’ and non RT ‘final’ quality
demonstrator (shown NAB - IBC).
• Shaders in HD
• New Hardware
– RT Visual Effects and Group Dynamics
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15. Achievements
• Camera adaptation
– Software from HD to 2K preview; latest SDI, HD & 2K output
boards evaluation; new I/O interface through plug-ins
• Shader and code development
– eStudio with new DoF shader, diffuse shadows and real objects
casting, higher res motion blur and DoF, improved distortion …
• Advanced camera development
– encoder systems for new Camera /
Robot arm or Crane rig; Vinten new
Robotic Pedestal; Trackmen,
MixTV, Multi KuperBox,
TabulaTrack, Total Inmersion
drivers; Motion analysis (Camera
and Position tracking)
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16. Achievements
• Visual Effects and Group Dynamics, standalone and
integrated
– New high-quality RT visual effects: Screen space ambient
occlusion, Variance shadow mapping, Skin rendering
– New Group dynamics features: Graph, Auto-navigation, Path-
finding, Semaphores, Attractors
– Integration as eStudio and 3D Studio MAX plug-ins, within the
graphics framework
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17. Achievements
• O4 Representing, manipulating, annotating and
retrieving moving images and sound
– High level automated annotation and indexing techniques:
• object-redetection, setting detection;
• tracking of regions;
• indexing for search and content browsing
– Image representation
and manipulation
• Compression for
Colour Correction
• Resolution
Enhancement;
Fractional Resizing
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18. Achievements
• O4 Representing, manipulating, annotating and
retrieving moving images and sound
– Time slicing/ View Interpolation (next slide)
– Sound rendering
based on
quadraphony (coll.
with WP7):
• In situ prehearing
of surround
sound in virtual
scene
• Postproduction of
surround sound
adapted to
camera pan /
zoom / tilt
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19. Time Slicing / View interpolation
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20. Achievements
• O5 To develop and demonstrate real-time hardware
solutions:
– New colour correction hardware; HIL and drivers for
flexibility; Pandora software; UG and JRS integration
HIL software development integration diagram
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21. Achievements
• O6-O7 To develop digital projector and playout
technology and new formats:
– New 2k projector
45 % cost
reduction;
servers
supporting
DCDM
– Enhancements
in projectors /
servers usability
and technologies
– Quad-audio
workflow
– De-interlacing,
color
enhancement 21
and de-noising IP-RACINE presentation: Paris IDIFF

22. Achievements
• Future digital cinema experience
– Projector light efficiency improvements
• Graceful data reduction
– More efficient and cost effective movies duplication
• Improved usability
– Enhanced projector and (remote) server control (touch
screen plus functionalities); integration
– Motorised lamp alignment
• Improved affordability
– Servers (G3 improvements) /
projectors (compact platform)
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23. Achievements
• Improved quality of audio
– Quad-audio workflow; Rendering; New measurement tools;
DTS conversion; Experimental validation of 1-D sound
fields
• Image processing
– De-interlacing GPU accelerated, FPGA real-time
implementation under exploration
– First results in Denoising; Color
enhancement
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24. Achievements
• O9 To reinforce the European skills base for digital
cinema technologies:
– Researchers exchange, theses, …
– Experimental training: partners events, Virtual Studio on
line (two editions), Media Salles; “making of”; iDiff Seminars
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25. Achievements
• O8 - O10 To promote the understanding and
acceptance of EDC and its technologies - market
launch
– Papers (42); Events (22); Products - Trade shows –Leaflets
– Industrial Days; Standards; Patents
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26. Achievements
• User Requirements
– Monitoring over the project; Book; Outlook
• IPR and Standards
– Patents, EDCF, SMPTE,
ISCDF, MPEG-7,
ICC/Academy
• Market awareness
• Exploitation
– IBC – NAB, Cannes, …
Over 400 feature films
• Dissemination
– Book, website, leaflets,
papers, events –
industrial days; …
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27. Achievements
• Industrial Days
– Digitrain (Media Salles,
Barco)
– At NAB (Brainstorm,
Filmlight, Pandora,
Grass Valley, DVS)
• Testbeds
(Interoperability -
Integration)
– Testbed 2, Testbed 3
(EP recovered) …
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28. From Scene to Screen …
•THEN (when IP-RACINE started)
– DI for postproduction HD -2K
– Digital Video; No exhibition
•NOW (when IP-RACINE is about to end)
– Digital Cinema Theatres Network, Digital Cameras,
Postproduction 4K and beyond ..
– IP-RACINE partners at the industrial forefront (and
research not yet exploited); workflow in the real world
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29. … a summary
•High quality research and development, and reports
•Patent filings, conference and journal publications
•Developed prototypes, many of which incorporated into
products
•A workflow where products are demonstrated to be
interoperable
•Future work still ongoing and will bear industrial fruit
•Visibility, international conferences and major trade fairs in
Europe and the USA.
•Representation in relevant standards bodies
•Relevant research and development to existing
requirements and the emerging interest 3D digital cinema
•A coherent workflow support chain from
scene to screen, starting on 10GbE
transferred from one stage to the next and
across equipment platforms.
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30. Workflow
Visual Effects, Compression
Group Dynamics (U. of Glasgow)
(UPF)
Virtual Surround
Sound (FBM) Color corrector De-interlacing
e-studio (UPF)
(Pandora)
(Brainstorm)
Projector
(Barco)
Metadata tools (JRS)
Viper/Venom
(GVN/DTO)
Clipster SAN (Spycer) Solo server
(DVS) (DVS) (XDC)
Quadraphonic
Auditorium
sound
sound system
(FSSG-CNR) 3D interpolation
Baselight Four
(U.of Hasselt)
(Filmlight)
Graphics
Framework
(UPF)
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31. IP-RACINE Office
IP-RACINE Management Office
c/o Josep Blat, Eugenia Fuenmayor
Passeig de Circumval·lació, 8
08003 Barcelona,
Spain
josep.blat at upf.edu
eugenia.fuenmayor at barcelonamedia.org
www.ipracine.org
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