Mixed-Reality Research Presented at ITS2023

Once a domain of science fiction, holographic filmmaking is becoming the next technological revolution. At the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Dr. Pietroszek voices the capabilities and complexities of the evolving medium. He shares how storytellers are now using volumetric capture to recreate objects in virtual spaces. Once recorded, these holograms can then be placed in virtual or real environments, creating an experience Dr. Pietroszek compares it to Star Trek's Holodeck.

Actors, props, sets, and even entire structures can now be captured as photorealistic 3D models, shown as holograms; This process is known as photogrammetry. Photogrammetry allows the extraction of 3D data from photos and drawings. Once captured, audience members can view these elements through head-mounted glasses, known as a cave system. This cave system allows for an immersive experience where one can enter and interact with the virtual world. Some bring audience members into the set, others bring props and set elements into the real world. Like computer coding, the language and grammar of volumetric filmmaking can be very complex.

While the technology is ready for new stories and hniques, our understanding of the language and grammar of this medium is very limited. Through the Cannon keynote, Dr. Pietroszek discusses how filmmakers can learn and use volumetric filmmaking. Using low-cost volumetric capture technologies, Dr.Pietroszek invites filmmakers to experiment with volumetric capture. "Holographic filmmaking is a new and revolutionary form of storytelling that will not replace traditional cinema, but rather, it will become yet another" Dr. Pietroszek.

Dr. Pietroszek presented July 9, 2021