Archives June 2021

This post is actually a true DOCUMENTATION of a recent pre-production test held on June 08, 2021, using multiple well-known equipment brands – including Zeiss and Fujinon – and offering a front row seat / first look at FACTORY OPTIC’s NEW SYNCRO-LINK MARK-ZERO – as the title suggests, “in action”. The story is presented in a series of email excerpts from the producer (we will call him “Producer X” for reasons of privacy) to various equipment manufacturers. Let’s drop in on the conversation …

START OF EMAIL EXCERPTS:

__ __ __

Email #1

Producer X: We have partnered with a state-of-the-art facility called Studio Lab which is the most advanced virtual production studio in the region. We are producing live-to-tape Unreal Engine Extended Reality (XR) LED virtual production content.

__ __ __

Email #3

Producer X: (writing to Fujinon)
We are collaborating with your counterparts at Zeiss on a marketing case study featuring Supreme Primes with eXtended Data (XD) for a process to be used in an upcoming TED Talk digital transformation. The workflow features three VariCam 35 and five Supreme Primes. We would also like to feature your Premista19-45mm for two reasons: it’s a spectacular zoom lens, and it offers the innovative XD format required for our real-time XR LED virtual production workflow. We have secured that Premista and the Supreme Primes for our June 22-25 production dates.

__ __ __

Email #5

Producer X: For the upcoming test, It would be tremendously helpful if you could ship a demo Premista19-45mm lens for workflow, content, and lighting testing at Studio Lab on Tuesday, June 8th.

Here is our XR LED virtual production workflow:

• Disguise Multicam Extended Reality (XR)

• OptiTrack Primex 41 camera tracking

• Panasonic VariCam 35 cinema cameras

• Zeiss Supreme Prime lenses with eXtended Data (XD)

• Fujinon Premista19-45mm zoom lens with eXtended Data (XD)

__ __ __

Email #11

Producer X: Yes! Happy to provide photos and video. Our DP is excited to test the Premista19-45mm with eXtended Data, which is part of our real-time XR LED virtual production workflow. I would like to explore a partnership arrangement with you, alongside Panasonic, Zeiss, Epic, and Disguise, who are participating with their PR firms in this TED Talk virtual production marketing case study:

TEDxCambridge Key Partners and PR Firms

Racepoint / Panasonic (cinema cameras)

Battery / Epic Games (Unreal Engine)

Battery / Disguise (XR media server)

Zeiss (cinema lenses)

Neoscape (Unreal Engine production design)

Civic Entertainment Group / TEDxCambridge

__ __ __

Email #12

Vendor Y:
(editor’s note: “Vendor Y” is actually FACTORY OPTIC, who does not wish to remain anonymous … and “Y” – or, “why” Factory Optic? Because they are the only technology company that offers the SYNCRO-LINK solution!)

“A demo? A demo of SYNCRO-LINK for a TED Talk? Sure thing … you bet! Heck – I just happen to have one right here on my desk! As soon as I finish my coffee and donuts, I’ll run downstairs and ship it out to you … today!”

__ __ __

Email #14

Producer X: Thank you very much for the introduction to Factory Optic and Gary Adcock! We had a fantastic 1.5-hour conversation about XD metadata and Factory Optic’s exciting SYNCRO-LINK solution. They will be shipping a demo unit to Studio Lab so that we can test it with your Premista19-45mm on June 8th.

__ __ __  

Email #17

Producer X: Thank you for sharing the SYNCRO-LINK MARK-ZERO demo unit! We connected it with the VariCam 35 Premista19-45mm on the jib. Separately, I’ve sent you a folder with photos and in it, you’ll find a great shot of our production team marveling at the SYNCRO-LINK! …

… I will connect you with the Studio Lab technical team, who will be conducting in-depth XD metadata tests with the VC35 and Zeiss Supreme Primes for these XR LED virtual production tests. Please let me know if you have any questions or recommendations …

“Oh, and I must tell you, beyond the technical specs, the SYNCRO-LINK build quality is outstanding!“

__ __ __

Email #20

Producer X: We tested your Premista19-45mm with the VC35 yesterday at Studio Lab with dual-LED frustums:

• Sticks VC35 A: Zeiss Supreme Prime 35mm

• Sticks VC35 B: Zeiss Supreme Prime 65mm

• Jib VC35 C: Fujinon Premista19-45mm with
Synchro-Link XD solution

“The SYNCRO-LINK XD solution that Factory Optic has developed is a game-changer. It unlocks some exciting AR applications we will explore for the fall shoot ...”

End of email excerpts. 

So, without naming too many names, these excerpts tell a great story, as the testing was accomplished. It’s a success story for SYNCRO-LINK, recommended here by Fujinon as a cutting edge metadata solution to be explored within this set of tests. We thank him/them for the referral and the opportunity to both expose SYNCRO-LINK capabilities to the real world in real time and to help / partner with this TEDx technology group, in advance of the TEDxCambridge production dates.

Read the official SYNCRO-LINK MARK-ZERO Press Release HERE

Read MORE about … or even BUY SYNCRO-LINK MARK-ZERO … ¡HERE!

LOS ANGELES, June 3, 2021

Factory Optic, a specialty provider of custom solutions and services for the film and television industries, announces the launch of a new product called SYNCRO-LINK MARK-ZERO. Featuring a next-generation lens metadata interface to provide simple plug-and-play connectivity between cinema lenses and Unreal Engine (for use in virtual production environments), the device greatly simplifies the metadata workflow. All available lens data, such as focus distance, iris t-stop, zoom focal length, entrance pupil and depth of field, is seamlessly streamed to Unreal Engine via an open-source plugin provided by LOLED VIRTUAL. 

“Using the MARK-ZERO allows our customers to focus their efforts on filmmaking while reducing the setup time,”

… states Patrick Campbell of FACTORY OPTIC.

“With this new device, we enable users to seamlessly push lens metadata direct to Unreal Engine, in perfect sync with the camera shutter. It allows full control of the data flow, no matter which camera is being used, and with OpenCV lens distortion values being streamed, the need for tedious lens calibration has been eliminated.”

MARK-ZERO will support metadata streaming from Cooke /i enabled lenses and with the Zeiss eXtended Data, lens distortion and shading/vignetting is now available to be utilized in UE. Streaming works with all camera frame-rates from 23.98 to 60. Data is timecode stamped and sent over UDP direct to Unreal Engine via PoE. 

For more detailed technical information about Factory Optic’s new SYNCRO-LINK MARK-ZERO, click on the image below: