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A PMW CREATIVE / SKY-SKAN PRESENTATIOn
in association with thinktank - birmingham science museum
ANCIENT SKIES FULLDOME DEMO REEL
Compression from original 4k x 4k reel
- Please click on picture above to download -or view on-line at
http://www.vimeo.com/14963646 mins. - mov - 50 mb
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---------------------------------------------------------------------Photographed & Edited
by
Grant WakefieldPost-Production Supervision
by
Jan ToensmannExecutive Producer
Glenn SmithMusic
by
Steve Roach / Lisa Gerrard & Patrick Cassidy / Michael Stearns
(c) SKY-SKAN inc / Grant Wakefield 2008
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---------------------------------------------------------------------The 'EMPIRE OF STONE' companion reel
is available to download here14:40 - mov - 113 mb
or view on-line at
http://www.vimeo.com/1521048---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Project Background
ANCIENT SKIES was born out of both Grant Wakefield's lifelong fascination with the Megalithic sites of the British Isles and large format film making. Starting life as a short, Black + White timelapse IMAX film, it soon developed into a feature length (40 min.) production. Over a number of years Wakefield travelled widely, shooting stills and editing video-storyboards for a project which was then entitled REMNANTS, and whose format would be visuals and music only, supplied by former TANGERINE DREAM member Johannes Schmoelling.But as this process was underway a significant change was occurring in the IMAX business. Classical 2D production was rapidly being usurped by 3D. IMAX Corporation's pioneering efforts in this direction led to a major resurgence and re-evaluation of 3D as a gimmick or 'phase' to a widely accepted and highly popular format, which simultaneously converged with the revolution in digital imaging.
Despite these technological advances, IMAX productions nevertheless generally retained their traditional educational and science based structures, set against which, REMNANTS, without a narration, was still something of a rarity, planned principally as an 'experiential' film, as popularised by the works of Ron Fricke and Godfrey Reggio.
Sensing the shift Wakefield decided to approach all 11 UK large format theatres with his DVD and treatment for REMNANTS and gauge the reaction to the idea of producing a solely UK based film, itself another rarity, with only two British films produced in IMAX to date.
And it was then that the project took a very unexpected turn.
Amongst the replies that came back was an invitation from John Rorke of Birmingham's 'Millenium Point' IMAX theatre for Wakefield to experience the new FullDome format.
Project
TransformationWakefield travelled to Birmingham to meet Rorke and FullDome theatre manager Mario DiMaggio. Watching demonstration films, he realised that this was a not only a unique opportunity to take advantage of a new and powerful immersive system, but to do so at a fraction of the cost of traditional film based imaging.
FullDome is an entirely digital format, utilising multiple projectors to seamlessly blend an image 360 degrees around the viewer within a Planetarium dome, and whose relative screen area far exceeds IMAX DOME (formerly known as OMNIMAX.) With the rapid development of digital stills cameras it was clear that image capture could maintain extremely high resolution.
Wakefield to joined the Yahoo FullDome discussion list, on which he put out an open call for support for the REMNANTS project.
Sky-Skan
Glenn Smith of SKY-SKAN Europe Inc. shared Wakefield's fascination with Megalithic sites, and had been considering an in-house project for some time. On seeing his post Smith requested a treatment and DVD, and immediately began the process of collaboration, whose first stage was to ascertain what technology was required to obtain the kind of images they both sought. Promising both hardware and funds Smith commissioned Wakefield to shoot test material. As a working cinematographer, Wakefield had already put together a motion controlled timelapse system, and had shot some flat lens images that he had incorporated into the original REMNANTS video-storyboard. The aim now was to upgrade the system to be compatible with FullDome production standards.
Whilst awaiting the arrival of equipment Wakefield undertook some location scouts, taking stills with his own existing non full-frame cameras, mounted with fisheye lenses. With location access at a premium, the purpose of these were to identify problems in advance and lock down potential camera positions for shoots proper. After negotiations with Peter Carson of English Heritage, these were undertaken in the latter stages of 2007.
Stonehenge, September 2007,
during full moon sequence
Flanked both North and South by main roads,
the light from passing cars was problematicWest Kennet Long Barrow, Wiltshire,
with villages in the EastInside the entrance to the Barrow. This position was later re-photographed under motion control and used in the demo reel
Equipment was sourced from Canada, the US, China and Germany - including Canon 5D full frame cameras, additional lenses, and an upgrade to his existing motion control system. Then began an intense testing phase to gauge write speeds to CF capture card, operating temperatures, and 'feathered' camera moves.
Following this he began shooting the first full frame, motion controlled, timelapse true circular fisheye images on location, during full moon periods.
Still from the Stonehenge shoot, October 2007
Still from the Devil's Den shoot, November 2007. Extreme cold overwhelmed the self-built lens heater and caused frost to form on the front element
Whilst for the most part technically successful, two issues immediately became apparent. REMNANTS as a stand-alone, music only project was seriously under-utilising the immersive potential of the format. And with sometimes extreme filming conditions an upgrade of camera equipment and portability was required, as well as an additional motion control to maximise the capture potential during night shoots.
Testing and equipment sourcing continued over the winter months.
Euromax 2008
The Euromax 2008 large format conference was held in London, March 2008. Able to attend were Smith, Wakefield and post-production supervisor and CGI specialist Jan Toensmann. It was here, following his, and large format cameraman Lee Parker's suggestions, that REMNANTS was radically re-worked and became ANCIENT SKIES. The project would now be expanded into a more traditional planetarium show format, whilst losing none of the visual power that Wakefield and Smith had always envisioned.
It was agreed that Wakefield would undertake extensive shooting across the UK to generate sufficient material for the production of a high resolution 4k FullDome demonstration reel. In parallel, Toensmann would develop an editing and rendering system capable of handling such material. A finished reel was planned to be ready in time for a screening at the International Planetarium Society conference, Chicago in early July
As principal photography was required to be completed by the end of May, Wakefield immediately set off on the first of three location shoots.
S
hoot 01 - Cornwall - March 29th 2008Blessed by unseasonably good weather, over the course of just 5 days Wakefield was able to photograph 12 sites, generating 12 minutes of material, with a two camera / one motion control set-up.
Dual camera (flat and fisheye) at Lanyon Quoit
Flat lens tilt down at Stannon stone circle
On his return a detailed analysis of the process was undertaken to identify and solve final technical problems. Sourcing and testing of the second dedicated motion control kit was completed, along with the acquisition and customisation of a dedicated production vehicle from which Wakefield could work on the stages to come.
One of the motion control kits in customised Pelican case
Shoot 02 - Wales & Anglesey - April 19th 2008Weather on this shoot was decidedly unfavourable, as were difficulties caused by physical locations. It was Smith and Wakefield's aim to preserve as much as possible the archaic feel of Megalithic sites, but as many were set within working agricultural land, this was a major problem, particularly when shooting with the 180 degree field-of-view fisheye lens. It didn't help either that it was lambing season!
Nonetheless 12 sites were photographed over 9 days and nearly 16 minutes of material was generated.
Much of the time at Bryn Celli Ddu was spent chasing stray lambs out of shot
Trefignath sat between an enormous road expansion project to the East and a large aluminium smelting plant to the West, yet one of the best shots was acquired here
Shoot 03 - Cumbria, Scotland & The Outer Hebrides - May 11th 2008
Timing the trip to coincide with full moon sequence, Wakefield headed North for the most ambitious shoot so far. Travelling nearly 2000 miles over the course of 21 days, 12 major sites were photographed yielding nearly half an hour of footage.
The thorough testing and customising of the kit paid dividends. Running a three camera / two motion control set-up, some of the most spectacular images of the entire project were captured, during three consecutive clear nights at Callanish I stone circle in The Hebrides.
Fisheye motion control night pan at Callanish I
Dusk flat lens at Callanish I
On the drive South several sites in Cumbria were also visited, but as the weather deteriorated Wakefield headed home to prep for the production of the demo reel.
The Edit - Amsterdam - June 16th 2008
Travelling to The Netherlands Wakefield teamed up with Jan Toensmann to attempt an almost impossible task - the creation of a 4k by 4k resolution 6 minute demonstration reel in time for the IPS conference. Using Toensmann's custom built system - a dual Linux / Windows render farm, with an 8 terrabyte Raid drive - over the course of 8 days both worked tirelessly on file conversion, image clean-up, and the edit.
Toensmann put in two 24 hour shifts in the final 3 days, but the reel was delivered to Glenn Smith just one day before he left for Chicago.
Project Development & Future - August 2008
Following the universally positive response to the reel, Wakefield undertook to research and write an illustrated 25 page production treatment for the full length show. Discussions regarding additional shooting at Stonehenge, in Ireland and in Northern France are underway, and negotiations with Lisa Gerrard to be a major soundtrack contributor have begun.
During all phases of shooting sufficient flat lens imagery was captured to enable REMNANTS to be advanced to a stage where completion funds are now being sought to produce a 30 minute film for HDTV / Digital projection. Retaining its visuals and music only format, soundtrack contributors Johannes Schmoelling and Thorsten Quaeschning - both former and current members of TANGERINE DREAM - are confirmed.
Contact Information
For further information about the project please contact:
GLENN SMITH / SKY SKAN
smith@skyskan.comGRANT WAKEFIELD
gw@gotadsl.co.uk
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Image Gallery
Grant Wakefield about to start a fisheye night shot at Callanish I
Lanyon Quoit, Cornwall
Holed stone of Men-a-Tol, Cornwall
Chun Quoit, Cornwall
Fisheye pan at Carreg Samson dolmen, Wales
Fisheye pan underneath the huge
capstone of Pentre Ifan dolmen, WalesLundin Links, Scotland, on the 18th fairway
of the ladies golf club!Callanish I, Hebrides
Callanish II
Trefignath dolmen, Anglesey, Wales
Moonrise at Callanish III
Low horizon moon across Callanish I
Fisheye night shot at Callanish I
Fisheye night pan at Callanish I
At the end of a night tilt down at Callanish I
Moonset at Callanish I
Sunrise at Callanish I
