Automated Film Props is an activity of WbAV Productions. Essentially, coding and automation knowledge has been applied to film, movie and stage props.
We realised that expensive production time is taken up between takes in order to reset props for the next take. If this gets missed it can cost even more in post-production to clean up a usable take.
Time doesn't just cost money, it takes actors and crew out of flow, constant lengthy interruptions can mean that the directors notes are not interpreted as well as they could be.
By creating the infrastructure that allows props to be instantly set/reset, everything happens quicker with less stress. That means better storytelling, which is the goal of cast,crew and audience alike.
Initially we concentrated on clocks and counters since they are a common storytelling staple. We visualised the classic bomb defusing scene and imagined that the director could rapidly guide the actors and crew through the vision. In milliseconds the counters reset, the clocks in the background go back to scene time and even if it's a single camera drama all angles and takes will cut together with perfect prop continuity.
Here's an example of a phyiscal 'Pulse' prop - click for pulse prop
Here we're thinking of office and control room scenes that have many computer monitors or wall mounted displays. We've put together a system that allows your art department to get motivated, animated content onto those screens. We got event and sequence control so that the screens can change with the action.
Our 'Screebleys' are based on simple HTML pages that use our JavaScript library to deliver animation events. For more artist control we've allowed for animation into SVG which means your art department can leave conventional web pages behind to deliver a look for any period or genre.
We've a range of simple devices (ScreeblyHD) that simply velcro to computer monitors and conect to the HDMI port. This means that a room full of computers can be realised without the cost of hiring actual PCs and the effort setting them up with appropriate content.
These are Unreal Engine Actors with Properties and Functions. These Virtual Production Props have their properties and functions Published or Subscribed to events on the Set Wide Net.
Therefore an event from a Physical or Virtual prop can trigger a VP prop to change state or appearance. This means that the VP prop can be a light, a sound, a camera or moving elements of an complex actor. You could have a row of lights that are controlled by a physical prop. A camera that changes position or focus based on the movement or position of a physical prop.
In the other direction you can have a physical prop that follows some property of an actor in Unreal Engine. For example synchronising the time of day with a physical clock or counter, or a gauge reflecting the speed of a virtual vehicle.