Tag Archives: animation

Rife-App Creates Higher frame Rates 25x Faster!

A few months back we took a look at Dain app, and how it was able to use AI and machine learning to create in between frames from almost any source footage and create something that looked and felt like real footage taken with higher fps cameras.  The algorithm was so revolutionary that it took the world by storm, making older software that used re-timing from Adobe and others look antiquated and underpowered.  The Dain-App was great and it was a pay what you want App but had an Achilles heel. The software required a powerful Nvidia GPU with as much VRAM as you could muster to be able to convert footage and re-time it.  

The new Rife-App which is the direct successor of Dain App by the creator GRisk is up to 25x faster than the original, improves the algorithm, and by many examples betters it by creating more seamless transitions. The flow of frames is frankly jaw-droppingly beautiful, especially on low frame rate animation.   We estimate that Animation studios in 2D will eat this app up immediately, and even 3D animation studios could reduce their render times by calculating fewer frames and using Rife-App to increase them to 24p, 30p or 60p from a lower source like 20fps or 12fps.   → Continue Reading Full Post ←

Fake Slow Motion Is It Worth It?

Fake Slow Motion

There has been a lot of work put it developing software that can interpolate frames for video editing and compositing applications. Twixtor in the late 90’s was perhaps the first time the technology could make something worthwhile and really produce acceptable results in a computationally acceptable timeframe.

Today the most used algorithm is Adobe’s Optical Flow in Premiere or Time Warp in After Effects which use vector directional plus acceleration of pixel values to derive in between frame data to generate new frame information from the preceding frame as point A and the next frame as point B.  The results can do some wonders to really slow down things above the frame rate ceiling of the camera.

Pros of Software Slow Motion:

  • You will get slower footage from any frame rate.
  • You can save from buying or renting a high-speed camera.
  • Very inexpensive, already bundled on many editing applications.
  • Free to experiment without re-shooting.
  • The audience may not see the difference between this and the real thing.
  • Can extend a shot to fit an edit better or extend real slow motion above and beyond what is possible in camera.
  • Results achieved can be good to great.

Cons of Software Slow Motion:

  • Frame information derived from interpolation is not producing a real event. Not scientifically usable or of value in the lab.
  • Artifacts will be created that may deform the image in unforeseen ways. Can make footage look weird or unusable at certain speeds.
  • Works better on footage with simple backgrounds i.e. Blue Sy, Single color Background or black/white backdrops.
  • You may need to shoot at 60fps or above to get better results.
  • Computation/rendering can take a long time, especially in 4k.
  • No substitute for shooting real high frame rates.
  • Results may be terrible or bad depending on subject matter, initial frame rate or shot composition.

How to FAKE Slow Motion with ANY camera!! by Peter McKinnon:

In the video above you can see a good rundown of the Optical Flow feature in Premiere Pro from Adobe software.  You may get excellent results if you can tame the urge to go overboard and go for the slowest frame rate possible.

Our Take:

We at HSC are no fans of Optical Flow, Twixtor or similar algorithms because what makes real slow motion shine is peering into time frames that are too fast for regular cameras to see. Interpolation the dreaded “i” word in high-speed imaging circles is simply making up information that is not captured in the first place.  In order to study a real physical event, you need true slow motion, that only high-speed cameras can achieve. There is no substitute for hardware dedicated to recording microsecond events.

Scientific labs, industrial manufacturing lines, car crash testing, nature phenomena, biological study of the animal world, fluid dynamics, electricity propagation, engineering tests, sports analysis, material failure and many more fields cannot be studied with frame interpolation. You need a real high-speed camera for these markets.

That doesn’t mean the technique is useless. The real power of the interpolation can be used on slow motion shots that are already captured at frame rates above 500fps for example.  Interpolation then can create a breathtaking result for video editors and artists that can translate to derived frame rates in the thousands of apparent frames with little distortion. For example, a video shot at 1000fps can be easily transformed to a 5000fps video with interpolation while maintaining most of the apparent esthetics with minimal artifacts.  Human motion, nature, simple backgrounds, animation and other footage can make high-speed footage shine even more.

Interpolation has been used in Hollywood within movies for decades by shooting high-speed first and then interpolating the result for even slower frame rates.  As an artistic result, we can definitely recommend interpolation software if your initial frame rate is already high-speed, to begin with.  We suggest a bare minimum of 120fps to start experimenting further. The sweet spot is 480fps to get that push up to 1500fps without much artifacting.

Ghosting and morphing artifacts will still be there no matter what but will be harder to spot if your initial capture frame rate is high. In our tests, recording at 1000fps can yield 2000fps nearly artifact free and up to 5000fps without extreme distortion. The information in between will not be real or new in any way but the artistic result with ramping in an editing suite can create impressive results.

Applications that Support Optical Flow or Interpolation:

Final Word:

If you can afford to buy or rent a slow motion capable camera, then, by all means, do so. If you can’t and just want to experiment with slowing down your normal frame rate footage then using software interpolation might be a good way to get your feet wet in the high speed video realm.

If you are a scientist, educator, engineer, manufacturer or naturalist there is really no substitute for a real high-speed camera. Get a budget going and check our HSC Camera Guide for a good price/performance list of options. If you need real data to discover, troubleshoot and wonder at time scales that your eye can only dream of; interpolation has no value to you.

If you are a video artist, VLoger, Youtube poster, sports enthusiast or experimenter then there is definitely some experimentation that may work for you regarding optical flow video interpolation techniques.

There is still some value for high-speed camera footage with added interpolation as it can fit an edit better or create a derivative version that allows the viewer more time to examine motion. It will not be scientifically accurate but it can create some pretty amazing results if you are a filmmaker or artist that needs a higher frame rate look than the high-speed camera you used was capable of.

In the end, use sparingly and know the limitations of software video interpolation. -HSC  Comment below we would like to know how you use interpolation!

Frame Interpolation with Optical Flow and Twixtor Videos for further Study Below:

Optical Flow tips in Premiere Pro CC 2015.1 by dhelmly:

twixtor slow motion experiment. (is Twixtor really perfect plug-in to make super slow??) by 城田道義:

GET SUPER SLOWMOTION IN PREMIERE PRO by Ignace Aleya:

On 3D Animation: Amazing Slow Motion Videos With Optical Flow | Two Minute Papers #119 byTwo Minute Papers

TWIXTOR: Tips and Tricks by Bobby Sunner:

After Effects Tutorial #1 | How To Use Twixtor by IiroMikola:

Twixtor Tutorial: Create Super Slow Motion in After Effects by SonduckFilm:

Twixtor Workflow – 24P to Slow Mo (4K Sony A7s footage + LUT) by Neumannfilms:

Final CUT Pro X -Smooth Slow Motion Tutorial (How to use Optical FLOW) by HondadashRC FILMS:

Stiller Studios Uses Bolt Robot With Phantom 4k!

BoltRobot

Stiller Studios a motion control specialist based in Sweden has used the robot Bolt Cinebot computer controlled arm created by Mark Roberts Motion Control alongside the Vision Research Phantom Flex 4k camera to create some amazing slow motion footage.

While the equipment is daunting to the common man and probably the rental price is equivalent to the price of a mid size sedan; it should not deter you from taking a look.  High speed is especially suited to this kind of robot as the quick and rock solid movements are ideal to control every angle during a slow motion shot that lasts a few hundreds of a second to few secs.

This is the new realm of production with slow motion and if you are in it to be the best for advertising, movies or scientific purposes this is probably the place to go. Video below:

Bolt_OnTracks_Showreel by StillerPlay:

More information on Stiller Studios and their services can be found at their site here: http://stillerstudios.com/

More information about the amazing Bolt Cinebot Arm can be found here: http://www.mrmoco.com/thebolt/

Full list of People credited for the video slo-mo shoot is here:

Produced at Stiller Studios
stillerstudios.com

Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd.
Ryan Fear
Billy Ziller
Ladislav Moulis
mrmoco.com

Love High Speed
Jason Berman
Stephen Price
lovehighspeed.com

FXPHD
Mike Seymour
fxphd.com

Performance SK8 – the Skateboard Technology Company
Lisa Thoren
prosk8.se

International Special Effects
Duncan Capp
i-fx.tv

All imagery and copyrights used in this post are the property of Stiller Studios and Bolt Cinebot by Mark Roberts and used for informational purposed only under fair use.