VENICE, CA — Lightcraft Technology, developer of on-set virtual tracking equipment and visualization software, has been awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development for its Previzion Virtual Studio System.
Lightcraft's Previzion is a real-time visual effects system that provides a combination of high-precision camera tracking, sophisticated rendering, and VFX quality keying that makes it the ideal solution for use in on-set compositing of virtual backgrounds and CGI characters. The Previzion system can also provide accurate camera tracking metadata for use in post production rendering, as well as on-set visualization for feature films, commercials and high end television production.
Previzion's features combine all of the elements typically encountered in visual effects shots with on-set visualization. This helps producers decrease costs, speed up the turnaround of visual effects, generate on-set previews of complicated VFX shots, and provide better tools to the creative team while shooting. Productions want to get it right the first time, and by providing the DP and director an accurate rendition of a completed VFX shot while actually capturing the green screen elements, costly repeats can be avoided. Previzion is designed specifically to meet these demands in one complete system.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development Emmy is awarded for developments in engineering that are either so extensive an improvement on existing methods or so innovative in nature that they materially affect the transmission, recording or reception of television.
In the 65th Primetime Emmy Engineering Award announcement, the Television Academy stated, "Lightcraft's Previzion Virtual Studio System combines a revolutionary technique to optically track camera movement, with a technology for real-time keying, rendering, and compositing. The system can lock foregrounds and backgrounds with nearly any kind of camera move, including cranes, dollies, zooms, and Steadicam shots. With it, green or blue screen footage can be combined with complex computer generated models or moving HD footage using realistic focus and depth of field, with broadcast quality results. It gives productions the ability to shoot a virtual set with the same freedom they would have in a physical set."
Eliot Mack, CEO of Lightcraft Technology, states, "We are tremendously honored to have received this award from the Television Academy. We are grateful to our forward-looking customers and partners in the visual effects industry who have helped drive the development of Previzion. Innovation is core to our being at Lightcraft, and we will continue to push ourselves and partner with our customers to create fundamental solutions that advance all aspects of virtual sets and production."
The 65th Primetime Emmy Engineering Awards ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Hollywood, CA.
The 65th Primetime Emmy Engineering Awards are overseen by chair Wendy Aylsworth, SVP of Technology, Warner Bros. Committee members are Stuart Bass, A.C.E., Picture Editors Governor, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; Chris Cookson, President, Sony Pictures Technologies; Kevin Hamburger, Sr. Supervising Producer, "The Talk"; Eileen Horta, Sound Editing Governor, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; David Jensen, Partner, Monitor; Geoff Katz, Vice President, Watchwith; Frank Morrone, C.A.S., Sound Governor, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; John D. O'Brien, Video Control/Consultant "The Big Bang Theory"; Mark Scott Spatny, VP Digital Effects, Stargate Studios; Barry Zegel, Senior Vice President and General Manager, CBS Television City.