From: Simon Gibbs Subject: PUB: Virtual Studios Date: Fri, 17 May 1996 11:33:31 +0200 Organization: GMD CALL FOR PAPERS IEEE Multimedia - Special Issue "Virtual Studios" The past two years have seen the introduction of "virtual studios" (also called "virtual sets") within the video production and broadcast industry. Several products are now on the market and most major broadcasters are planning trials in order to become better acquainted with the capabilities of virtual studios. Generally virtual studio systems operate by compositing live "blue screen" shots with 3D imagery rendered in real time and in sync with camera motion. Virtual studios are highly demanding applications since rendering must occur at high rates (typically 50 or 60 Hz) and camera tracking must be extremely accurate. Currently this requires expensive hardware but the benefits are many: the ability to quickly create and modify sets, reduced set construction and storage costs, greater creative freedom in set design, and the possibility of viewing effects live rather than during post-production. This Special Issue will be devoted the the theme of Virtual Studios and will concentrate on the technical aspects of their realization. This includes (but is not limited to) the following topics: * head, boom and pedestal tracking * mechanical tracking systems * optical tracking systems * lens calibration * lighting * Z-keying and Z-mixing * virtual characters / virtual actors * set and prop dynamics * masking and layering techniques * scripting languages * defocussing and motion blur * camera distortion correction * distributed virtual studios Descriptions of experiences in virtual studio productions would also be welcome. Manuscripts will undergo a peer refereeing process consistent with other archival publications. Accompanying their manuscript, authors may also submit extra materials (such as video clips or additional images) which will be placed on IEEE Multimedia's web site (http://www.computer.org/pubs/multimed/multimed.htm). In this case the manuscript should have a sidebar explaining what is on the Web. Submissions must be in electronic form. For details please contact the guest editor at the address below: Dr. Simon Gibbs Institute for Media Communication GMD - German National Research Center for Information Technology Tel: +49 (2241) 14.2697 Fax: +49 (2241) 14.2040 Email: Simon.Gibbs@gmd.de Important Dates: Full Papers due: November 15, 1996 Notifications to authors: March 1, 1997 Final revised papers due: May 1, 1997 Publication: November 1997 Prospective authors are encouraged to use IEEE Multimedia's style guidelines. These are available on the Web at http://www.computer.org/pubs/multimed/edguide.htm and from the editorial secretary Alkenia Winston (awinston@computer.org).