Key results of the project include:

-       Creation of a metadatabase storage server for post-production workflow, with  70% improvement in storage efficiency, and potentially 50% increase in productivity rate

-       The prototype metadatabase provides order of magnitude performance increase in performance of the conform process

-       Complex and context-related metadata queries allow users to work in ways that were not previously possible

-       Post-production Assistant metadata tools allowing intellgent use of semantics to model post-production user behaviour

-       Novel Visual Applications showing >40% improvement in usability and excellent integration with the metadatabase, highlighting the possibilty for further 3^rd party plugin development for popular post tools such as Nuke.

-       Novel Audible Applications showing improvement over standard SIFA algorithms, and the 3D Audio technology has been successful enough to be featured in a spin-off company.

-       Highly positive feedback obtained from internal partners with regards to creative applications, which are already potentially usable in a real post-production environment, and forms a sound basis for the creation of customised tools

-       Positive feedback from external users in the production and post-production industry, increasing the possibilities for dissemination and added-value impact outside the project

-       Novel distribution systems go beyond proof-of-concept and provide a realistic model for the future adaptation to physical-media-less distribution

-       Distribution system succesfully demonstrated to potential clients, using live satellite links to real multiplex cinemas. with very low failure rate

The project has successfully addressed all aspects of objective O5 To test and evaluate integrated ‘Virtual Film Factory’ and applications in real working environments.

G. Cengarle, T. Mateos, D. Bonsi, A second order Ambisonic device using velocity transducers Accepted for publication as a regular paper in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society.

Abstract: The relation between sound pressure gradient and air particle velocity is exploited to obtain second order spherical harmonics of the pressure field via velocity gradients. The existence of anemometric transducers capable of directly measuring the acoustic velocity field might therefore allow the construction of higher order Ambisonics microphones of very small size and accurate polar patterns. This possibility is simulated numerically and tested experimentally employing two Microflown pressure-velocity probes in a face to face configuration, validating the results through the analysis of the second order polar responses measured in anechoic conditions. To conclude, a proposal for the design of a three-dimensional second order device using the minimum number of transducers is presented.

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G. Cengarle, T. Mateos, Comparison of anemometric probe and tetrahedral microphones for sound intensity measurements Presented at the 130th AES Convention, London, May 2011.

Abstract: The measurement of sound intensity requires the acquisition of sound pressure and acoustic velocity in a coincident position. Various transducers topologies can be used to measure the acoustic velocity directly or indirectly. In this paper, three transducers are compared: a pressure-velocity anemometric probe and two tetrahedral B-Format microphones from different manufacturers. The comparison has been carried out in different fields, ranging from anechoic to diffuse, reverberant field conditions. The analysis and comparison is based on intensimetric quantities such as the radiation index and the sound intensity vector. Strengths and limitations of the various approaches are reported, to suggest the preferred application for each transducer.

In the full HD cinema Splau in Barcelona, partners of the IMP project met on
Wednesday 11th May for an IMP 7th Framework dissemination activity related to the
satellite distribution system developed by Datasat Digital, within the framework of the
project.
Producers, directors and cinema operators were given a demonstration of the
transmission capabilities of the system.
A short movie file was send by satellite from the UK and received by the server
installed in the Splau Cinema. The one minute movie file (2K resolution) was
transferred in 15 minutes using only 1/5 of the capabilities of the satellite. The movie
file was then projected in the cinema.
A fruitful dialogue took place after the demo, in which the attendees explained some of
the needs of the industry and the partners clarified how the system will respond to them.
iMP partners detailed the future capabilities and the potential of using a satellite
distribution system – a great advantage of which is the possibility to transfer the same
movie file for different countries (with different subtitle files), thus distributing to an
entire continent in a few short minutes. ]]> http://imp.upf.edu/2011/05/13/satellite-distribution-demo-at-splau-cinemas/feed/ 0 http://imp.upf.edu/2010/07/12/imp-worshop-ends-up-with-an-is-outstanding-success/ http://imp.upf.edu/2010/07/12/imp-worshop-ends-up-with-an-is-outstanding-success/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:35:35 +0000 admin http://www.imp-project.eu/?p=400 Partners and attendees stressed that the structure of the debates, promoted by UPF, helped to generate fascinating discussion about the characteristics of the post-production industry, and the challenges of improving it via the use of intelligent metadata.

For one day, Universitat Pompeu Fabra became the ideal place to talk about metadata and the future of the postproduction industry.

But not only for the partners of the iMP project who, on June 30, came to Barcelona for the Workshop organized by UPF as part of the dissemination of the project. A total of 35 workshop attendees, included professionals, students and researchers from Spain and throughout Europe, all agreed about the quality of the presentations and the rich exchange of ideas that took place in the panel sessions and tech demos organized in the facilities of both UPF and Barcelona Media.

Participants could share their experiences in professional or academic environments related with the impact of the use and management of metadata in postproduction and distribution of audiovisual media.

The discussion featured two main thematic blocks, the first dedicated to using metadata in post-production, and the second dedicated to stereoscopic 3D (with considerable contribution from iMP’s fellow FP7 project, 20203DMedia).

Wolfgang Lempp: “This represents a major gating technology for the future of post-production”

The keynote speaker of the Workshop was Wolfgang Lempp, Filmlight, whose talk was titled “Using Metadata to Improve the Cyclical Post-production Workflow”.
Mr Lempp (Scientific and Technical award winner in 2010 for the development of the Northlight film scanner), pointed out that the research in the framework of the iMP project is showing new ways of leading the post-production and distribution process in the film industry, particularly in regard to storage and metadata.
“Far from being just a bit of added functionality, this represents a major gating technology for the future of post production”, he said.

At the end of the day a 3D Audio Demo was held in Barcelona Media Audio Lab. The session showed the differences between the classical Stereo audio, the Dolby Audio system, and the 3D Audio System being developed in BM. Conceptually, the idea of having one speaker that can be identified disappears, and the user can be immerged in the sound as if s/he were in a real space.

It provided a spectacular end to an interesting and motivating day.

Room 309, Edifici Tanger, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.

Directions: Calle Tanger 122-140, 08018 Barcelona. Map.

Registration: Please contact alun.evans@upf.edu

Keynote speaker: Wolfgang Lempp (Filmlight)
Winner of four academy awards this year.

Abstract: As film-based post-production gives way to digital, the production and post-production industries now face a potentially more interesting and challenging issue: have we finally reached the limits of the traditional, linear, model of information flow? Digital media has several well-known benefits, primarily related to ease of use, replication and storage. However, it is possible that the biggest benefit is only now beginning to be used in anger: the presence of metadata. In a traditional, linear workflow (whether in audiovisual post-production, or with any digital data), if a file is altered it is usually saved under a different name and in a different location. Thus, the next step in a typical pipeline cannot be started before the previous step has finished. This leads to natural bottlenecks in the flow of data, which may lead to frustrating (and costly) delays. To combat this, the post-production industry is now looking at a more cyclical workflow, which makes heavy use of metadata to track the flow and modification of data files. One project that is furthering the state-of-the-art in this field is iMP, an FP7 EC-funded collaborative research project.

In order to promote discussions of these ideas within the community, iMP is hosting a one day workshop and series of panel sessions, with speakers and panel invited from within and outside the project. The goal of the workshop is discuss and debate the challenges facing the audiovisual production and post-production industries, particularly regarding the flow of data and use of metadata. The workshop is open to any interested parties.

Agenda:

10.00: Arrival

10.15: Introduction and welcome

10.30: Keynote: Using Metadata to improve the cyclical post-production workflow (Wolfgang Lempp, Filmlight)

11.30: Coffee Break and informal discussion

11.50: Panel Session: Semantics and Metadata in Post-production (Chair: Michael Hausenblas, DERI)

13.00: Lunch, demos

14.00: Presentations: The fall and rise of stereo 3D (Santi Fort, Barcelona Media; Toni Mateos, Barcelona Media)

15.00: Panel Session: The Future of Post-Production workflow (Chair: Alun Evans, UPF)

16.00: Closing session

16.15: 3D Audio Demo (Transfer to Barcelona Media audio lab)

17.30+: Workshop end.

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Read about all academy winners

Journal: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

Abstract: Determining the onset time of reflections in an acoustic impulse response (IR) has ap-plications for both subjective and physical acoustics problems. Although computationally simple, a first-order energetic analysis of the IR can lead to false-positive identification of reflections. This letter reports on a new method to determine reflection onset timings using a modified running local kurtosis analysis to identify regions in the IR where the distribution is non-normal. IRs from both real and virtual rooms are used to validate the new method and to find optimum analysis window sizes