Absolute Camera Position Control System Enables Rapid Set Deployment and Reshooting

Automating camera control for TV & film production (robotic camera systems) can be essential to production. Jake Dodson from Vitec Group explained to me at the NAB show that controlling the camera position on a set can be critical to ensuring reshoots. There is a difference between relative positioning (learning where it has been from its original position) and absolute positioning (knowing the exact location). If a camera pedestal has been moved (set changed), relative positioning systems can result in different camera angle reshoots resulting in unusable shoots. To solve this challenge, Vinten Radamec (a division of Vitec) has created a camera pedestal with an absolute positioning system (APS). APS uses laser based measurement systems with reflective targets to determine distances to fixed locations. Using fixed reference points provides positional accuracy regardless of set movement and can integrate with other robotic pedestals. This can dramatically reduce the amount of time used for targeting operations (robotic camera setup) and avoid unwanted changes in camera locations during reshoots.