Gaming Tech to help in Previsualisation
Machinima goes Hollywood - well not quite. In a development that could be a first step of big Hollywood studios implementing gaming technology to actually "render" their films (and that WILL happen soon) a lot of smaller studios contracted for PreViz - which is like making a live action storyboard that looks like the final film just without great acting, perfect lighting, texturing etc - more to see camera angles, needed props and tax the films cost - are start using game engines to make those previz films. Up to know they have build "simple" 3d sets and puppet actors in 3D applications and then animated them there and rendered out the result without much texture lightning fuzz - mostly using the almost realtime OpenGL implementations of certain 3D programs. As it looks right now Game Engines are not exactly up to snuff in accuracy of camera positioning but this is about to change soon.
What would happen if Game Engine Tech catches on in Hollywood is that we would probably finally get a real realtime Movie Creation Tool which is still nowhere to be seen (some people use "The Movie" a game about movie making to make their Machinimas - problem is all copyright to the final movie goes to Activision - the maker of the game). What I personally would like in such a tool?
1) Import of own 3D models for the environment
2) Set of digital Nature Creation Tool (Trees Grass etc)
3) Almost unlimeted possibilties of creating humans through blending various sets of human models (sex, size, weight, color etc etc) as seen in some newer roleplaying games
4) customized clothing through self mode clothing designs (as seen in some role playing games as well)
5) extensible scripting of character
6) ability to import own characters (multi legged etc) and at least basic rigging possibilities
7) kick ass physics engine with newton laws, shattering objects and at least basic natural phenomenon (fire, water, smoke, fog)
8) 100% control over camera movement.
9) ability to nonrealtime "render" the final product with state of the art render algorythms... only the creation needs to be realtime - I have no problem if the final product needs a week to render if I know it will rock.
10) a very good implementation of 1-9 with an interface that makes sense.
Filed under "very very soon we are set free".