#12: Take me out to the ballgame
Shooting the impossible shot
I’ve started a Twitter feed for this newsletter. I’ll be using it to share additional links and snippets that I see through the week. If you’ve been finding that one link isn’t enough, maybe this is the place for you…
Hello,
Here’s your one link wonder:
I know we’ve seen footage from drones flying pre-programmed routes before, but I’m not sure I’ve seen anything on this scale, especially not captured in what is ostensibly a live environment.
It reminded me of this recent iPhone spot from Apple — where the camera was held by a robot arm and moved along a defined path.
What I love about these examples is the way they take new technological capabilities and push the bounds of what’s possible — threading cameras through the tightest of openings and showing us impossible new perspectives.
It would be possible to render a version of these using animation and special effects, but they would lack the richness. Digital effects are too often subbed in for ease, or as a cost saving measure. The orchestrated dance here between the automated camera and the physical performer — that unique combination of human and machine — opens up wonderful new opportunities.
Until next time, let’s be careful out there.
Note: A number of you emailed last week to tell me that the GIFs on Dries Depoorter’s website weren’t working or had been removed. If you’re still interested in seeing his project (which seems to have been plagued by copyright takedowns) then there are some on his original tweet and some in this article. Sorry for the hassle.