Image/video brightness preset

[Nicko]

We are now using projection much more to create scenery instead of the conventional scene painting and it would be very useful to be able to alter the image or video brightness to match the rest of the scene lighting as required by the director. I know the video or image can be faded to black but can't see any way to stop the fade at the desired level.
Obviously this could be done using a third party video editor but it would be much more useful if the intensity could be adjusted on the fly like audio levels can.

[dee99]

This is already on our projects list

[Nicko]

Good news- any idea when it might be released?

[dee99]

We will be aiming for another release late August / September hopefully.

[ScottT]

This request is also important to us because we are very conscious of lighting levels and the projection must match. In Evita we were running image intensity levels around 10% or just above. This was before buying SCS software. Projecting onto LED screens makes it even worst as they can be so bright and must be controlled!

[Mike Daniell]

Just considering how to implement this.

1. Would this be a global setting for the production, ie the selected brightness would apply to all video/image cues in the current production?
2. Do you use more than one screen? If so then a separate brightness control may be required for each screen.
3. Is the control to be venue-specific? If so then the brightness control(s) would have to be stored in the production's device map.

[ScottT]

Hi Mike, Thanks for your reply
1. No not a global setting as the different images vary in density. Each image requires its own intensity.
2. We have used more than one screen although one is our norm. Good point though. The different screens have had different images so if the intensity is tied to image then this would be addressed. To make life easier, if we did use the same image then we could give the image for the second projector a new name. Hence allowing the use of a different intensity for that screen as the intensity would be image related.
3. For us not venue specific as each production has different images and intensities and is adjusted in the venue to match the current lighting.

[ScottT]

Further to the above comments.
I had thought for images the brightness control could also have a level control same as audio cues. Maybe a tick box in the level control box could cover both audio and intensity. Unticked (default) audio, ticked is video intensity.
What I did not comment on was the video.
Video without sound could be treated like images as above.
Video with sound makes it a bit more complicated, I guess. The video edit screen would need both audio and intensity control. Further level control could then be as mentioned above with a tick box or similar.
The above are only suggestions. Sorry for the two-week delay in response.

[ScottT]

Summarizing my previous comments and seeing how other software works I would like to update my previous suggestions about brightness control. Could also be called intensity or opacity control.
1. Intensity should be cue/sub-cue related not global, nor venue related.
2. ‘Video/Image’ should have intensity level control.
3. ‘Video/Image’ fade time should be separate from the audio fade time.
4. ‘Level change’ should be available for controlling video/image intensity.
5. ‘Level change’ should be available for controlling video/image fade times.
6. ‘Level change’ should be related back to a video/image cue, so relating to both the image and projector/s (screen) used.
7. Note. The existing fade up of an image is not smooth, but makes a dip towards the end of the fade.
As a lighting designer I need control of image brightness to balance with the stage lighting levels, whether they are projected or displayed on LED screens. Often image levels for projection are less than 20% and for LEDs less than 5%.
I hope the above is of some help and can be incorporated before you introduce other more difficult requests such as video layering, mapping etc.

[Mike Daniell]

Thanks, Scott. We are reviewing your suggestions.