A VIRTUAL STUDIO SYSTEM FOR TV PROGRAM PRODUCTION

Computer imaging techniques are playing an important role in TV program production. The authors have been studying the virtual studio system (VSS), a new program production environment that enhances the freedom of image creation by composing computer-generated images and real images taken by video cameras. Where general composing methods can only be used when there is no practical camera motion, VSS can efficiently incorporate such camera activities as panning, zooming, tilting, and traveling with computer-generated images so that the final rendering looks as though it has been filmed with a single camera. Two types of VSS have been developed and test-produced: VSS driven by actual camera motion (VSS-AC) and VSS driven by virtual camera motion (VSS-VC).