As the age of cinema has progressed, technology has become more advanced, initially starting only in the field of film and developing, while spreading to the digital domain. As with Moore's law, as time passes, technology becomes increasingly more powerful by a multiplicative factor. This is certainly evident in a host of imaging systems, which have grown exponentially more complex and feature rich since the dawn of digital imaging systems. Today, systems exist that promise images that are both incredibly large and also exceptionally detailed. Images are now being recorded in 2K, 3K, 4K and 6K resolutions in RAW formats, which has proven to be exceeding the processing power of the workstations designated to process them.
In recent years, digital cinema imaging equipment has evolved with leaps and bounds, while the post-production systems required to process these images has remained largely the same. Although processing and GPU power has continued to climb, also by Moore's law, it is still a major process to import and process the complex images that are generated, often in proprietary format, by each major motion picture camera manufacturer. As a result of the variance of each of these formats, different post production workflows are required based on the nuances of the RAW image file sequences and the types of encoding used by each of these specific data cameras.
Processing these workflows has always added an additional level of complexity to the post production processes of the companies and directors that choose to implement them. The conversions from truly RAW encoded formats to viewable and editable formats in the correct color spaces is a process that has plagued those that have adapted RAW from the very beginning. For consumers and independent filmmakers, this process is often crippling both in complexity and cost, with an advanced knowledge of the technologies at hand, required.
This project attempts to tackle multiple technologies simultaneously with beneficial implications for both independent and low-budget filmmakers. The underlying goal of the project aims to provide sound image processing from an imaging science perspective while providing an elegant, scalable solution that is always welcoming of the addition of new hardware. This combination builds the rigid spine of the project and aims to make it marketable for enterprise adaptation although not fully open source (intellectual property retained).
This document is a comprehensive look at the semester project process made in pursuit of completion of the project to the previously agreed terms. Contained within this document will be an exhaustive look at any progress occurring since the project's initial proposal. A detailed look will be made both at hardware and software progress, as well as the systems administration and the units that have been adapted to the project scope as it has grown. Each of these portions will dominate a section of the document since each garners a different focus. Detailed specifications and statistics will also be included to benefit the observer and committee. A final section has been added to address the professional branding and any and all individuals that have helped to further the progress of the project. As a result of professional interest in the project, some aesthetic considerations have been made to the project and those will be brought to light at that time.
In the interest in brevity and conciseness, the previous proposal document is available for reference at a provided link.