The Technograph

Just how much technology goes into the making of a blockbuster film? To get an idea, Technograph spoke with A.J. Christenson, a recent graduate of the University of Illinos.

According to Christenson, bringing a story to the big screen requires all sorts of unique programs and gadgets. Filmmaking crews create the script and storyboard in specific formats using special software. Cameras utilize lights, filters, reflectors, baffles, and other implements in order to obtain the desired colors, shapes, and brightness, and programmable cranes and other devices move cameras in precise paths for moving shots. Various types of microphones capture different sounds, which are mixed with specific programs. Computers allow

for different types of editing and special effects to be added to the captured film.

But the role of technology certainly doesn’t stop when the film is complete. The finished movie must be adapted to many different formats so that it plays the same way on the movie screen as it does on an iPod. And, of course, how sophisticated the movie screen or display is plays a huge role in our cinematic experience (including other special effects like 3D). As Christenson notes, “[Cinema is] an industry that thrives on the state of the art in machinery and problem-solving.”

Christenson works at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) as a member of the Advanced Visualization team. The group applies the technology behind animation and filmmaking to scientific datasets in order to develop sophisticated visualizations of complex scientific phenomena. For example, the team is responsible for the development of an impressive animation of a tornado simulation, showcased in a popular exhibit on weather at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

According to Christenson, the animation was special because it was “not a naturalistic animation like you might see through a camera lens, but a complex, diagrammatic one.” The team translated simulation data of wind speeds, temperatures, and other variables into colors, shapes, and motions. They tested the animation many times in order to ensure that the animation ran smoothly and was easy to follow.

So why would anyone want to watch a science flick? Just as a film can bring an idea or theme to a large audience, a science animation presents scientific data to the public in an easy-to-understand format.

Christenson commented on the challenge of converting a large set of data into an elegant animation: “The artistry comes in trying to recognize a sweet spot between confusing and simplistic.” While the tornado animation makes the data easier to understand and draw conclusions from, it still accurately embodies the fundamental scientific principles at

work.

So grab some popcorn, dim the lights, and go enjoy a good science flick tonight.

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