• Martin Gent – Comparing current video AI models

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/martingent_imagineapp-veo2-kling-activity-7298979787962806272-n0Sn


    ๐Ÿ”น ๐—ฉ๐—ฒ๐—ผ 2 – After the legendary prompt adherence of Veo 2 T2V, I have to say I2V is a little disappointing, especially when it comes to camera moves. You often get those Sora-like jump-cuts too which can be annoying.

    ๐Ÿ”น ๐—ž๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด 1.6 Pro – Still the one to beat for I2V, both for image quality and prompt adherence. It’s also a lot cheaper than Veo 2. Generations can be slow, but are usually worth the wait.

    ๐Ÿ”น ๐—ฅ๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜„๐—ฎ๐˜† Gen 3 – Useful for certain shots, but overdue an update. The worst performer here by some margin. Bring on Gen 4!

    ๐Ÿ”น ๐—Ÿ๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฎ Ray 2 – I love the energy and inventiveness Ray 2 brings, but those came with some image quality issues. I want to test more with this model though for sure.

  • Emmanuel Tsekleves – Writing Research Papers

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    Here’s the journey of crafting a compelling paper:

    1๏ธ. ABSTRACT
    This is your elevator pitch.
    Give a methodology overview.
    Paint the problem you’re solving.
    Highlight key findings and their impact.

    2๏ธ. INTRODUCTION
    Start with what we know.
    Set the stage for our current understanding.
    Hook your reader with the relevance of your work.

    3๏ธ. LITERATURE REVIEW
    Identify what’s unknown.
    Spot the gaps in current knowledge.
    Your job in the next sections is to fill this gap.

    4๏ธ. METHODOLOGY
    What did you do?
    Outline how you’ll fill that gap.
    Be transparent about your approach.
    Make it reproducible so others can follow.

    5๏ธ. RESULTS
    Let the data speak for itself.
    Present your findings clearly.
    Keep it concise and focused.

    6๏ธ. DISCUSSION
    Now, connect the dots.
    Discuss implications and significance.
    How do your findings bridge the knowledge gap?

    7๏ธ. CONCLUSION
    Wrap it up with future directions.
    What does this mean for us moving forward?
    Leave the reader with a call to action or reflection.

    8๏ธ. REFERENCES
    Acknowledge the giants whose shoulders you stand on.
    A robust reference list shows the depth of your research.

  • Methods for creating motion blur in Stop motion

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    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_motion

     

    Petroleum jelly
    This crude but reasonably effective technique involves smearing petroleum jelly (“Vaseline”) on a plate of glass in front of the camera lens, also known as vaselensing, then cleaning and reapplying it after each shot โ€” a time-consuming process, but one which creates a blur around the model. This technique was used for the endoskeleton in The Terminator. This process was also employed by Jim Danforth to blur the pterodactyl’s wings in Hammer Films’ When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, and by Randal William Cook on the terror dogs sequence in Ghostbusters.[citation needed]

     

    Bumping the puppet
    Gently bumping or flicking the puppet before taking the frame will produce a slight blur; however, care must be taken when doing this that the puppet does not move too much or that one does not bump or move props or set pieces.

     

    Moving the table
    Moving the table on which the model is standing while the film is being exposed creates a slight, realistic blur. This technique was developed by Ladislas Starevich: when the characters ran, he moved the set in the opposite direction. This is seen in The Little Parade when the ballerina is chased by the devil. Starevich also used this technique on his films The Eyes of the Dragon, The Magical Clock and The Mascot. Aardman Animations used this for the train chase in The Wrong Trousers and again during the lorry chase in A Close Shave. In both cases the cameras were moved physically during a 1-2 second exposure. The technique was revived for the full-length Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

     

    Go motion
    The most sophisticated technique was originally developed for the film The Empire Strikes Back and used for some shots of the tauntauns and was later used on films like Dragonslayer and is quite different from traditional stop motion. The model is essentially a rod puppet. The rods are attached to motors which are linked to a computer that can record the movements as the model is traditionally animated. When enough movements have been made, the model is reset to its original position, the camera rolls and the model is moved across the table. Because the model is moving during shots, motion blur is created.

     

    A variation of go motion was used in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to partially animate the children on their bicycles.