Jaunt
The Palo Alto-based startup plans to make the first
camera systems available in August at its soon-to-be-opened Jaunt Studios in
L.A.
With the growing interest in
producing live-action virtual reality experiences, Palo Alto-based startup
Jaunt has revealed that it is developing a camera system built specifically to
create 360-degree VR content.
The line, code named Neo, has
been in the works for roughly two and a half years, including prototyping and
field testing.
Jaunt's current camera systems
use existing cameras, primarily GoPros, and hold up to 16 cameras in a
sphere that can create a 360-degree environment when the images from each
camera are stitched together. But an issue is that the cameras are typically
not in perfect sync. Jaunt is aiming to differentiate Neo, saying that it
doesn't use existing cameras and it will have more than 16 lenses
to capture pictures that would be synced and stitched together to form the
360-degree image. Koji Gardiner, director of hardware
engineering at Jaunt, is the lead behind the new camera design. He came over
from Apple, where he worked on camera technology for the iPhone and iPad.
The company is still keeping a
lot of the details under wraps, but it did reveal some information to The
Hollywood Reporter. Jaunt is working with undisclosed third-parties that
are developing custom lenses for a wide field of view as well as a large-format
sensor for high resolution and to accommodate low-light situations. CTO Arthur
van Hoff said “the end product will be at least 4K, per eye (meaning
in 3D).”
The company also said the camera
system would support high dynamic range imagery, as well as frame rates higher
than 60 frames per second.
It’s also looking at how
postproduction will be handled, and wants to make this possible with existing
postproduction tools from companies such as Avid, Adobe, Autodesk and The
Foundry (which previewed Nuke with VR capabilities last April at NAB). Some
such tools can already be used for VR projects and Jaunt is talking with others
about VR-specific features.
Plans are to offer the
first Neo camera systems in August at Jaunt Studios, Jaunt's VR production facility that will open
in Los Angeles, led by Cliff Plumer, former CEO of Digital Domain and
CTO of Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic. Early Neo systems will also
be available at that time to certain VR producers that are working with
Jaunt to create VR content. The company then plans to ramp up production of the
camera systems, with current plans to make them available through leasing.
Jaunt's investors include
Highland Capital Partners with participation by Google Ventures, British Sky
Broadcasting, Peter Gotcher (chairman of Dolby and DigiDesign
founder) and Blake Krikorian (co-founder of Sling Media).
Its advisors include Academy
Award-winner Jared Leto, director Mark Romanek, Fox
futurist Ted Schilowitz and IMAX chair Brad Wechsler.
The Hollywood Reporter June 30,
2015 6:40am PT by Carolyn Giardina
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