Andreas Tumbrink

Mechatronics, engines, spaceflight software

KORETH

KORETH is a science-fiction short film. I develop it one physical shot at a time, with miniatures, practical light, motion control, Gaussian splatting and Nuke.

Specification

Format
Science-fiction short film
Source
Physical miniatures, practical light
Camera motion
Motion-Control Rig V3
Reconstruction
Gaussian splatting
Compositing
Nuke
Stack
Miniatures · Practical light · Motion control · Gaussian splatting · Nuke

Status

In production· Started [TODO: date]

The starship miniature on its stand in the workshop, lit by a single hard key light.
The starship miniature against black, lit from one side so only the edges of the hull catch light.
The miniature under one hard source.

Method

Every shot starts with a real object in front of the camera. The miniature is lit with practical lamps, and the camera moves on the Motion-Control Rig V3, so a move can be repeated for each pass.

The starship miniature in front of a fresnel lamp, the lamp visible at the top right of the frame.
Miniature and fresnel lamp.
The bridge tower of the miniature, lit warm from above, the workshop wall behind it.
The bridge tower.

Splats

Gaussian splatting rebuilds an object from photographs as hundreds of thousands of small, soft, coloured ellipsoids. Here they are drawn in ink: one dot for a handful of splats, denser where the object is darker, and hidden wherever the object hides them. The capture below is a sample by Niantic Labs, shown until my own captures are ready.

Sample capture, not mine: a horned lizard sculpture, 786,233 splats as ink dots. © 2024 Niantic Labs, MIT licence.
The photographed miniature composited into a dark star field.
The photographed miniature in a composite.
The title page of the KORETH screenplay on a desk next to a fountain pen.
The screenplay.

[TODO: state of production, shots done]