Reality and Illusion in Virtual Studios: Axiomatic Design Applied to Television Recording

This work presents the design project of a camera support structure for a Virtual Studio (VS). A brief description of VS is presented regarding both the equipment needed and the issues related to the correct matching of real foreground with virtual background. Given this scenario, an important role is covered by the camera supporting structure that allows a more correct execution of the standard filmmaking shots such as: medium shot, close-up, low/high angle shot and tracking shot. The work shows how the structure design has been carried through the Axiomatic Design focusing on how a coupled and a redundant design have been identified and solved. The approach has led to a significantly different design from classic camera support structures such as Cranes and Jibs and advanced Motion Control Rigs used in cinematography. The complexity reduction compared to Motion Control Rigs makes the designed structure suitable for a low budget VS set up.