Is Augmented Reality and Holographic Film the Future of Filmmaking?
If you think we’ve finally made a breakthrough, and we now have holographic film technology, you’d probably be correct. Light Field Labs have actually created an almost holographic image of a chameleon in one of their labs (RedSharkNews, 2022). It’s not quite holographic yet, but it’s close. It uses light refraction and lenticular technology to create what looks like a hologram of the chameleon. Of course, we can’t really say it is a hologram, since true holograms need no aid in projecting a 3D object. Nevertheless, it is still a breakthrough in film technology, and here’s why.
You Don’t Just Watch A Film, You Experience It
Nowadays, watching a film doesn’t always mean sitting down and watching a big screen and being excited by the images you see. It’s become so much more. With the introduction of new technology, like 3D and 4D cinema, audiences now expect to be immersed in a film (unless they’re watching it on a computer or on their TV screens). And because of this new technology, audiences can interact with a film, and be immersed in the story they’re watching.
Think about it this way, have you ever gone to a zoo, aquarium or a theme park and experienced their 4D shows, or interactive shows? The ones where you put on those 3D glasses, sit back in moving seats, and get air blasted in your face? Those 4D experiences, while a novelty, isn’t quite holographic, but it’s close. It makes those 2D images look and almost feel real. However, it takes a lot of machinery and money to create those experiences. That’s why, this new film experience by Light Field Labs is a breakthrough. You get the experience, but without the grandeur of large screens.
VR Headsets & AR Apps
You’ll find that there is a substitute for holographic images, and that’s through the use of VR headsets and AR apps. This is not only a breakthrough in technology itself, but in the film and advertising industries too. It means that films and videos can now be more immersive and interactive. So, advertisers now have new ways to reach their audiences.
For advertisers, this is important. It not only means that audiences will pay attention to their campaigns, but it also means that there will be new avenues of filmmaking to explore. It means filmmakers will have to decide whether they want to include other atmospheric information in their films. That means, including small details like a leaf on a path, or a bug resting on a lamppost. It will mean filmmakers will need to look at even the smallest details, to create meaning and enhance the experience for audiences.
3D Billboards
You can almost be fooled by the 3D billboards (CreativeBloq, 2021) that are decorating many city streets in Asia, and like VR & AR apps, they almost mimic holograms. But once more, it is still within the dimensions of a screen, and won’t be projected anywhere else, like on the street itself. It’s a clever trick, and is a great tactic used by advertisers to get pedestrians to pay attention to their billboards. Not only that but the larger-than-life images will shock and awe those passing by, since they’ve not seen anything like it before.
The only downside is, as mentioned, it is confined to the dimensions of the screen it’s on. Therefore, it cannot be called holographic. It can be seen as AR technology, as it requires no assistance from 3D glasses. Not to mention, should a pedestrian pass by a certain angle, the effect changes. The images warp and you can easily tell that the image is on a screen, rather than projected into 3D space.
Lenticular Displays
Of course, the technology to create holographic films is still a long way off, but with the almost holographic quality of Light Field Labs’ lenticular display, we are almost there. Essentially, lenticular displays mimic holographic films, except they’re projected through transparent panels, which enlarges the image or film, and projects it into 3D space.
This means that instead of relying on augmented reality apps, which combines your camera view, with a 3D animation, on your computer, tablet, or phone screen, you’ll be able to see the animation in real time, in front of you, instead of on a screen. It is also because of this technology that the display created by Light Field Labs looks almost like a projected screen, but when a hand is held to the image, it passes through.
Where are these technologies leading to?
Holographic technology is still under development, and many engineers and scientist claim that they’ve made a breakthrough in the technology, but it is still yet to be made available and portable for filmmakers at this time. Of course, there is one constraint with holographic technology, and that is the amount of data it requires, and uses. Think about it this way, VR and AR apps require gigabytes of data, and even 8K video footage takes up a considerable amount. So, if holographic technology were to be used now, it would most likely take up data that requires more than one computer.
However, it is still the future of audio-visual technology. Once it becomes more accessible for filmmakers, and even the general public, there’s no doubt that it’ll be another trend in filmmaking that will dominate the industry and be a household staple for the general public. The only question is how long it will last, as with many tried and tested technological advances, it may end up being a novelty that’s used in entertainment and amusement, like the 4D experiences in theme parks, or used as educational tools in schools, museums, zoos, and aquariums. It may even end up being a tool used in business to enhance projects, pitches, and proposals.
While holographic technology may be the future of filmmaking, whether it becomes a norm is another matter altogether. Only time will tell if the future of filmmaking becomes a popular technology, or another novelty piece of technology.
