Brutus Light Field Video Repository
This site provides a repository of high-fidelity light field video recordings made by Paul Debevec and Matthew Duvall in the summer of 2020 from Google's 24-camera "Brutus" light field video rig. We are making these available to the research community to aid in the development of light field video representations and rendering techniques for 6DOF virtual reality filmmaking. We hope that soon, there will be free and open source tools which allow immersive filmmakers to conveniently shoot, process, and edit 6DOF light field video for VR.
The Brutus rig records light field video with an array of twenty-four synchronized Z CAM E2 https://www.z-cam.com/e2/ cinema cameras shooting at 3696x2772 pixel resolution, 59.94 frames per second. The cameras are evenly distributed across a 180-degree hemisphere with three concentric rings of 3, 9 and 12 cameras (See https://github.com/nathan-fairchild/Brutus-Light-Fields/blob/main/BrutusLayout.png and https://github.com/nathan-fairchild/Brutus-Light-Fields/blob/main/BrutusCircularLayoutNumbered.png). Each camera records a 190 degree field of view with a 6.5mm Meike micro four thirds (MFT) lens. The placement and field of view of the cameras is designed to sample the rays of light needed to create an immersive experience sitting across from a live performance, with the ability to move both your head position and rotation as if you were really there.
The Brutus rig was is the final rig from Google's Deep View Video project, published as Broxton et al., "Immersive Light Field Video with a Layered Mesh Representation" at SIGGRPAH 2020: https://augmentedperception.github.io/deepviewvideo/
Brutus was featured in the SIGGRAPH Labs venue at SIGGRAPH 2020: https://youtu.be/2VCvnnVhqcQ?t=464 , and described in a technical poster in Busch et al, "Brutus: A Mid-Range Multi-Camera Array for Immersive Light Field Video Capture", at the CVPR 2021 workshop on Computational Cameras and Displays: https://storage.googleapis.com/immersive-lf-video-siggraph2020/CVPR_CCD_2021_Brutus_Abstract.pdf
The four clips provided here are excerpts from material shot with Brutus including:
"Bagpipes" - A backyard performance of "Amazing Grace" by Andrew MacGregor https://www.mightykingdrew.com/
"ElectricViolin" - An electric violin and Chinese erhu performance by Chishuan Yang http://chihsuan.com/
"Funhouse" - An interview with Google Artist-in-Residence Alexa Meade in her colorful Los Angeles apartment http://alexameade.com/
"Hearts" - From the play "99 Percent Compatible" written and performed by Amanda Weier and Derek Manson
Full-length versions of these several-minute performances can be provided upon request.
For questions, contact: Paul Debevec debevec@gmail.com Matthew Duvall matthewduvall@google.com Nathan Fairchild nfairchi@usc.edu
