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Does this really exist?
This question really has nothing to do with AE, but I figure I’d ask you guys since you’re so knowledgable.
Every time that mindless dribble CSI comes on TV, they use this “special software” that they load various security camera footage into. The footage usually shows a suspect and comes from a gas station/bank/casino, or whatever. The CSI folks use the “special software” to “zoom” into various sections of the video (past 100%). Then with the click of a button, the zoomed in video is crystal clear and perfect. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I have yet to see any software that can make +100% video look so perfect without any distortion. Is this just fairytale software that does not exist? Just curious.
-Cadge
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2 Replies
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Yep, just a fairy tale as is much of the ‘scientific’ methods used in identifying evidence.
There is software around that can enhance poor images – we often used image processing for police video and stills within the TV news environment.
But hey, this is dreamland TV where the bad guy’s always caught.
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A couple of things to note.
The first is a pet peeve of mine, called The Hollywood OS. Set desingers use the computer that looks good in the design of the room, then VFX teams use animation apps to actually put stuff on the screens. Most of it is just plain made up out of thin air.
The stupidity of this is that they think we’ve never seen a computer before. Or that we don’t know the features of an OS and how they work. Maybe true for some of the suits in Hwood who leave computer stuff for their secretaries and their kids, but c’mon! It’s really getting ridiculous.
At least some stories are starting to acknowledge that there are such things as cellphones. A few even acknowledge that you can’t get a signal.
Anyhoo…..
There ARE image enhancement apps, but indeed, most of the stuff you see in the movies is exaggerated….but it exists. Avid has a whole forensics development effort, complemented by a law enforcemenmt-oriented sales and training effort headed up by a former policeman. Some of the demos will blow your mind.
My favorite was using an outrageous new image stabilization tool in Avid (all flavors, not just a special edition or anything) that was applied to some consumer shaky-cam of a social gathering dispersed by gunshots. They centered the stabilization on the shooter-s SHOES, and comparing to another shot of the same guy taken at a different time, were able to zoom in enough on SD video to make a positive ID and get a jury to agree. Wild.
There are also some tools that are only in the law-enforcement world that do super-intelligent guessing to fill in the blanks — but it’s kinda like GPS. The differences between military grade and what you can get on your phone aren’t really worth talking about any more.
So yes, it exists. Sort of. But mostly it’s for effect.
That’s my story until the guys in dark suits correct me. 🙂
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