Method and apparatus for creating posing masks on video screen

• Main Authors: BRECKENRIDGE; MICHAEL T, SURMA; MICHAEL J, ADOLPHI; EARL JOHN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 10.02.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

To facilitate creating professional poses for a person to be photographed, a posing mask generating system is provided including a microprocessor having a video graphics board therein. The microprocessor also has a memory and a data input and output device. A video camera is interfaced with the video graphics board so that a video image of a model to be photographed can be viewed on a display terminal. Using the data input device, a professional photographer, experienced in posing subjects, enters graphics information into the system which is then overlaid with the video image and appropriately positioned to define a mask or template defining the location for prominent features of the subject within the frame of reference. This is repeated for a number of possible poses, with the graphics information being stored in the memory of the microprocessor. Once all of the masks have been professionally created, they are transferred to one or more studios in different locations and manned by camera operators rather than professional photographers. The remote systems also include a microprocessor with a video graphics board installed therein, a video camera and a display terminal. The mask information previously generated by a professional is overlaid on a video image of the object to the photographed and then the camera or the object is positioned until its video image fits the master template. The camera shutter is then tripped to record the posed subject on film.