This Invention Made Disney MILLIONS, but Then They LOST It!

Corridor Crew
7 Apr 202412:25

Summary

TLDRIn this intriguing video, the narrator explores the sodium vapor process, a visual effects technology invented by Disney in the 1960s that surpasses the green screen. Despite its superior ability to layer moving images without common green screen issues, the technology was forgotten due to the difficulty of replicating its unique prism. Dr. Paul Debevec joins to explain the science behind this 'magic' technique, which uses a specific yellow light spectrum to separate images. The video culminates in a modern recreation of Disney's lost prism, showcasing its potential for flawless compositing and reigniting the debate on whether sodium vapor could be superior to green screens in today's visual effects landscape.

Takeaways

  • 🎥 The video discusses the nostalgia and superiority of visual effects in old movies, specifically the technology invented by Disney in the 1960s.
  • 🟢 The traditional green screen has limitations, such as issues with filming blurry or transparent objects and wearing clothes of the same color.
  • 🌟 Disney's technology, known as the sodium vapor process, used a specific yellow light spectrum and a beam splitter prism to achieve effects without modern computers.
  • 🔬 The sodium vapor process was able to block or allow only the specific wavelength of light (589 NM), which allowed for high-quality compositing without affecting other colors.
  • 💡 The process involved splitting light through a lens onto two strips of film, with one reflecting the sodium vapor light and the other capturing the color image of the actor.
  • 🚫 The technology was not widely adopted due to the inability to replicate the custom beam splitter prism, which was expensive and only produced in limited quantities.
  • 🧙‍♂️ Dr. Paul Debevec managed to recreate Disney's lost prism using modern components and techniques, marking the first test of the sodium vapor process in over 30 years.
  • 🛠️ The recreation of the process involved using off-the-shelf components like filters and two cameras instead of a custom beam splitter and film strips.
  • 🤹‍♂️ The video demonstrates the effectiveness of the recreated sodium vapor process in compositing a scene of a clown getting married on Mars.
  • 🆚 A comparison between the sodium vapor process and green screen shows the former's superiority in handling transparency, motion blur, and color spill.
  • 🌐 The video concludes that while modern compositing tools have advanced, the sodium vapor process still holds value for perfect transparency in visual effects.

Q & A

  • What is the fundamental building block of visual effects?

    -The ability to layer one moving image over another is the fundamental building block of visual effects.

  • What are some common issues with using green screen technology?

    -Issues with green screen technology include difficulty filming blurry or transparent objects, restrictions on wearing clothes the same color as the screen, and color spill that can ruin footage.

  • What was the technology invented by Disney in the 1960s that was superior to the green screen?

    -Disney invented the sodium vapor process, which used a specific spectrum of yellow light and a beam splitter prism to achieve superior visual effects.

  • How does the sodium vapor process differ from green screen technology?

    -The sodium vapor process uses a specific wavelength of light that can be blocked or allowed through using filters, enabling the separation of the actor's image from the background without affecting other colors in the scene.

  • Why is the sodium vapor process considered superior to green screen technology?

    -The sodium vapor process is considered superior because it allows for perfect compositing without issues like mat lines, motion blur, or color spill, which are common with green screen technology.

  • Why is the sodium vapor process not still in use today?

    -The sodium vapor process is not in use today because the custom beam splitter prisms were difficult and expensive to produce, and only a few were ever made. Additionally, the location of these prisms is currently unknown.

  • What was the main challenge Dr. Paul Debevec faced in recreating Disney's Magic prism?

    -The main challenge Dr. Paul Debevec faced was replicating the physics of the sodium vapor process using off-the-shelf components, as the original custom beam splitter prisms were no longer available.

  • How did Dr. Paul Debevec manage to recreate the sodium vapor process without the original prisms?

    -Dr. Paul Debevec recreated the physics of the sodium vapor process using two filters and two cameras instead of the original custom beam splitter and film strips.

  • What is the significance of the recreated sodium vapor process being tested for the first time in over 30 years?

    -The significance lies in demonstrating that the sodium vapor process can still provide superior results for visual effects compositing compared to modern green screen technology.

  • What is the potential impact of the sodium vapor process on the film industry?

    -The potential impact includes offering a superior method for compositing that could lead to more realistic and high-quality visual effects, as well as providing valuable training data for machine learning tools in post-production.

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Related Tags
Visual EffectsSodium VaporDisney TechGreen ScreenFilmmakingInnovationChroma KeyMattingMovie MagicFilm History