Technical Information

The Reality Workflow

Reality integrates directly into the production and leads the way into post-production.

The Control Room
This is where various camera feeds come together and are displayed on a monitor wall. Determinations are made between good and useless feeds, and good ones are switched and distributed to various devices such as tape decks, high-capacity disks or Reality's Logger.

Reality's Logger
The logger takes in audio, video and time code signals and produces compressed digital video. The logger synchronizes the video with time codes and content descriptions entered live by the operator.

Reality's Searchable Video Library
The library is the repository for the entire production's video and metadata. In response to users' search requests, the library instantly generates results in the form of Web pages or EDL files.

Remote User Access
Users can access Reality's video library via a Web browser, whether they are on-set or working remotely.

The Reality Logger


Reality logger Functional specifications

Capture:
  • Video, audio and time code capture
  • Supports multiple video compression rates
  • NTSC monitor with burn-in time code display
Logging:
  • Real-time logging using plain English
  • Mark in and out material of interest
  • Shot ratings from 1 to 5
  • Physical media associated with current feed
  • Central keyword definition
  • Automatic keyword expansion (type-ahead) and keyboard shortcuts for super fast logging
  • Scrolling description list with time code in/out display
  • Automatic saves
Reporting:
  • Shooting session print-outs
  • Complete shot descriptions
    • Time codes
    • Logging content
    • Physical media identifier
System status:
  • Network status display
  • Disk space status display
  • Video and time code signal status display
Tolerance:
  • Network failure tolerance: automatic recovery
  • Video failure tolerance: black-frame filler
  • Time code failure tolerance: automatic generation from last good reading

The Searchable Video Library


Reality Video Library Functional specifications
  • Web-based, accessible remotely via a standard browser
  • Material becomes accessible immediately after logging shot
  • Precise video content search using
    • keyword
    • date intervals
    • day of shooting
    • feed (principal, secondary, etc.)
  • Instant play of search results
  • Results displayed as image thumbnails, time codes and full descriptions
  • Keyword list display for precise searches
  • Story building:
    • Shot selection and ordering
    • Refinement of in and out marks
    • Full story play
    • Multi-story storage for later use and sharing
    • EDL production, readily usable in any non-linear editing tool
    • Story exchange via email of links

Technical specifications


Reality Unit I/O:
  • Analog video BNC input
  • Analog audio and LTC XLR inputs
  • DV 6-pin IEEE 1394 (FireWire) input
  • 100 BASE-T Ethernet
Typical dual logger configuration:
  • Shock-resistant casing (meets most ATA and military specifications)
  • 2 NTSC monitors
    • Burn-in time code display
    • 3 rack units
  • Loggers
    • Dimensions 27.75'' x 29'' x 22.25'' (LxWxH)
    • 2 rack units per logger
    • Power: 650 watts, 110/220 volts
  • Server
    • Dimensions 26.58'' x 42'' x 19.95'' (LxWxH)
    • 2 rack units
    • Power: 720 watts, 110/220 volts
    • RAID 5 data disks
    • RAID 0 (mirrored) OS disks
    • Redundant power supply
    • Redundant network card