(Nobbi, your request for a test of such a keyboard on the FMX has not been forgotten! Here it is!) For exactly this case, there are so-called “Alice layouts” – yes, exactly, those split keyboards that you’ve probably seen before and wondered: “How long will it take to get used to it?” That’s exactly the question we’re answering today – DP is jumping in at the deep end.

Of course, such keyboards are available from various manufacturers – from Logitech and Microsoft to specialised “one-off” manufacturers, almost all of them have something in their range. After extensive research and consultation with experts, we are focusing today on the Keychron Q8 (Alice, Brown Gateron, Iso_de – here is the link to the exact product: https://is.gd/q8_Alice_De). Why this one in particular? Because it was recommended to us by several ergonomics and keyboard nerds. Keychron has made a well-deserved name for itself in the “good keyboards that aren’t absurdly expensive” segment. However, we’ll split our review into two parts – first we’ll take a look at the layout and then at the keyboard itself. Because, let’s be honest, the Alice layout is a bit special.

The layout.

The Alice layout is a keyboard layout that was developed to make typing healthier. It has a split key arrangement (see pictures) and a slightly angled orientation that supports a natural hand position. The keys are arranged in two blocks that are slightly tilted outwards so that the hands can be positioned at a more relaxed angle. Compared to a normal keyboard, this improves ergonomics: the split arrangement and the angle of the keys put less strain on the wrists. This reduces the risk of overuse injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. In addition, there is a “natural hand position”, as the arrangement of the keys allows users to hold their hands in a more natural position, which reduces muscle tension and fatigue. Although it takes some getting used to at first, users who have become accustomed to the Alice layout can type more smoothly and quickly as their hands work in a more optimal position. Or so they say.

The keyboard itself.

That’s all “keyboard layout” stuff so far – but we’ll leave that out until the conclusion and just focus on the keyboard itself. We tested the keyboard because it has an Alice layout and it’s the most “rudimentary” version, with nothing to stop you from typing. This means: a large keyboard without NumPad and F-keys, with mechanical switches, a volume control and a few special keys. It has two FN keys that can be programmed using the web app (more on this in a moment). The control for volume and mute (at least in the standard setting at the top right), and that’s it – the F buttons, which are available on other models including macro buttons from Keychron, are missing. There is also a Win/Mac switch on the back next to the cable – this also works well, but was an initial stumbling block in our setup. If you look and don’t just click away, it’s easier… But before anyone says “Nah, I want more keys, different layout”: there are many variants – for example, the same layout with the keypad on the left or right, with programmable keys, a full row of F-keys and so on. Or in a normal orientation, with different switches, low profiles and more.

Speaking of interchangeable: Keycaps are included for the Mac version, and the keys also have normal attachments – so if you want to go nuts with “Artisanal Keycaps” or specially produced control keys for various software packages: go for it! In our version, we had the Gateron Brown switches, which offer a pleasant, even resistance and have a tactile pressure point – without being loud. In other words, they are perfectly suitable for the multi-person office, but not “completely silent” either.

Practice: Is that possible?

So off we go to the practical test! Unpack, switch on, set up – that’s what you know from other keyboards. But getting used to typing takes some time – it can take a good two weeks to get up to speed if you use it every day.
Acclimatisation time: not as long as you might think – once everything is adjusted, it takes one to two weeks. Now, a test like this is personal, and you may not be as stuck as I am, but: on the first day you were still typing “on sight” – at the speed of a boomer. The biggest obstacle was getting out of the habit of “Oh, I always type that key with the other hand” – in other words, adjusting the size of your hand to the standard layout. But by the second day, notes and emails were being typed at around three-quarters of the usual speed – but it was noticeable that as soon as you “stop thinking about it”, the typo density is quite high. But it works, and the pleasure of the keys helps during the familiarisation period. Anyone who believes that there are no “keys that feel good” has never typed on real switches. After around two weeks, we hardly notice any difference – of course, there are occasional bumps, but this is mainly due to the “minimal” equipment. If it were the Q10 model with F-keys and programmable keys, there would be no problem.

Speaking of programmable keys: The settings are saved on the board and therefore also work on another computer – so anyone who is connected to different computers via KVM, uses different systems or likes to set up the computer from time to time or simply works in virtual systems will really appreciate this. If you want, you can take a look at the configuration tools in the web app (Chrome-based browser required). These work better than expected, but let’s start with the default setting: The default is that the number row with the FN1 key becomes F-keys – in the web app, F-keys beyond F13 to F24 can also be assigned – which works brilliantly in combination with AutoHotkey.

Macros are supported, as are many special keys, media keys and 5 “layers”, with each of which the entire keyboard is available as a programmable interface. So there are no limits, but… it quickly becomes complex. Okay, two hours were added to the familiarisation time because I once very cleverly placed incredibly helpful features on the keys – without taking notes, and then immediately couldn’t find them. Because, OF COURSE, the “Reload page and clear cache” macro is on layer 3 behind the R key. Of course. What I’m trying to say is: If you’re configuring in a way that ignores reality, make a backup as a JSON file and quickly and conveniently reset the keyboard to factory settings.

The first noticeable feature is the weight – the keyboard feels like it weighs more than the table. The overall feel is great – nothing wobbles, nothing bends. The chassis is so heavy that nothing moves or slips. This means that it sits firmly on the desk and can withstand anything that happens on the desk (that’s no challenge!), but at the same time it’s not really designed for “mobile working”. Which doesn’t necessarily mean that some hipster is guaranteed to be sitting in a Starbucks with it, rambling on about the novel he’s going to write one day. As for the connection: our version is wired. So anyone who likes to forget to recharge will be happy here. This also means: no battery that runs down over time – you’ll be able to use the board for many years! The cable is a normal USB-C and therefore replaceable.

Conclusion

The keyboard itself? Heavy as a brick, stable as a cast iron pot, and feels so good that you almost want to fall asleep on it. Fits any desk set-up, whether minimalist or pure chaos. Setting it up with the Via app is a bit of an adventure holiday – it takes some getting used to and isn’t quite as easy as with the usual manufacturer apps. But hey, in return you get flexibility, portability and you can also link the thing to Autohotkey and the like. A dream for nerds! Compared to Microsoft’s version (see picture above): heavier, more stable, better and more flexible. The only drawback: there are no feet to change the angle. If you like it steeper, you’ll have to get creative and place a wedge or a couple of DP issues under the rear edge.

The keyboard as we have it costs 205 euros and is available directly from Keychron in the online shop. The barebone version without switches and keys is available for 175 euros. That’s a lot of money, but in view of the prices charged by various other “luxury keyboard manufacturers”, it’s a real bargain. As far as the price is concerned, Keychron rarely offers discounts. On the other hand, spare parts, accessories and model series remain up-to-date for a comparatively long time – that is sustainable.

Furthermore, there are variants with all ISO layouts (i.e. European – English, French, “Nordic”, Spanish and also a variant for our friends, the language-flexible Swiss in the centre, which have all the special characters.

This board really is a specialised device, intended for anyone who types and codes a lot. Not the first choice for Excel shortcut jugglers. And gaming? Yes, it works great. But we’re too old and slow to really test it seriously for reaction times ;) . The key layout is clever: double B, backspace, home and space bar on the right edge. A free edge for the mouse, which should please left-handers in particular. The ergonomics? Top – as long as you don’t plop your hands down on the keyboard like plasticine figures, but rather “hover over the keyboard” as you have learnt. To summarise: if you know that joint problems are just around the corner and take the time to get used to it, you should definitely take a look at the Q8 – or one of its variants! ‘ ei

Have you seen this?

Mistakes happen to all of us – you don’t want to know what “version 0.1” of my articles looks like! And anyone who regularly chats with the editorial team knows the moment when an “Okay, I give up: What did you actually want to say?” pops up in the chat. In my everyday life, speed is more important than perfect spelling. But here’s the ultimate tip: If you want to improve your hit rate and type without looking at all, then take a look at the free online typing trainer “Entertrained”(https://entertrained.app/)! This is a typing trainer that doesn’t train you with meaningless texts, but in a pleasant editor in which you can type out classics of literature – and read them at the same time!

So if you’ve always wanted to improve your typing skills with the original text of “Frankenstein”, really internalise “The Art of War”, or work your way through “The Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin – there are 101 books to choose from here. It costs nothing, and you can customise the interface as you wish. And because you can save your progress, and we should all be reading more classics anyway, this would be a great opportunity to break in the new keyboard – or really get going with the old one!

The post Keychron Q8 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Autograph has been on the market since the beginning of 2023 and is distributed by the plug-in manufacturer Re:Vision Effects, but is produced by the French company Left Angle. The software is available on Windows, Mac and Linux and can be purchased either as a subscription model (monthly and annually) or as a perpetual licence. In addition, there are three versions of Autograph: Creator, Studio and Render. While Render is really intended as a pure command line rendering tool, Creator is a licence for freelancers and smaller companies with less than 1 million US dollars in capital or income. For those who land above that (congratulations!) there is the Studio licence, which also includes the Python API. A monthly subscription for Autograph Creator starts at 35 US dollars, for Studio it is then 60 US dollars. Those who prefer to buy their licence will then pay a price of 945 US dollars for Creator and 1,795 US dollars for Studio. Before that, however, you can easily get a first impression in a ninety-day trial – to be found at left-angle.com.

The first impression

When you first look at the interface, you quickly think that you are simply sitting in front of a darker After Effects. And indeed, anyone who is familiar with Adobe’s motion design software will quickly find their way around Autograph. The viewer in the centre, properties on the right, the project window on the left and the timeline at the bottom. Similar to Nuke, you can create your own workspaces for different tasks so that you can customise the layout to suit your needs. However, there are only very few types of panels, which is why the design options are quite limited. Footage can be imported into our project via the project panel and compositions can be created. However, as with After Effects, the real centre of attention is the timeline. Individual layers can be dragged in here and the parameters can be expanded and edited accordingly. The filter function, which not only helps to isolate individual layers but also specific operations, is very convenient. These filters are also assigned to hotkeys and can be combined with text input. As an artist, you can then isolate the position value of a specific layer quite quickly, for example, in order to animate it. All parameters that are displayed in the timeline are also available in the Properties panel. This may seem redundant, but users who don’t want to scroll through thirty layers will find an alternative workflow here. And if you only want to work in the timeline, you can modify your workspace accordingly. Speaking of parameters: Those who prefer to enter values gesturally rather than numerically will be pleased with the hotkeys that adjust the intensity of the value input. For example, Shift lets you “drag” larger values, while Ctrl ensures finer input. Autograph does one thing fundamentally differently to After Effects: the Curve Editor is not integrated into the already fully loaded timeline, but is available as a separate panel. However, the viewer will undoubtedly remind many experienced artists of Nuke. No wonder, under the bonnet Autograph processes all files in 32-bit float – and so the viewer has silders to not only apply gamma and gain, but also saturation as a post process to the viewer, so that you can visualise even the last highlight in the EXR file. The viewer has two inputs, where a HUD and the blend modes known from Nuke are also available, for example to compare a reference with the current comp.

On to something new…

Up to this point, the interface looks familiar. But let’s take a look at the things that Autograph does differently from the two software packages between which it is positioned. The first thing that stands out is the use of the HUD. While Nuke’s on-screen controls are often very small, Autograph’s are not hidden at all. They are clearly visible and an important part of Autograph’s fast and fluid operation. The fact that right-clicking and the associated context menus are largely dispensed with also contributes to this fast interface. Pen and tablet users in particular will really appreciate this. But it is also the absence of clicks that makes the interface incredibly fast. For example, there is an option (which can of course be switched off) to briefly highlight layers that can be clicked on in the viewer so that you can see whether you have made the right selection. And how nicely the alpha channel is respected here – others can take a leaf out of this book. Hovering over drop-down menus works in a similar way. The selected parameter is displayed as a preview, so to speak, before you have even clicked on it. Not as a thumbnail, but actually applied to the current comp in the viewer. This works for the layer blend modes, for example, but also for the more than fifty interpolation presets. So you can run your animation in a loop and simply scroll through the presets and see what these different interpolations would look like.

Let’s stay on the subject of animation for a moment: Autograph is also trying to rethink things here. All image content always has its pivot in the centre of the image and the zero point of the coordinate system is also in the centre of the image. This may sound banal, but it is enormously helpful when it comes to adapting an animation for different output formats. It also helps tremendously when creating symmetrical animations. Autograph has a sophisticated system for dynamically linking values to each other without the artist needing a maths degree to write the corresponding expressions. Autograph uses so-called modifiers, which can simply be dragged onto the corresponding layer like an effect in After Effects. Somewhat confusingly, Autograph also refers to classic effects such as keyers or colour correctors as modifiers, but this shows how important they are for the workflow in Autograph. In addition to the modifiers, there are generators that can produce everything from images, i.e. classic colour areas or gradients, to text and numerical data and even 3D primitives. This now brings us to the 3D environment. This is based entirely on USD and as the USD files are only linked and not imported into the Autograph project, common formats such as Alembic or the rather old FBX are not supported. Autograph uses the filament developed by Google as its render engine. As a result, the 3D environment is quite fast and is likely to bring tears to the eyes of some Nuke artists. Camera and lights can simply be dragged into the timeline and if 3D layers are stacked directly under each other, they are treated and rendered as a single 3D scene. This makes it possible to mix 2D and 3D elements in the same timeline without having to create precomps. And by using filament, post effects such as ambient occlusion, fog and depth of field are also available.

What is missing?

The developers of Left Angle do not seem to lack enthusiasm, as can be seen in the interview with Francois Grassard on page 30. For a first version, Autograph makes a well-rounded impression. OpenFX plug-ins are supported, even if at the moment only those from its own distributor, Re:Vision FX, are available. The extent to which plug-in manufacturers support the newcomer will be seen in the coming months. However, both Nuke and After Effects, the two programmes that Autograph is competing with, both have an ecosystem of plugins and gizmos that has been growing for several years, not to mention a very large user base, which naturally does not exist right from the start. Nuke artists will miss their Node Graph the most. Even if the toolset is impressive, the speed of the interface and software is blazingly fast and the rendering is super-precise, the logic in a timeline is of course different from that in a node graph. Motion designers coming from After Effects will certainly find it easier to familiarise themselves with Autograph.

Conclusion

First impressions can often be deceiving. Autograph is far more than the After Effects clone that some people thought it was at launch. The user interface in particular has some innovative surprises and concepts in store that the developers of the long-established software either didn’t dare to tackle due to their user base or simply didn’t think of. This breath of fresh air is something that has definitely been missing in recent years. It’s reminiscent of the days of 5D Cyborg and Socratto, where innovative software forced established developers to rethink things and push their software forward. Competition stimulates business. That alone is a reason to be happy. Autograph is already interesting for a certain group of artists. Anyone who moves between motion design and compositing or wants to make the leap from motion design to compositing will find Autograph a possibility without having to learn a completely new paradigm such as working in Node Graph. Finishing artists can find a complement to Flame or Resolve without having to commit to a monthly cloud subscription. And if the developers of Left Angle continue with the same verve, this circle will certainly grow even larger.

The post From the left.. first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Christoph Zapletal.

I have been working in the field of advertising trailer production for many years. Starting out as an editor and working my way up to the management level of global corporations, I have constantly scrutinised the “trailer” phenomenon, the process, the medium and the makers behind it. However, one thing has always remained the same… the way trailers are defined and produced. Can AI (artificial intelligence) break up what has been established over years, perhaps even decades? Can this new “intelligence” find new ways of producing and “seeing” trailers of the future? I tried to get to the bottom of these questions in a master’s thesis and made discoveries that I could never have imagined before. After more than 15 years as a media professional, I started a Master’s programme in Media Technology & Management at Munich University of Applied Sciences – I wanted to refresh my practice with new perspectives and continue to explore developments in media technology. In my final thesis entitled “Development of a model for the use of AI software in the advertising sector using the example of a trailer”, I investigated the possibilities that arise from the use of artificial intelligence in the production of advertising trailers. But why this topic?

The work was to delve into the world of commercial trailer production and see how AI can change this process. I developed a model that integrates AI software into trailer production with the aim of increasing both efficiency and creativity. To develop this model, I collected various tools that were able to analyse and artificially generate the trailer components (generative AI). The master’s thesis, which I was able to complete in July 2023, was not only intended to make a contribution to this very popular field, but also to lay the foundation for future developments in audiovisual media production. The combination (to anticipate it here: No – we’re not all going to be put out of work by the AI Terminator) of human creativity and AI technology has the potential to fundamentally change advertising trailer production.

Trailer?

Why a trailer and not another format as a test trial? The answer to this is complex. One reason is the complexity of trailers. They offer the opportunity to really put the capabilities of the technology to the test while leaving enough room for creative experimentation – a perfect basis for investigating different areas of Generative AI, from the conception and generation of an advertising text to video or sound generation. On the other hand, I myself have worked for a long time in the area of trailer production for various companies. I am familiar with the work processes and was therefore able to consistently and specifically identify and analyse relevant parts of trailer production for my Master’s thesis.

I first analysed the production and content structure of a “classic” television trailer, i.e. the trailer on television, before or after the advertising, which refers to a film, series or similar in the programme. I decided to use a blockbuster film as an example. After “breaking down” such a trailer into the production process on the one hand and analysing the content on the other, I identified various components, such as the concept that defines the basic framework and content structure of a trailer. I also analysed the image and sound level for the components within a trailer. Subsequently, several AI tools were analysed to artificially evaluate or generate the respective components.

I used a variety of tools, including specialised AI software for image and sound recognition as well as text, image and sound generation. In the initial conception of a trailer, I NATURALLY worked with ChatGPT. The image and sound recognition was implemented using various cloud models, such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Rekognition. Tools from Midjourney and Runway were tested for image and sound generation and ElevenLabs and Soundraw for sound and music generation. These tools were not only used to create the individual components, but also to analyse the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the entire process. There was also a focus on how these tools could be integrated into the overall production process, not just to automate individual aspects, but to enable a consistent and coherent use of AI technology throughout the production process – the aim was to create a coherent model for a possible AI production process.

So I developed the model. It defined a clear pipeline in trailer production, ranging from the basic material available, through conception, image and sound processing, to the finalisation of the trailer. Attention was paid not only to the technical realisation, but also to how the AI tools could be integrated into the creative process in order to work not only efficiently, but also innovatively and with high quality.

Script evaluation via AI?

During my test phase, I initially tried to generate a trailer using artificial intelligence as much as possible and leave the creative and production decisions to it as far as possible. For example, I used ChatGPT to evaluate film scripts and let the tool decide which passages from the script could be relevant for a trailer. This quickly pushed ChatGPT to its limits, as it could only process a certain number of characters.

Nevertheless, I managed to generate a selection using various approaches. For example, I chopped up the film script into individual parts and fed the AI piece by piece. I was then able to use Adobe Premiere Pro’s “text-based editing” to remove all unselected text passages, which meant that the irrelevant scenes were removed directly from the cut sequence. So you could say that the textual analysis by ChatGPT describes a trailer structure defined by artificial intelligence. Another method was shortening, which can also be implemented using plugins. I had such a script summarised in smaller and smaller parts until I was able to create a concept for a trailer from it.

One challenge was the so-called multimodality of the various tools, i.e. the overlapping of the different areas in a trailer production. Ideally, you would work with a tool in which you could simultaneously generate a concept, search for image material and integrate image, sound and music generation in parallel. Up to now, different applications have been used to generate the respective content in order to integrate it into another application. However, this can lead to errors in data transmission. The aim must therefore be to integrate the different areas within one interface. This would also open up the possibility of automating a complete process. Recent integrations of different generative AI within an application prove this trend. For example, it is now possible to generate images with DALL-E3 using the text tool ChatGPT. Runway is another example that extends the classic editing process with various AI tools within its own interface. Another example is the progress of AI applications via Adobe Firefly, Adobe’s generative AI. It should soon be possible to formulate prompts and edit video material in this way.

The AI tools were not without their weaknesses. Whilst they did a very good job in many ways, there were also areas where the generated content did not live up to expectations or where human creativity and intuition were still essential. During my test phase, for example, I declared the AI-generated music to be too inferior in quality for a major blockbuster film and therefore opted for music composed by humans (albeit selected by artificial intelligence).

In the end, the ElevenLabs speech tool was chosen for the speech generation, although the original plan was to work with Descript. The reason for this was the fact that Descript still does not offer a German language. Only English voices can be generated. When generating text using ChatGPT, one of the challenges was “hallucinating” and supposedly correctly quoting film content.

The text concepts generated for the trailer cut, which consisted of off-text and original sounds, were sometimes incorrect. ChatGPT invented film scenes and original sound passages. Nevertheless, they formed a good basis on which to build a concept. Surprisingly, the structure and dramaturgical composition of a trailer were recognised correctly throughout.

The generated graphics used for the endboard, i.e. the rear part of a trailer, proved to be very convincing. Graphic text generation, for example for broadcast information on the endboard, was again weak. All of this emphasises the need for a balanced combination of technological innovation and human creativity in order to be successful in media production and at the same time open up new avenues and possibilities.

Finally, four trailers were generated and then evaluated by industry experts. These were individuals with broad expertise in media production, who were thus able to provide valuable feedback on the AI-generated trailers. They came from various TV stations such as ProSiebenSat1, Sky Deutschland, Discovery, but also from the practical agency world.

The experts brought their years of experience and in-depth knowledge to the evaluation process, which helped to assess the quality, relevance and impact of the trailers created by AI, while also providing valuable insights into the acceptance, possible areas of improvement and potential of AI-supported production. Initially, it was not stated that the trailers were generated using artificial intelligence.

Nevertheless (or perhaps precisely because of this), many parts of the trailers were rated as acceptable. The generated text concept, as well as the voiceover, were described as rather emotionless.

The generated endboard, on the other hand, was rated as good to very good. In addition, a trailer was approved by the majority of experts, meaning that it would also have been used in a real situation. The results of the survey showed that integrating AI into a trailer production process can be very useful. The majority of respondents were open to the introduction of AI into the production process.

Overall, the results showed that the use of AI in trailer production is not only feasible, but also makes economic sense. According to the model created in the study, cost savings of up to 79 per cent would be possible compared to conventional trailer production. This is primarily due to the increase in efficiency, i.e. the time saved in the creation of trailer content through AI. Basically, in the model, a trailer that would normally take three working days to produce could be created within one working day. It would therefore be possible to use the time gained to customise a trailer and thus implement more target group-oriented trailer marketing.

The future of AI in media production: a look into the crystal ball

My master’s thesis was intended to shed light on the potential of artificial intelligence in advertising trailer production. The question that arises is: how close are we to realising this potential? While the technology has undoubtedly progressed, we are not yet at the point where AI is seamlessly integrated into the media production process, even if AI is helping to optimise it in specific applications, such as Adobe Sensei. Especially in repeatable and standardised production processes, i.e. “assembly line” tasks, AI can offer significant time savings.

Looking five to ten years into the future, the picture could change dramatically. It is quite conceivable that AI will then no longer merely serve as a supplementary tool, but will be a central player in the creative process. Given the rapid developments in machine learning and deep learning, AI systems could be able to create content of greater complexity and nuance. These could not only support human producers, but in some cases even surpass their contributions.

So media production is fraught with challenges – especially among professionals such as editors and producers. Will they recognise the benefits of these new tools and use them themselves? Or will they oppose a technology that they may see as a threat to their jobs? This could lead to strikes and other forms of resistance, as seen recently in Hollywood among screenwriters. There is also the inevitable learning curve. The media industry will need to educate itself to acquire the technical skills required to use these tools. While some professionals already have the knowledge, there is still a significant need for education.

On a personal level, I am watching the developments in AI technology with great interest. OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, Google’s Gemini, Midjourney or Runway’s Gen-2, which demonstrate amazing capabilities in the areas of text and image generation, are impressive. Similarly, platforms such as Adobe Firefly offer enormous opportunities to combine processes.

The transformative role of AI in advertising trailer production – a summary

In the constantly evolving world of media production, I wanted to set a scientifically sound point of reference with my master’s thesis “Development of a model for the use of AI software in the advertising sector using the example of a trailer”.

By putting my results in writing, conducting a well-founded survey and having the written work corrected by an independent body (at this point, I would like to thank my supervising professor, Prof. Dr Martin Delp, once again), I was able to provide the debate with a concrete context and not just “say” what works and what doesn’t or what is “good” and what is not from my point of view.

I tried to dive deep into commercial trailer production and shed light on how artificial intelligence can change this landscape. The core finding of the research shows that AI not only has the potential to fundamentally change the way ad trailers are produced, but also has the ability to change the creative process. Through the targeted use of AI tools, production teams can not only organise their workflows more efficiently, but also pursue completely new creative approaches that were previously unknown.

However, the master’s thesis I wrote is not just about highlighting the benefits and possibilities of AI – it also strongly emphasises the indispensable role of human input in the process. While AI has impressive technical capabilities, it is human intuition, creativity and expertise that ensures the content produced is accurate and resonates and reaches audiences. With this in mind, I argue for a symbiotic relationship where both sides utilise their strengths to achieve optimal results.

For those seeking a deeper understanding of the nuances, methods and findings of this work, the master’s thesis is available in the Munich University of Applied Sciences library, among other places. It offers detailed insights into the research methodology, the tools used and the findings obtained. Anyone interested can also contact me directly: sebastian.gresmann@gmail.com

Oh yes… of course I generated parts of this article with the help of artificial intelligence. Who noticed it?

The post Trailer! Artificial intelligence meets media production first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The actually spartan software is still in the beta phase and can be used free of charge, even commercially. An enthusiastic fan community shows some impressive results online, which were created in collaboration between EbSynth and various, mostly AI-controlled effect and video tools. We started the programme and applied some keyframes to short video sequences.

Naturally stupid – or artificially intelligent?

You can’t hear it anymore: AI – artificial intelligence – will change all our lives. Some hope that smart decisions will finally improve our lives. Others are afraid. The fact that graphics and video applications are now so dominated by AI tools is something that the occasional user may well only realise when working with graphics and videos and EbSynth, for example. EbSynth “needs the support” of video and graphics software – and effective ones at that. Most modern tools promise to make use of the new artificial intelligence, as does EbSynth itself. To create and manipulate images and videos, there is hardly any way around “AI” (the website is.gd/buzz_AItools is said to list over 1000 AI tools, including a large number of graphics programmes).

EbSynth – great image effects for a whole video?

The EbSynth website, www.ebsynth.com, shows large-scale impressive effects on video sequences and advertises with the slogan: “Bring your paintings to animated life”. Otherwise it is “very tidy” and apart from the link to download the programme and a more detailed video with examples of effects, “before” and “after”, it only offers buttons for email contact, social media channels, including the Secret Weapons YouTube channel, which has almost 14,000 subscribers, and a FAQ list. The download button shows a Windows and an apple symbol.

If you haven’t “learnt the ropes” beforehand, you will probably be a little confused when you first start the programme: The start window of EbSynth – the actual programme window – is almost as spartan as the website. There are no menus apart from links for Open, Save and Export to After Effects.

In order for the programme to do anything with a new project, paths for prepared directories with corresponding image files must be placed in fields for “Keyframes”, “Video” and optionally also for “Mask” (“Select” buttons or via drag & drop). Values can also be assigned for weighting the influence of the effects of the keyframes or the original video. Under “Advanced” there are input fields for mapping, de-flicker, diversity and synthesis detail, which are explained in the FAQ. An output directory (for individual images) can be specified and there is an option to switch on the GPU for rendering. The calculation process is started with one of the two green buttons: “Synth” if only one keyframe is used, “Run All” if several keyframes are used.

MAPPING: A higher mapping ensures that the output dashes appear in the same position as in the keyframe. If the mapping is lower, EbSynth can rearrange the input features so that they appear in other places in the output. Good values are between 5 and 50.

DE-FLICKER: De-flicker suppresses texture flickering between consecutive frames. Good values are between 0.3 and 2.0. If the value is set to zero, the output sequence flickers as if each image were painted independently each image is painted independently. The stronger the value for de-flicker, the more coherent the output will be over time.

DIVERSITY: The visual variety of the style in the keyframes in the output sequence is determined by the diversity. Good values are between 1,000 and 20,000. If the diversity is set too low, some repeating patterns may appear in the output, similar to the artefacts that can be caused by overlapping when setting a clone brush in Photoshop.

Synthesis – the workflow

In order to be able to edit a video with EbSynth, the beta version must still be available as a sequence of individual images – in the “Video” folder – which can be done with most common video programmes. Depending on the image content or movement in the scene, the copy of an image in the sequence can be made into a keyframe, or it may be necessary to define several keyframes. Painting or other effects are then applied to these keyframes. It is important that the same names and the same resolution are used as for the images in the “Video” directory. A missing file in the video directory can also lead to premature termination of the programme. In many examples found online, AI software such as Stable Diffusion is used to manipulate the key frames. There are also commercial offers for manipulating videos that specifically advertise the use of Stable Diffusion and EbSynth. “Simple painting” with any paint software or rotoscoping with Davinci Resolve or After Effects, for example, are also possible. With suitable content, complete animations can be created with just a few key frames. The FAQs point out that it makes sense to prepare videos that EbSynth is to process properly during filming.

Among other things, it is emphasised that the image material used should be correctly exposed and as diffuse as possible so that EbSynth can track the effects in the moving image content well. Hard and moving shadows are also problematic. For the clothing of characters, it is recommended to use appealing, clearly recognisable prints, for example. Flat textures, monochrome fabrics and reflective material and repeating patterns that tend to moiré are also problematic, as with “normal” video recordings. If visual tracking with a keyframe is no longer sufficient, it is recommended to manually rework the first “unclean” image to create a next keyframe. In EbSynth, areas can be defined for the individual keyframes. Crossfades can later be defined where the keyframe areas overlap. When EbSynth is finished with its synthesis, it can be exported to After Effects. However, the finished individual frames, which are located in the “Output” folder, can be further processed with any other video software. Keyframes and effects can be painted onto transparent backgrounds. Painted and reference frames must be precisely matched (fit on top of each other). However, it is also possible to rotoscope the foreground and add an alpha mask sequence as a mask input in EbSynth (“Mask” folder).

Initial tests have shown that EbSynth does its job. But without thorough planning and preparation, it can quickly happen that EbSynth transfers the desired effects to the video completely incorrectly (actually slowly, because results only become visible after the calculation process). Short, quiet sequences that fulfil the conditions listed – and possibly splitting the video material into several scenes, or filming people who overlap in the image separately (cropped, later rearranged as video layers) can help to improve the results.

Conclusion

In our opinion, EbSynth is an interesting approach and even in the beta version it produces appealing results. The biggest advantage is that image manipulations in videos only need to be carried out on specific images (keyframes). EbSynth then transfers the respective image style quite precisely to the individual frames of the video. It is possible to create complete animations in a simple style with just a few rotoscope drawings.

EbSynth’s UI is fairly spartan and the workflow essentially consists of splitting the original video into individual frames in suitable software. Depending on the action, one or more keyframes must be defined and manipulated using any tool. A mask can be defined for certain areas and some parameters can be set to control the output quality. Trial and error is the order of the day here. The results of EbSynth’s work are once again individual images that need to be processed further.

The technique is only suitable for short sequences and the results are heavily dependent on the scene content, among other things. We find that the workflow is still a little cumbersome and results are not very good due to the “tight” UI and lack of programme help, despite the fact that it is actually easy to use, results require a lot of time and practice. However, EbSynth also produces fascinating results. We are looking forward to the further development of the programme (including the price).

The post EbSynth – a tool for animations from videos by style transfer of reference images first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Ralf Gliffe.

If you’re thinking: “But they said Hyper X Quadcast is the ultimate for speech and everyday life!” – Yes, that’s true. Unfortunately, it’s not quite so simple in the audio segment – because beyond the “everyday/productivity” land comes the deep valley of studio and audiophiles, and that’s where we’re now entering with this set from Beyerdynamic. The set consists of the Beyerdynamic Fox as a microphone and the DT990 Pro as headphones – Beyerdynamic offers these sets in different versions depending on the application.

Microphone: Beyerdynamic Fox

And so we start with the “Fox” – a massive USB microphone with cardioid characteristic (what happens in front of the microphone is recorded, what happens behind it is not), which was designed for speech, podcasts, vocals and instrument miking. The large-diaphragm condenser capsule with 24-bit/96 kHz recording is firmly established in the studio segment. The front panel features a latency-free headphone output, a mute button, a “mixer” between headphones and PC and a headphone volume control. And a gain switch for switching between vocals and instruments is located at the rear.
Otherwise, there are only the bare essentials in the box – a 2 metre long Beyerdynamic orange USB-C cable and a rudimentary but functional stand. There is a 3/8″ thread on the underside for the usual tripods and microphone arms – an adapter is recommended for 5/8″ threads. The controls are also kept simple: Headphone output volume, headphone/computer audio mix, that’s it.

What sounds relatively succinct now is actually everything – in contrast to other microphones that we have previously tested, the Fox is spartanly equipped and focusses on the recording – the quality. How good is it?
Well, let’s put it this way: you shouldn’t eat anything that makes your stomach bubble before a video conference. Alternatively, you can use Nvidia Broadcast or other tools with ambient noise filters to reduce the embarrassment to a tolerable level. So if you work in a noisy environment, you will also pass on the noise to the other side and have to turn it down or filter it.

What’s more, it has “specialised” in the basics – it is recognised by every computer, requires no special drivers and can be set up in Audition or similar with just one click. The supplied cable is also not vulnerable if you leave a mobile phone or similar next to it. The other technical specifications are listed in the box on the next page.

Headphones: DT 990 PRO

The DT 990 Pro is an open headphone for studio use – and if you’re thinking: “This thing looks familiar”: Yes, we had a picture of it in the last issue in 3D Audio Part 1. But with the horde of headphones, why this one of all things? First of all: No RGB, no frills: A robust headband made of spring steel (and therefore without plastic creaking) with high wearing comfort thanks to soft head and ear pads (ear pads are available in “leather” or “velvet”. We tested velvet, of course, because anything else would damage our reputation even more).
The DT990 is available in different versions, from 32 ohms to 80 to 250 and 600 ohms – so you can choose the right device depending on your amplifier. There are also different “editions” – silver, black, black with a red band (“Manufaktur”) and others – but the sound is always the same, so we won’t go into that in detail here. The device is designed for studio use – the sound reproduction is clean, with a wide stereo image and an open design that makes it possible to perceive the surroundings – and in our personal opinion provides a better sense of space.

The lack of complete isolation from the environment, as is the case with earbuds and most gaming headphones, for example, means that the sound can be reproduced very precisely and accurately, which means that previously undetected sounds can be heard in your favourite songs. Another advantage is that you are not cut off from your surroundings and can hear what is happening. But the first week of testing was constantly accompanied by the question: “Did someone say something?”. The distinction between “happening inside the headphones” and “happening outside” takes some getting used to. But of course 3D audio also works particularly well in this way. However, if something like this is very irritating, you should probably choose the closed design – Beyerdynamic has options for this, and we just wanted to warn you.

Of course, your colleagues will hear what you hear – but let’s be honest: if they don’t have good taste in music, it’s their problem. Single-sided cable routing, a weight of 340 grams and the smooth-running ear cups ensure that the thing sits firmly and comfortably on your head all day (single-sided cable routing so that nothing flies around in front of your body on both sides) and because it’s wired, you don’t have to pair Bluetooth or charge anything. It’s now the only device on my desk that’s always available and never needs charging!

Pros

The sound of the headphones makes you realise what the difference is between “consumer”, “gaming” and “studio” – the first two weeks were like discovering the old classics all over again, because many things on inferior headphones – or, to be fair, on headphones intended for other purposes – simply disappeared. In the mic and headphone combo, it’s depressing how much you miss – and more than once, thanks to the pass-through and comfortable design, we just left the headphones on all day (Pluralis Majestatis – I did it. You don’t have to do it that way!), and if someone was talking, or there was any noise, the mic in the combo is good enough that it basically passes right through, and you can balance music and the outside world beautifully – as much of the outside world as you can stand.

If you want to get even more surround sound out of the whole thing, you can use Dolby Access(bit.ly/dolbyaccess), for example, to get even better surround sound, or try out “Windows Sonic for headphones” – this is integrated into Win11 free of charge. But be careful: this is where you enter the realm of audiophiles, and that’s where it gets expensive.

The build quality is impeccable – stable, nothing squeaks or creaks, all connections are clean, it doesn’t smell of plastic, and it’s durable enough to be used every day for years. Another advantage of studio headphones is the accessories – if the ear pads are sticky after a hot summer, a replacement pack directly from the manufacturer costs just over 20 euros, and if several people are to use them – for example as an “audio booth” in the studio – there are replaceable hygienic pads in a pack of five.
And the advantage that we liked most, apart from the sound quality, is that there are no bells and whistles, no goodies and no unnecessary features – plug it in and you’re done. You don’t need any software,
no updates, no drivers, nothing – it’s a USB microphone and jack headphones. Windows and Mac even recognise it by name, and on four (!) test computers there was never even a need to plug it in a second time – USB in and you’re done. We’ve never seen it like this before.

Cons

No success without criticism – the package is functional and fulfils its purpose exactly, and that very well. However, we would like the headphones to have a replaceable cable in case the cat wants to make itself heard and gnaws through the cable – different cable lengths would also be practical.
So if you’re worried about such cases, you should go for the DT 900 PRO X from Beyerdynamic – with a replaceable cable. Otherwise there are no other complaints, the part is perfect. One of the “cons” of the microphone is the “mute” button – as soon as you press it, it flashes orange – you can’t miss it, but if you want to mute for longer, it’s a bit annoying. Perhaps a different solution for the Fox 2? In everyday use, we simply covered it with a piece of adhesive tape.
And the Fox is also quite heavy – with a weight of almost a pound, it is too heavy for the cheap microphone arms – but we already have something for the next issue in the everyday test (keyword: Yellowtec). If you have a proper microphone arm, you won’t have a problem here either – we just want to say it.

Conclusion

So is the package and its components worth it? Yes, we think so – otherwise we wouldn’t present it as the “best solution” – you get equipment from the professional sector. This means stable, no frills and wonderfully predictable results – so if you don’t just want to sound good in video calls and webinars, but also want to do voice overs and music, the bundle is a good choice. However, you also need to know exactly how to control it – and given the build quality, there are few other technology components that come as close to “future-proof”. And simply put, the headphones are the best we’ve ever had on our ears.

The post Beyer your ears! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.