Poetry In Motion, With MRMC (Part 1)

Mark Roberts Motion Control was founded almost 50 years ago by Mark Roberts. Since then, the company has grown to become a leading designer and manufacturer of quality motion control products for film and TV. Mark Roberts Motion Control rigs are now the defacto systems used around the world for feature films, music videos and commercials. Regional Film & Video caught up with MD Assaff Rawner.

RFV: How did MRMC come into being?

Mark Roberts Motion Control Ltd began in 1965 when the founder Mark Roberts saw that there was a need for more sturdy and accurate camera mounting systems for filming and animation projects. It was from humble beginnings in the bedroom of his own home that Mark forged the way for the industry known today as Motion Control to blossom. From that point Mark Roberts Camera Services, as it was known then, began to provide industry professionals with the items they needed, Mark passed away in 2012 but he was remembered by one of his early clients, John Swinnerton of the Peerless Camera Company, in this way: "I have been using the products of his imagination and engineering skills for over 25 years, on MC rigs, optical printers and rostrums. There is no question in my mind that without Mark, the world of visual imagery and VFX would be still in the dark ages. His products allowed the wild ideas of many people to be created without too much fuss and to a quality only imagined in the not too distant past."

What have been the most recent big projects undertaken by the company?

We really cater to two separate markets with slightly different requirements: the film/commercials market and the broadcast market. Our broadcast products over the years have been installed by a variety of clients, from the BBC to Al Jazeera, and used in everything from newsrooms, virtual sets, sporting events and wild-life programs. But in terms of the glamour, our filming products are what most associate with traditional motion control.
In terms of movies, there have been many, but if you wanted to name a few: James Bond Skyfall, Jack the Giant Killer, Sherlock Holmes, The Harry Potter Series, and Hugo (which won Oscars for Visual FX), as well as some others that I can't tell you about just yet.
Recent big sporting events where our equipment was used include the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, the golf Open Championship, Formula 1, the London Games, plus numerous commercial shots involving very high profile sports men and women.
High-speed table top shooting is experiencing somewhat of a trend these days and we have a robot which is on display at IBC called Bolt High Speed cinebot. It moves at incredible speeds and is out on rental shots frequently. Lastly, we also have Boeing, Space-X & Nikon as our clients, as well as a variety of other high profile, non film-related clients, due to our ability to provide exceptional bespoke equipment.

Last year's IBC saw MRMC launch the Polycam robotic system. How has the Polycam developed over the past year, and what will be the big developments at this year's show?

Yes, Polycam is a software controlled robotic system that allows multiple triangulated cameras and lenses to track a point (or numerous points) of interest, simultaneously and in real-time, using a single control interface.
Although the principle of triangulated robotics is well understood, producing systems that are easily configured, deliver consistent results, fit technically and economically in a live broadcast environment and offer real creative possibilities, are vital to realising the technology's potential.
MRMC has been developing Polycam with these challenges in mind, creating self-calibrating robotic heads, robust system architecture and simplified user interfaces. This process has now produced three Polycam variations which have been extensively tested and trialled on many sports including football, tennis, basketball, horse and dog racing.
'Polycam Velocity' is designed to simplify the control of multiple cameras at race tracks and other circuits where the path of the subject is known.
'Polycam Auto' is designed to interface to 3rd party image analysis and tracking systems such as ChyronHego's TRACAB and automatically control the point of interest of the camera.
'Polycam Solo' is the general system form that allows a single operator to manually and simultaneously control multiple perspectives and camera motion from a single controller.
By refining our Polycam features, we are aiming to offer a clear path to potential production benefits. Whether the driver is cost savings, unique camera perspectives, enhanced visual analysis or multi-camera web content creation, the new Polycam configurations are designed to add value on many levels.

How has the industry changed in the past 40 years of the company's history, in your view, and how has MRMC developed alongside?

MRMC is well known as the leading manufacturer of quality motion control products. One of our core values is to be able to cater for bespoke solutions and this, really, is what drives our development. Both the industry standard MILO, which is a technical Academy award winner by itself, and FLAIR, our industry-leading Motion Control Software, are still in high demand and busier than ever.
With film and production cameras becoming smaller and more precise, producing images that are less forgiving in some respects, you need reliability accuracy precision and quality; core values for MRMC and our products. Our Motion Control Rigs such as the MILO are pixel accurate and capable of full repeatability, especially when controlled by FLAIR.

Read the article in the online version of Regional Film & Video here.
(IT/JP)