If you are a movie aficionado, you will most likely have seen a lot of classic movies. However, you will be surprised how robotics has enabled directors to enhance key aspects of these movies. Robotics has changed a great deal in the past few decades, and their progress and innovation has also helped movie studios and directors reach new heights of filmmaking in the process. Here are 7 ways robots made movies so much better.
Table of Contents
1. Animatronics
If you’ve watched movies such as Jurassic Park or Jaws, you would most likely have been scared and amazed at the realistic portrayals of dinosaurs and great white sharks. They were so realistic that some people might even wonder if there were actually real creatures:
In reality, these majestic beasts were animatronic creations. They were life size robots that could be programmed to move in a certain way. Animatronics were extremely expensive, which is why most filmmakers nowadays choose to use CGI animations instead. However, animatronics are still quite popular in filming monster movies.
If you are thinking of filming a movie of your own, and if you need animatronics,you could make them yourself. You just need basic robotic limbs to work with. If you are going to invest in animatronics, you could approach EVS. It is one of the top automation equipment suppliers in the world. While their robots are usually used for industrial purposes, they could also be converted for animatronic purposes.
2. As Filming Equipment
Aside from animatronic beasts and monsters, robots were also used as filming equipment. Back in the day, filming equipment was quite expensive, and directors needed large moving platforms in order to keep pace with action scenes.
There are also times where directors had to use a helicopter or even a plane just to get a specific shot. However, with the rise of robotic limbs, filmmakers were able to utilize them to reach areas that they were unable to reach.
When it comes to robots being used for filming, the most advanced is the drone. It is beloved by most filmmakers, because it can be used to reach isolated areas. They are also perfect for taking wide shots over mountains and open seas. With drones, filmmakers will no longer need to rent a plane or helicopter in order to get to hard to reach areas. Drones are also very portable, which cuts out the need for big filming equipment.
3. As Iconic Characters
If you were able to catch classic movies such as E.T the extraterrestrial or the terminator franchise, you would be surprised that robots were used to bring these characters to life. E.T was a small doll that could be controlled via remote control by puppeteers. The same could be said for the T-100 robotic skeleton. While Arnold Swarzenegger did portray the T-100 with skin, it was still puppeteers that controlled the T-100s skeleton.
4. As Lighting Equipment
During the early days of filmmaking, camera men had to work really hard in order to get a specific angle for their lighting. With the rise of robotic arms though, camera men no longer needed to risk their lives in order to adjust lighting. Robotic limbs could now be l attached to specific areas and they could be controlled via remote control. They could also be attached with LED lights that will allow them to change the feel and atmosphere of a set.
5. As Logistics Equipment
There will be times during a shooting that the entire crew has to go to dangerous and rugged terrain. They might have to travel on foot,and vehicles won’t be able to travel on these rough roads. Luckily there are robots that are especially made for transporting heavy equipment through dangerous terrain. The robot could be used to bring essential filming equipment, and first aid kits and hand sanitizers for the whole team.
6. As Stunt Doubles
In recent years, there has been research for robots being used as stunt doubles. The most advanced version of this type of robot is the Stuntronic. It is an animatronic stunt double, and is capable of incredible feats of flexibility, speed, and strength. It is also durable enough to take a great deal of impact and could move with incredible speed and grace. While there has always been a great tradition of stunt men working in the filmmaking business, having robot stunt doubles is not too bad. It will at least lessen the chances of stunt men getting hurt doing stunts.
Aside from lessening the number of injuries for human stuntmen, the Stuntronic will also elevate the level of stunts that could be done. While human stuntmen are athletic , and could do a majority of stunts flawlessly there is still a chance that they might make mistakes. Robot stuntmen on the other hand only need the right program and they could do stunts without fail.
7. As Actors
Aside from stunt doubles, robots could also be utilized as actors. This might seem like a far-fetched notion, however, robots have evolved to a degree that they could emulate human movement and expression.
Just recently there have been great strides in robot actors. A robot actor named Erica was given the leading role in the movie b. The robot is installed with artificial intelligence, and could learn how to act through method acting. With this incredible innovation, the movie industry might see the popularity of robot actors and actresses increase.
Conclusion
In the past few decades, filmmaking has steadily evolved. One of the key but little known factors in this evolution is robotics. With the help of robotics, filmmakers have gradually reached new heights of innovation as well. By reading this article, you now know how important robots are to the filmmaking industry.
