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RBS Six Nations signs on the grass, how?
How do they do the RBS signs on the grass ?
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8 Replies
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Dunno, some sort of paint I think. Remember one year when it was all coming off on the players? Covered, they were! Faces, arms, legs the lot…
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they are painted at a skew angle so when the camera hits it it looks correct 😉
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Did this for a few years at our local ground until it was objected to by a traditionalist with power!
We used special spray that doesnt harm the grass, and you hold the can upside down, handy stuff. We did ours by eye as it wasn’t for cameras but I imagine it is a computer template they use, -
yup, painted, only seen them from a corner view at the millenium stadium though, they look odd then!
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I’d always thought it was probably CGI, but apparently it’s all hand painted.
Would have thought some guy in a graphics room might have been the easiest way do do it…just a template with registration points that uses ‘green screen’ ie. the grass (so the players can interact with the ‘background’) and no matter what camera is used the virtual pitch always displays the correct view (non-distorted) of any logo.
I know CGI gets used in F1 from time to time (as they can be a bit fake looking.)
Here’s a how to:
quote :ADVERTISING PITCH
I am intrigued as to how they manage to paint those apparently misshapen advertisements on cricket, football and rugby pitches, that appear correct when viewed on TV cameras. Is there a software program that resizes and shapes the design to the correct proportions and some sort of printer for grass surfaces, or it is done by hand?Steve Hunter, via email
I work for Quintus (www.quintusgroup.com) who have an exclusive licence and patent for Mirage 3D Pitch Branding in the UK, Ireland and other parts of the world and it has appeared at many televised sports events over the past decade.
The process that delivers the sponsor’s logo on to the ground is known as Inverse Perspective Transformation. It begins with a survey of the stadium to determine the position of the television cameras in relation to the pitch. This data is then used by a specialised computer program to transform the original 2D logo into a template. This template is then laid either directly on to the grass and painted by skilled painters or an Astroturf mat is made that can be laid directly on to the turf itself. The software also dictates the precise area on the pitch where the logo is to be placed in order for it to appear 3D when viewed through the television camera.
Unless the logo is seen through the designated television camera it appears distorted and misshapen but when viewed on TV the logo appears to be standing upright or floating on the screen. If the logo is painted directly on to the turf it is applied by teams of up to 5 workers who utilise the time available between matches to paint the logo from the template. Mats are produced prior to the event and then taken to the ground and laid out in the prescribed position. All logos are hand painted using either water based paint or aerosol depending on whether they are on grass or Astroturf.
Rob Hillman, Quintus Events Ltd, via email
In all cases known to me, it is done by hand. A video camera is set up at the precise position where it will be for the games and a monitor is carried onto the grass with the picture from the camera and a correctly proportioned logo drawn on the monitor. The artist in charge of painting the pitch then works his distorted magic and, voila, a lovely logo for the sponsor appears perfectly for match after match! In the US, it is another story; the ads apparently appear on the stands, thanks to coloured shapes painted walls and surfaces, this is then blended by real-time software to create a seamless impression of marketing magic.
Richard Thompson, via emailso…the ‘scrolling / animated’ advertising boards round the pitch.
LED T.V.s or CG?
Dave
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i can tell you from working in sports advertising and branding game that its an exclusive contract with a company (south african company Im sure) who do this, it aint rocket science really, pretty sure its a big stencil which takes into account the camera angle and then the colours are painted on.
* ps sorry dave just read all your email, quintas group thats the one! re the rolling advertising its single unit LEDs all joined together to make the scrolling message. that full line system used today costs circa £300k its an english agency who sell all the 6 nations stuff as they have deals with the SRU.
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dont know why they bother
I’m sure they could just superimpose it virtualy so as it comes up on the grass form any angle.
Watched a bit of the superbowl the other night and they had markers/arrow things onscreen that looked like they were on the ground.
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just a thought…
i don’t watch much football, but i’ve never noticed these signs on their pitches, I wonder if this is because they’d find a way to trip over them and roll around clutching their ankle?
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