Systems and middleware that are concerned about architecture, BIM, and city planning

(Polygon Pictures Inc. / Studio Phones)

We plan to continue to brush up this document, including additions and corrections, while monitoring the status of future meetings.

We would like to express my sincere apologies to all participants for the delay in releasing these materials, due to the impact of COVID-19 that has been rampant since 2020 and the repeated emergency declarations.

This document is based on a presentation given at the Kobe Studio Seminar for Studies on Building Information Modeling in February 2020, and has been rewritten as a document for the Craftsmanship and Artist's Techniques series of meetings.
This page will be revised from time-to-time.

http://wwwmain.h.kobe-u.ac.jp/kobe_studio_seminar/talks_sb.html.en#20200215a

At this meeting, we were able to recognize the importance of considering the environment, and gave us the opportunity to work on the following. We would be grateful if you could read the following as well.

Issues related to workplace diversification
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_workplace_diversification_issues/index.html

translated by PPI Translation Team

■Overview


Procedural modeling and procedural building, which have become hot topics in film production in recent years, are becoming increasingly popular in the field of architecture as well.
However, on the other hand, we think it is natural for a film production studio to have a lack of knowledge about architecture, and the best we can do is to deepen our understanding by talking with staff members who happen to have architecture qualifications.
In February 2020, the two moderator companies will hold a meeting to discuss BIM and other topics. In this document, we would like to summarize some of the systems and middleware that interested us in the fields of architecture, BIM, and urban planning.


■On the Day


At the meeting on the second day, while strolling around the Nakanoshima area, the theme was "Exploring a proposed platform that can provide consideration and explanations to neighborhood residents using BIM models." Taking the content of the discussion on the previous day into account, the meeting focused on the area that served as the initial venue for this special series, and discussed issues that had been identified during this series.

Details of Day Two Session
http://wwwmain.h.kobe-u.ac.jp/kobe_studio_seminar/talks_sb.html.en#20200216


It seems that the role of BIM as a platform to support communication with neighbors is gradually expanding, and the use of ICT such as VR, GIS, and BIM to support more detailed dialogue with local residents who do not have specialized knowledge is beginning to appear around the world.
On the day of the meeting, we actually walked around the Nakanoshima area and looked at the buildings while discussing how they could be used, and looking for examples.

Accelerating railway design: using VR, GIS, and BIM to gain neighborhood approval
https://www.autodesk.co.jp/redshift/railroad-design/


We discussed the feasibility of ICT to create an environment where neighborhood residents, who tend to lack specialized knowledge, can participate in in-depth discussions rather than simply being persuaded to reach a consensus. In particular, we discussed the use and potential of real-time rendering technologies such as game engines, tools for studying the exterior and interior through high-speed prototyping such as procedural building, and the possible issues involved. We also discussed the possibility of cloud services as a platform for all of the above.

In addition, with the development of modern ICT, it has become relatively accessible to consolidate information on the cloud and use this to promote various studies and discussions. Accordingly, we realized that there are many similarities with issues that have been frequently discussed in FPTS in the past. We felt these were close to the issues that had been summarized in the previous paper, "The possibilities of a cel-look pipeline and challenges to take advantage of hand-drawn animation” and in the future, it seems that we may be able to review the film production pipeline from this perspective.

The possibility of cel-look pipeline and challenges to take advantage of the hand-drawn animation
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/fppat/materials/ppi_phones_possibility_celook_pipeline_challenges/index.html


However, while it seems feasible as far as IT infrastructure technology is concerned, the participants later commented that actual implementation may be more difficult. If it is a specific area with a regional agreement, and if it is a progressive and cultural region that promotes systems which evaluate companies by giving them points for their environmental and energy-saving measures, then it may be possible to proceed; however, since there seems to be no guarantee that the system will be maintained over time, the participants commented after the fact that there are a lot of problems to be solved. Certainly, there seems to be a limit to what could be done on the business side.

On the other hand, with the recent increase in eco-conscious reporting by leading global companies, it seems that consumers are becoming more and more demanding. No matter how much a business claims to give credence to environmental concerns or be eco-conscious in its public relations, we can accept that there are more and more cases where consumers are wise enough to investigate the actual situation and make the connection between such statements and concrete actions. Therefore, while it may be possible to move in the right direction with the conscious efforts of local residents, despite possibly being unfeasible in practice, we felt it was a good meeting that gave us some hope for better development and use of BIM.


■Regionality and Studios


At this meeting, while it may take a conscious effort by local residents to move in the right direction, and thus be considered impractical, we are at the stage where proposals are being submitted and we feel it is important to expect better development. In other words, it seems that we have become acutely aware of the fact that we cannot expect to see any more changes than the current situation without looking at how to engage from the residents' side, and how to question and encourage the business and government sides.
This kind of work can only be done by living in the area for a long period of time and settling down there, and when considering the relationship between the studio base and the staff's residences, we thought it was important to find a place where we would want to settle down and conduct our film production and other activities.
On the other hand, regions themselves often undergo major changes due to "urban development" or "large-scale business plans" that we may not even be aware of, and the more speculative the activities are, the more difficult it may be for us to settle down in a particular region. As has been observed in other countries, land prices may soar due to the salary levels of companies that have developed there, and even if you want to settle down, the increasing rents may make this untenable.
While being aware of the lessons learned from this meeting, we think another major lesson from this meeting was that we realized that the issue of how to get along with the community is fraught with many problems that are quite difficult to solve. In addition, we thought that by considering the areas where each staff member can easily find a place to live, and by repeatedly examining the location of the studio as a production base, we can aim for such a studio where we can settle down to work on film production for the long term.

Approach of decentralization of bases to be considered in R&D and production
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_approach_decentralization_bases_rnd_production/index.html


■Impressions from Participating in a Meeting Outside of our Specialization


The moderators, who tend to produce the overwhelming majority of their work using digital data, were simply amazed at the scale of the issues involved in using ICT in the field of architecture. We were also reminded of issues such as sustainability and the circular economy, while conversely at the meeting, there was a lot of interest and comments on how to design IT infrastructure for film production, but as the moderators who participated in the meeting, we felt this would be doable as the scale was not that big. The meeting was all about explaining such differences in scale.
The moderators’ own impressions were that we have only encountered neighborhood explanations during the construction phase, and have received very few explanations beyond the noise and heavy vehicle issues during the construction phase. However, even though it seems difficult to realize, if it is possible to discuss the development with the neighborhood residents at the stage of basic design and implementation planning, it seems possible to develop cultural things, greenery, and landscapes that make the most of the characteristics of the area, with a sense of regional character. As mentioned above in the "On the Day" section, we were aware that it was going to be difficult, but the meeting did make us feel that there was at least a little hope.

On the other hand, there is naturally little room for the moderators, who specialize in film production, to do anything about these issues, and we were astonished at the sheer number of issues that could not be covered by ideas such as realistic 3DCG for publicity and advertising, or innovations in IT infrastructure.
Nevertheless, in order to make the most of what we learned at this meeting, we would like to raise awareness of the issues of energy and resource conservation in film production, even if only gradually. There seems to be very little we can do in practice, but we hope to make the most of it.

JETRO - Europe's Path to a Circular Economy
https://www.jetro.go.jp/biz/areareports/special/2020/0601.html

JETRO - Sustainability spreading to daily necessities trends, and increasing consumer needs (Germany)
https://www.jetro.go.jp/biz/areareports/2020/6f7bb3bf444ff59b.html

Issues of energy saving as a production system
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_energy_saving_production_system/index.html


■Looming drastic changes to the nature of cities


During the period of remote work implementation due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, as in this meeting there were many things that made us think of the nature of towns and buildings and how the functionality required will change drastically compared to the situation we discussed during the pre-COVID period. The moderators' impressions of the film production pipeline are summarized below.

Remote work promotion and office space functionality
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_remote_work_office_space_functionality/index.html


■Links


Things the Built World Can Learn from a Filmmaker's Digital Pipeline (Autodesk, Redshift)
https://www.autodesk.co.jp/redshift/digital-pipeline/


Sidewalk Labs
The stoppage of the Quayside project has been in the news, but we think that the various documents are still important and thus will continue to refer to them in future as well.
https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/why-were-no-longer-pursuing-the-quayside-project-and-what-s-next-for-sidewalk-labs-9a61de3fee3a

We feel that many of us were inspired by those aspects of digital innovation, sustainability, greening, energy conservation, and various changes to systems. The moderators would like to refer to this when thinking about the pre-production process of film production, including the approach to co-study.

Sidewalk Labs
https://www.sidewalklabs.com/

Sidewalk Labs - Toronto
https://www.sidewalktoronto.ca/

Sidewalk Labs - blog
https://www.sidewalklabs.com/blog/

Common Space
https://commonspace.sidewalklabs.com/

Replica
https://replicahq.com/

This also includes introductions to generative design tools, and we would like to highlight the following in particular at this meeting.
We feel it will be very helpful in terms of the study process using machine learning, etc., to ensure good lighting and open spaces.
We have the impression that this kind of approach is good for consideration of neighboring buildings and residents, and as a communication tool to build mutual understanding.

A first step toward the future of neighborhood design
https://medium.com/sidewalk-talk/a-first-step-toward-the-future-of-neighborhood-design-a2777ad69550



BIM

Production Pipeline Basics and BIM for Film and Games - Summary (Virtual Workflow Diagram for Discussion)
http://wwwmain.h.kobe-u.ac.jp/kobe_studio_seminar/talks_sb.html.ja#20190118

Autodesk - Revit
https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/overview

Graphisoft - ArchiCad
https://www.graphisoft.com/archicad/



Articles that may be helpful.

Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design
http://www.simaud.org/

Eurographics Symposium on Geometry Processing (search for “SGP” within the link)
https://kesen.realtimerendering.com/



Web Technologies Etc.

Open GEE(google earth enterprise open source)
https://www.opengee.org/

oogle earth enterprise,github
https://github.com/google/earthenterprise/

mapbox(Mapbox: Customizable Maps API)
https://www.mapbox.com/

mapbox studio(A map design tool)
https://www.mapbox.com/mapbox-studio/



Maps

Location Picker (searching within Github brings up many results)
https://www.google.com/search?q=Location+Picker+github&oq=Location+Picker+github

open street map
https://www.openstreetmap.org/

openlayers
https://openlayers.org/

open cycle map
http://www.opencyclemap.org/

open railways map
https://openrailwaymap.org/

Leaflet
https://leafletjs.com/



Topographical Data, Etc.

OpenTopography
https://opentopography.org/

opendem
https://www.opendem.info/

webgis
http://www.webgis.com/



■Preparations for the Meeting (the following items were added after the meeting)


This time, although we only have a certain level of knowledge in film production, since we were able to discuss with BIM experts, we wanted to raise some issues from their perspective based on their experience in building film production pipelines and the IT infrastructure that supports them.

This time, with reference to the vast amount of material from Sidewalk Labs Toronto, we wanted to focus on the use of ICT and the use of geo-environmental information as local information, and pose questions based on the following subjects. This time, in line with the background summarized in "The Appeal of Trials that are Beginning to Surpass Skills" in the past meetings, we came to the meeting with as much thought as possible beforehand, despite our lack of knowledge, and regarded the meeting as our own trial.


Fun of the trial, which began more than a skill
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_trial_began_beyond_skill/index.html

As a result, we feel that this meeting was able to touch on various efforts to improve efficiency in the building and construction industry, but there was no introduction of the use of BIM for the consideration of local communities and neighbors in the areas where the buildings will actually be built. However, we were able to talk about the possibilities from many different angles. For this reason, it was not possible to confirm whether BIM was being used to improve the environment in a broader sense, or whether it was being used with consideration for residents and the living environment. However, as awareness of the issue was presented in this lecture, we were able to confirm that BIM itself already has more than enough technical background to be used in such a way, and that there is a possibility that it can be used to consciously consider neighbors, improve the community as a whole, and improve the environment surrounding the community itself.
However, looking at the reality of the situation, we cannot ignore the fact that, as mentioned above in the "On the day" section, some people later expressed the opinion that it would be difficult to actually realize. I think it is possible to delve into proposals from the system side, and to discuss the possibility of system infrastructure that can be discussed from various angles regarding its use cases, but the scope of discussion at our civilian level small, and the limits of our basic knowledge and the time we can spend on it are limited.



■Matters Arising During Q&A


This time, certain information was posted on the meeting page as preliminary materials. For this reason, in order to be able to have a deeper discussion in the session on February 16, "Exploring a Platform for Giving Consideration and Explanation to Neighbors Using BIM Models," we had gathered information in advance with an awareness of the various buildings surrounding the building, the perspectives of the people living in the building, regional revitalization, and cultural aspects of the region.


     The view that can be seen from a certain building


In recent years, Google Earth and Google Maps have become widespread in our daily lives, making it easier to grasp the actual landscape around buildings. Computer graphics (2D and 3DCG), virtual reality and augmented reality realized by real-time processing are becoming more and more familiar, and today we have a technological background that allows us to consider a wide range of perspectives, even the perspective of residents who are often non-specialists in architecture.
In addition, as research on lighting studies using BIM models and simulations for securing open spaces using machine learning and other methods are becoming more and more popular, many study processes, such as building construction patterns that take into account the conditions of the surrounding area, are becoming more systematic and transparent. As this continues, it will be possible to combine the study process with the generation of reports from a relatively objective viewpoint as simulations. It seems to us that there is potential for development in which even non-specialists can understand the results of a simulation as if they were conducted by experts.



     Lighting


At the meeting, we discussed various questions related to these issues with BIM experts, and we would like to discuss some of the topics that came up in particular in the following section, "Application of ICT to Local Cultural Characteristics and Records”.
We would also like to summarize the issues raised at the meeting in this page.


■Application of ICT to Local Cultural Characteristics and Records


At the meeting, various opinions were exchanged from the viewpoint of "the use of ICT regarding the cultural nature of the region and its recording," among which various ideas utilizing real-time processing such as film production technology and games were discussed.

In the pre-production process of film production, we have been building and operating a server-side service that records the various study processes that lead to the formulation of the actual production plan, and that can be referred to during and after production. When thinking about it in this way, we realized that, as a way of recording the cultural characteristics of an area, it would be possible to record the various plans that were considered before a building was actually built in that area, and to access that information even after the building was built. We also felt that it might be possible to build and operate a server-side service that records the history of the area, such as what aspects of the local culture the building was designed with in mind before it was built, as well as the history of the area.

In fact, looking at the various materials from Sidewalk Labs, it seems that there are meetings where people can discuss openly on an ongoing basis, and the circulation of knowledge sharing that accompanies discussions such as co-design->synthesis->shareout->research->review->reduce seems to be working effectively. We did not participate in this project, so we do not know the actual situation. However, it seemed to us that it would be meaningful to explore the use of ICT in the direction of creating a system that would allow local residents to view their respective efforts after the fact, and to build a place for collaborative efforts and discussions.
In addition, if such a system can be developed, it will be possible for owners and businesses to simulate how the building will look from the surrounding area and the effects of the building's construction during the building study phase, so that even if you are not an architectural expert, you can do a lot of study and develop your ideas in advance.


Large-scale assets and cataloged
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/fppat/materials/ppi_phones_assets_catalog/index.html

hanging awareness of catalog production
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_awareness_catalog_production/index.html



     How it looks from the surroundings


Procedural modeling and procedural building, which are often used in recent years in film production and game production, are excellent for systematic development based on certain rules such as color and material planning. When designing a building, it is possible to study the matching of the building with the surrounding buildings by means of rule-based simulations, and by visualizing the results of these simulations, it seems as though it would be possible to obtain the understanding of the neighboring residents before construction.
At least from a film production point-of-view it seems it would be possible to evaluate construction plans based on the building layout generated by the simulation as a system to study safety, and to conduct safety simulations such as whether evacuation routes can be secured in the event of an emergency. At the very least, these developments seem to be effective in the sense of using film production to think about how to design a city, the people who live there, and their lifestyles. At this meeting, we would like to take advantage of the opportunity to have a discussion with BIM experts and ask careful questions from this perspective.



     Immediate neighborhood considerations



     Wider neighborhood considerations



■Considerations for energy and resource conservation in utilizing ICT


3DCG is considered to be a technical area that is sometimes considered to be a problem because it requires a lot of computing resources, but when considering the use of ICT to handle it as a server-side service that can be accessed by many users through a web browser, for example, energy efficiency in visualization will become an important issue.
For example, suppose that 1,000 residents of a neighborhood simultaneously access a server-side service that can be viewed as they walk around the city via a web browser. In such a case, if those 1000 people are provided with 3DCG reproductions of the cityscape from their respective viewpoints, the power requirements of the CPUs and GPUs to support them will reach a considerable scale. This may be a typical case where energy efficiency needs to be considered in visualization, but it is also likely that constant review of various rendering algorithms will be necessary, and this may be a point where sufficient consideration should be given during service design.
In addition, when considering a web service that visualizes an entire cityscape, it will first be necessary to prepare all the assets necessary to recreate the cityscape and to create a mechanism for high-speed access to these. At the same time, it will be necessary to consider how to reduce the weight of assets (how to make the data smaller) and how to switch assets according to the distance from the viewpoint, such as Level of Detail (LoD).

The realization of web services will naturally require consideration of such energy and resource conservation, and since such devices will also be an issue in film production and game production, we would like to be conscious of this in our future activities at FPTS.


Game engine considered from each process of film production
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_game_engine_considered_from_film/index.html

Real-time processing in film production
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_realtime_processing_film_production/index.html


■VEmphasizing Objectivity in Visualization and Cataloging


In this meeting, discussions were held from the perspective of consideration for neighbors and the use of 3DCG in explanations. The use of visualization technology with a strong awareness of objectivity is a matter that has been emphasized in recent years in film production from the perspective of cataloging large-scale assets, and the ability to discuss this point with BIM experts felt like a noteworthy aspect of this meeting.

Visualization technology, in the sense of conveying the details of streetscapes and buildings from an objective perspective, without advertising or pretense, was the key word discussed at the meeting, but unlike film production, which is full of rhetoric, the point of ArchViz, which is mainly used for commercial purposes seems to be different.
It was also mentioned that it is important to think about the visualization process in a more systematic way in terms of providing consideration and explanations to neighborhood residents. Although these viewpoints have been considered important in large-scale cataloging for pre-production servers in film production, it seemed to be an issue from a very fresh perspective in the sense that visualization from these viewpoints would be necessary for the film that would become the final product.


Large-scale assets and cataloged
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/fppat/materials/ppi_phones_assets_catalog/index.html

Changing awareness of catalog production
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_awareness_catalog_production/index.html


As can be seen in the automated reporting systems that have been steadily evolving in the media field recently, the generation of reports that maintain consistency without advertising or exaggeration seems to be important in the "search for a platform that can provide consideration and explanations to neighborhood residents using BIM models" that was discussed at this meeting.
In the process of developing a design plan in response to questions from various aspects, it seemed important to create a system that would systematically generate reports and thereby enhance objectivity.


■Storage Space and Savings


Reducing the weight and cost of data storage media such as HDDs and SSDs seems to be one of the most important issues in IT infrastructure these days, but it also seems that most of the storage for digital data tends to accumulate in a sort of unlimited way if we do not consciously think about which data to save and hold on to. It is said that many film production studios these days are equipped with petabyte-level storage, so we can store as much data as we want. However, if one does not store data with a mind to “tidiness”, there is a tendency to have more trouble retrieving it after the fact, and lose portability inadvertently. Just as in our daily lives, it may be important to not carelessly accumulate things just because we have enough storage space to do so. At this meeting, we felt that if we were to use IT infrastructure to gather and store a large number of opinions, and if we were to seek specifications that would stand up to searches, we would need to reconsider the issue of storage.
On top of that, for the storage media itself, as Japan is prone to earthquakes it will be important to install servers in buildings that are earthquake-proof and seismically isolated, and to have a long-term storage system with redundant storage in remote locations.


■Potential of Procedural Studies and Challenges of Server-side Service Support


Patterning the design process seems to be a difficult task. However, as the studio matures, volume studies of the building, lighting studies, evacuation plans, and construction plan studies will reflect the vocabulary of film production, and will become easier to pattern for each studio. However, this may also be important in supporting the individuality of the studio. In the process of preparing for the meeting, we were able to feel the significance of systematically developing the study process in the pre-production process of film production. These points have been discussed many times in the past meetings, and we would like to continue to think about them in the future, along with the awareness of the issues gained during those sessions.

Design of server-side services to support the variance of artwork
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/fppat/materials/ppi_phones_support_variance_artwork/index.html

De-standardization to advance within the studio
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/fppat/materials/ppi_phones_destandard_advance_company/index.html


In the design of server-side services to support these ideas, we had the impression that the design issues would become more sophisticated with a view to expanding the use of large amounts of metadata associated with handling of large-scale assets, including aspects such as ERP (enterprise resource planning) and globalization of account management in public and private clouds. In particular, it seemed to be an issue of how much abstraction can be maintained in the design of the various vocabularies in art direction, with a mind to the design of the server-side automation engine. Through this series of meetings, we came into contact with knowledge from the field of architecture, which deepened our understanding of the issues involved in film production, such as dealing with large-scale simulations while storing the results as lightweight data, or organizing the vocabulary of art direction in order to improve searchability after the fact.

The city and crowd simulation with referencing on the server side
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/fppat/materials/ppi_phones_sim_referencing/index.html


■Effective Areas of Mathematical Methods, Including Simulation for Construction Planning, etc.


In this meeting, we were preparing to ask questions to architectural experts about the possibility of simulating construction plans, evaluating the effectiveness of evacuation routes, and simulating how building winds impact the surrounding area, as well as other approaches, based on the examples of Sidewalk Labs' use of generative design tools.
As a mathematical simulation, we thought it would be meaningful to consider an objective evaluation system and an automated reporting system, but if possible we were also preparing to ask about issues from the perspective of architecture, such as the flexibility and challenges of BIM on the cloud side, and the design of server-side services that take into account usability and energy efficiency in operation.






As a result, among the various opinions expressed in the audience, the consensus seemed to be that it would be technically possible to create a sufficient foundation within the scope of modern technology. Rather than technical issues, the problems seem to be more about the maturation of practices that support communication between businesses, government, and residents in the first place, and as long as it is supposed to be promoted by businesses, it seems as though it will be limited.
However, there were many opinions that via modern ICT, BIM could be good for awareness of residents, and at the very least it seems that there could be great potential for this as an ICT to encourage participation on the resident level.


■What We Learned from this Meeting and How We Can Improve our film Production Pipeline (From here, we will discuss how we can make use of what we learned from the meeting.


From the perspective of diversity of sensibilities and art direction

In the art direction of film production, various trials are carried out in the pre-production phase based on the client's ideas of aesthetics, art style, and the direction they want to focus on (basic policy in terms of art direction). In terms of IT infrastructure design, it is also naturally important to create a system that allows the pre-production team and all staff involved in the production to accept a diverse array of abilities, skills, sensitivities, and experiences (including work history) in order to iterate proposals to the client, which in turn include their own diverse array of ideas, aesthetics, styles, values, interests, thoughts, etc.
As communication is an important element in this process, the use of procedural technology for automated variation generation is also in line with this industrial background. Even with words such as "cute," "pretty," and "beautiful," which are used frequently, all the artists, clients, and partners involved in the production process tend to develop looks based on varying interpretations.

While there tends to be a director who is ultimately in charge of art direction, in the pre-production pipeline it is very important to narrow down while also exploring the range of sensibilities, values, aesthetics, and ideas of all the staff involved. Of course, the artisanal aspects of the work are important, such as forms or colors that only a certain person can produce, etc. However, as I have mentioned in past meetings, there is a tendency to systematize the reusability and expandability of artistic touches and other sensibilities that could only be handled in the past within the framework of studio culture to increase efficiency, and on top of that, to explore new sensibilities and aesthetics.
These efforts are still in their infancy, but as I discussed in the session on February 16, "Exploring a Platform for Giving Consideration and Explanations to Neighborhood Residents Using BIM Models," I felt that there are similar issues to be addressed in the pre-production pipeline for film production.


©Haruhisa Nakata / Shueisha, Polygon Pictures



Archiving the diverse sensibilities, ideas, and aesthetics from our staff

Polygon Pictures is one of the longest-lived CG studios in the world. While our studio has been working since the dawn of CG, our artistic trials have been archived as a vast amount of data over the years. Of course, while some data may need remastering, etc., the fact remains that a vast number of artists have been repeatedly creating and inventing based on a variety of ideas and aesthetics, demonstrating their unique sensibilities.
Polygon Pictures has developed and operates a system called Pinoco that supports pre-production, and it has a long history of archiving the ongoing challenges of various ideas from a diverse array of artists and the dialogue of art direction. This keeps records of the sensitivities of the participating artists and their dialogues with the directors, which were developed along with the original creators’ values, as well as the trends in the looks and stories of the roughly categorized various works. At present, based on these assets of Polygon Pictures, that is, the records of the sensibilities of the artists who have worked at Polygon Pictures in various forms, we are in the process of creating a "map" for art directors on new works, and a system that allows them to revisit these assets stored in specific categories almost like a sightseeing tour.
We are in the process of developing a studio culture that will serve as a benchmark for communication between artists and directors in the works we create, while giving first priority to respecting the artists who participated in the production and listening to their diverse sensibilities, aesthetics, and worldviews.

Trial as a staff, trial as a studio
https://a-film-production-technique-seminar.com/crafts/materials/ppi_phones_trial_as_staff_and_studio/index.html



©Haruhisa Nakata / Shueisha, Polygon Pictures




A production environment that is conscious of its diverse cultures and their coexistence

In Polygon Pictures’ studio, there are many staff members who seem to keep their diverse sensibilities intact, such as those with punk outfits, rockers, and even those who dress ostensibly like businessmen. As proof of this, below is a scene from the Polygon Pictures office. First of all, we think the studio has a casual mood, which was quite a rarity in pre-COVID Japan. For this reason, the staff of Polygon Pictures can be considered to have no small number of aspects that allow them to create in a free mindset, and while maintaining a large-scale production system that has been streamlined through the improvement of the film production pipeline, the sensitivity, aesthetics, and views of the artists are first respected, and coexistence seems to be progressing while always maintaining diversity.
We also have a large number of foreign staff members, and the PPI Translation Team is working to break down language barriers and promote better harmony between sensibilities, aesthetics, and worldviews from a global perspective.
It can be said that it is a kind of ideal that multi-talented people "live" together, and in the sense of divergence, it is possible to improve the communication pipeline in all processes of film production. In the same way as the issue in the session of February 16, "Seeking a platform that can provide consideration and explanations to neighborhood residents using BIM models," it was thought that improvements could be considered for the communication system with all parties involved in preliminary design, basic design, and implementation design.

Art direction and dialogue that is needed there
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Designing a communication system that facilitates conversation and respects the wishes of the staff

In the same way as the various reforms based on the premise of remote work that often appear in the context of during-COVID and post-COVID, the issue of how to establish a mood in which staff members with diverse sensibilities, aesthetics, views, backgrounds, and skills can freely discuss with each other online will become even more important in the future.
It has been a topic of discussion in various venues that the more communication occurs online, the more it tends to atrophy. This is also true in the film production pipeline, and I think it is important to create a system and a team mood that allows participating artists to proceed with various trials based on their own sensibilities without hesitation, and to present to the production participants without hesitation even if the products are based on sensibilities that at first glance might seem unacceptable.
There are many processes that depend on the diverse ideas and sensitivities of the staff, and these are also of high importance in gaining an advantage as an industrial studio. In this context, even more than the IT infrastructure issues, there are issues similar to those in the session of February 16, "Exploring a platform for providing consideration and explanations to neighborhood residents using BIM models," i.e., whether it is possible to provide accurate explanations and promote communication while providing consideration to all parties involved. In other words, the question is whether we can provide accurate explanations and promote communication while taking all participants into consideration. We felt that these issues were ones that we would like to consciously consider in our film production going forward as a result of this meeting.





■Summary


We were able to get in touch with the construction flow and issues in the field of architecture, which is on a different scale from the film production we deal with, but on a scale similar to blockbusters overseas. It seems that we were able to change our perception in a positive sense from the state where we could previously only see the connection between realistic CG and architectural perspectives.
In the process, we were able to recognize the importance of respecting the diversity of individual sensitivities, aesthetics, and views, while at the same time maintaining a certain level of cohesion in the formation of culture, and the importance of designing systems infrastructure that supports these efforts on both sides for communication, from a perspective different from film production.
We would like to make use of what we have learned in this meeting in our film production, and to compile the things and issues that we felt have been improved, little by little, as materials for this "A Film Production Technique Seminar".
Once again, we would like to thank all the participants of the meeting for their valuable insights.