Aside from the automated elections accomplished by the Comelec, two TV networks also displayed some hi-tech broadcasting over the week.
On one side, ABS-CBN employed Augmented Reality (AR) while GMA 7 claims they’re using some sort of hologram.
Let’s see some sample clips below.
Here’s the one by GMA 7:
The holographic image on the GMA 7 video looks clean and cut around the edges. This was made possible because the station used green screens (chroma key) to separate the person from the background. However, I don’t think they were able to bring the green screens out in the field so this was also done in the studio.
Here’s the one by ABS-CBN:
This one by ABS-CBN doesn’t seem to be nicely trimmed so you will see a portion of the background around the person being projected (the video over-lay is more prominent here once that cut-out footage of that truck is shown). However, this technique allowed the station to shoot out in the field (not sure though if they used multiple cameras here).
CNN did a more convincing one during the last US Elections — the render solid and cuts around the edge of the body with multiple angles; not flat and seemingly one-sided as the one we’re seeing in the videos above.
What would have been a much better method was a combination of the two — bring a collapsible tent out to the field, pull down some green screens and shoot using multiple cameras. I think this is what CNN did but it’s more expensive, needs more crew to operate and requires a lot of bandwidth.
In the end, I think it’s all about how the viewers perceived the broadcast and how it added to the viewing experience (technically speaking, these aren’t really holograms but augmented reality). So, who do you think did a better job at it?
Note: I didn’t watch any TV (except the livestream of ANC) during the whole election so I didn’t knew about this until last night when one of the TV stations called me up asking for help about featuring “hi-tech stuff”.
Update: Evening news by both GMA 7 and ABS-CBN tonight clarified some terminologies. ABS-CBN stressed they used the term “virtual presence” and alleges GMA 7 did not use the “hologram” technology the latter reported it did. GMA 7, on the other hand, somewhat back-tracked and referred to it as “holographic effect”. The station initially tested it in their studio then actually did it on the field.
Nakakatulong din ang mga ratings kasi kapag may mga competition eh mas nag-i-improve ang mga stations. Mudslinging o batuhan ng putik, natural na yan sa pulitika, pati na rin sa tv networks. Naalala ko yung dating company na pinapasukan ko, sabi nya “ako lang ang may ganitong benefits na binibigay sa tao, ako ang number 1 sa lahat ng industrial companies sa philippines, etc.”, pero sa isip ko “ang dami kaya sir na mas maganda pang kumpanya”. hehe! Ganyan sa mga rivals, sasabihin ng team A “we’re number one, we’re number one!” Sasagot naman ang team B “Liar, liar, pants on fire!” hehe! Basta walang pikunan kasi para walang away. Kung sabi ng isa na sila lang ang may technology na ganun eh ang sagot lang dun eh “hindi kaya, kaya din namin yan, ang tech namin ay mas maganda”, in that way maganda ang batuhan ng sagot. Kasi kung sasabihan mo pa ng “nandadaya kayo, mga sinungaling” eh magkakasamaan lang ng loob. Opinion ko lang naman yun. Kahit mababa pa ang rating ng isang channel pero nandun yung panunuorin kong palabas eh dun ako manunuod, wala akong pakialam kung sino ang number 1. Tawagin man nilang hologram, hologram effect, or virtual presence, para sa akin eh isa lamang itong camera tricks.