Using communicative acts to plan the cinematographic structure of animations

Abstract

A planning system that aids animators in presenting their cinematic intentions using a range of techniques available to cinematographers is described. The system employs a knowledge base of cinematic techniques such as lighting, color choice, framing, and pacing to enhance the expressive power of an animation. The system demonstrates the ability to apply cinematography knowledge to a pre-defined animation in a way that alters the viewer’s perceptions of that animation. The tool is able to apply cinematography techniques to communicate information, emotion, and intentions to the viewer. The application of cinematography knowledge to animations is performed by a communicative act planner that draws on techniques from Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST). The RST-guided planning paradigm generates coherent communicative plans that apply cinematography knowledge in a principled way. An example shows how the system-generated cinematography structure can enhance the communicative intent of an animation.