Camera movements in stage and film productions are often executed manually by camera operators based on script cues like “pan to actor X.” This process is error prone, labor intensive, and difficult to execute consistently, especially for small-scale productions with lower budgets. As of right now, there is no automated system that can interpret these cues and dynamically reposition a camera to focus on the correct actor.
Our project, Autocam, is a motorized camera system aiming to solve this dilemma by automatically and smoothly switching between multiple people without a human camera operator. This remote-controlled or script-based system consists of a smartphone camera mounted on a motorized stand and rail that follows, tracks, and accurately frames the designated actor, who will be wearing lightweight UWB sensors, in real time.