Multispectral Video Systems

The current digital transition being experienced by the motion picture industry has afforded an effective increase in dimensionality in the domains of time and space, however, comparatively little effort has been put into expanding a rigorous treatment of color. All practical motion imaging systems continue to rely on the metamerism illusion wherein a particular integrated stimulation of the three cone types found on the human retina is sufficient to reproduce the sensation of color of any real object regardless of higher order spectral composition. Such treatments fundamentally restrict cinema color reproduction, offering limitations in absolute color accuracy and gamut, observer metamerism and consistent creative communication.
Optimized multiprimary reproduction focused on spectral reproduction accuracy or metamerism reduction may ultimately prove a better answer to enhancing the color experience in future systems. It also promises to open new color management paradigms for visual effects compositing of live action and computer-generated imagery or for virtual cinematography.

Multispectral Applications in Motion Picture
“Towards Higher Dimensionality in Cinema Color: Multispectral Video Systems,” Motion Imaging Journal, April 2013

Excerpt from report on spectral imaging in motion picture applications provided during SMPTE 2012 - illustrates one design option for multispectral video capture investigated at RIT