System and Method for Integrating Digital Background with Stage Performance

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for expanding the apparent range of movement of actors during a stage performance, from a stage platform to a background display, or from a background display to a stage platform. The appearance of the live actors on the stage platform and images of the live actors on the background display is the same. Timing, location and movement of the live actors on the stage platform is integrated with images of the actors on the background display. The integration of the live actors and images appears to an audience that an actor has moved from stage platform to the background display, or from the background display to the stage platform.

1 . A stage performance, comprising:
 a live actor on a stage platform; and   an image of the actor on a stage backdrop;   where one of the actor or image is visible to an audience at one time, and the other is not visible, and where there is a transitioning between visibility to the audience of either the actor and the image, or the image and the actor; and   where the image includes a digital image, where a costume and a costume color of the image is the same as the costume and costume color of the actor.   
     
     
         2 . The stage performance of  claim 1 , where the transitioning includes one of;
 i) the actor moving in a direction to exit the stage platform, and appearance of the image on the stage backdrop at about the time the actor exits the stage platform and in about the same location as where the actor exits the stage platform; or   ii) the image moving in a direction to exit the stage backdrop, and appearance of the actor on the stage platform at about the time the image exits the stage backdrop and in about the same location as where the image exits the stage backdrop.   
     
     
         3 . The stage performance of  claim 2 , where the transitioning includes one of:
 i) prior to exit from the stage platform, movement of the actor on the stage platform that is coordinated in direction and speed with subsequent movement of the image on the stage backdrop; or   ii) prior to exit from the stage backdrop, movement of the image on the stage backdrop that is coordinated in direction and speed with subsequent movement of the actor on the stage platform.   
     
     
         4 . The stage performance of  claim 1 , where the digital image includes a facial appearance that is the same as the facial appearance of the actor. 
     
     
         5 . The stage performance of  claim 1 , where the image of the actor moves across the stage backdrop and changes size during movement to simulate a change in distance between the audience and the image. 
     
     
         6 . The stage performance of  claim 5 , where size of the image becomes smaller during movement to simulate an increase in distance between the audience and the image, or size of the image becomes larger during movement to simulate a decrease in distance between the audience and the image. 
     
     
         7 . A stage performance, comprising:
 multiple actors on a stage platform; and   multiple images of actors on a display screen;   where an actor that leaves the stage platform is replaced by an image of the actor on the display screen, or an image of the actor that leaves the display screen is replaced by an actor on the stage platform.   
     
     
         8 . The stage performance of  claim 7 , where at least one of:
 i) actors leave the stage platform sequentially and are replaced sequentially on the display screen by images of actors;   ii) images of actors leave the display screen sequentially and are replaced sequentially on the stage platform by actors;   iii) actors leave the stage platform simultaneously and are replaced simultaneously on the display screen by images of actors; or   iv) images of actors leave the display screen simultaneously and are replaced simultaneously on the stage platform by actors.   
     
     
         9 . The stage performance of  claim 7 , where the images of actors have costumes and costume colors that are the same as costumes and costume colors of the actors. 
     
     
         10 . The stage performance of  claim 8 , where the images of actors change position and size on the display screen to simulate movement either closer to, or farther from, an audience. 
     
     
         11 . A method for presenting a stage performance, comprising at least one of:
 i) moving a live actor on a stage platform in a direction to exit the stage platform;   displaying a precision image of the live actor on a stage backdrop subsequent to the live actor exiting the stage platform and in the general location where the actor exits the stage platform; and   moving the precision image of the live actor on the stage backdrop in a direction and at a speed that is coordinated with prior movement of the actor on the stage platform; or   ii) moving a precision image of a live actor on a stage backdrop in a direction to exit the stage backdrop;   displaying a live actor on a stage platform subsequent to the precision image exiting the stage backdrop and in the general location where the precision image exits the stage backdrop; and   moving the live actor on the stage platform in a direction and at a speed that is coordinated with prior movement of the precision image on the stage backdrop.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , where displaying or moving a precision image of the live actor on the stage backdrop, includes:
 capturing an image of a live actor to create a video;   extracting the image from the video or removing background from the video, to create an extracted image;   incorporating the extracted image into a background video; and   displaying the background video containing the extracted image on the stage backdrop.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , where one or more of extracting the image from the video, removing background from the video, and incorporating the extracted image into a background video uses video editing software. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where the video editing software is capable of performing chroma key compositing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , where displaying or moving a precision image of the live actor on the stage backdrop includes:
 capturing an image of a live actor to create a video;   extracting the image from the video or removing background from the video, to create an extracted image; and   projecting the extracted image and a separate background video onto the stage backdrop.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , where projecting the extracted image and the background video uses chroma key compositing. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , where moving the precision image of the live actor on the stage backdrop includes changing size of the precision image during the moving to simulate a changing distance between the image and an audience.