Applications of Math in Movies and Movie-Making
If you are wondering what are the applications of mathematics in the movies, ask yourself if you have seen the movies “Finding Nemo”, “Lion King” or “Transformers”. If you have seen at least one animated film or a movie where CGI characters or objects are used, then you must have an idea why math is involved in the movies. Mathematics is behind the graphics or improvement of the graphics in movies.
Just like in the field of robotics, mathematics plays an integral role in making movies. In this day of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI), mathematics is an inevitable tool to make motion pictures (especially cartoons) better to watch.
According to research, 100 powerful supercomputers perform geometrical, algebraic and calculus-based calculations to animate Pixar’s characters. The laws of physics that inform the dynamics of fabric movement are most used in the computations.
Most students in high school dread their math classes and wonder when they will ever use the information in “real life.” Now, with so much work being done on computers, the algebra and trigonometry learned in high school is actually being put to good use.
The animation industry is one that can be a math teacher’s best friend. It is high school math that can actually help bring animated movies to life. Tony DeRose, a computer scientist at Pixar Animation Studios, realized his love of mathematics could transfer into a real world, real interesting job by bringing the pretend world of animation to life. He told DBIS, “Without mathematics, we wouldn’t have these visually rich environments, and visually rich characters.”
Advances in math can lead to advances in animation. Earlier math techniques show simple, hard, plastic toys. Now, advances in math help make more human-like characters and special effects. DeRose explains the difference a few years can make, “You didn’t see any water in Toy Story, whereas by the time we got to Finding Nemo, we had the computer techniques that were needed to create all the splash effects.”
How exactly do the high school math classes help with the animation? Trigonometry helps rotate and move characters, algebra creates the special effects that make images shine and sparkle and calculus helps light up a scene. DeRose encourages people to stick with their math classes. He says, “I remember as a mathematics student thinking, ‘Well, where am I ever going to use simultaneous equations?’ And I find myself using them every day, all the time now.”
BACKGROUND: Pixar Animation Studios is undergoing a digital revolution thanks to advances in areas such as computer technology, computational physics, and approximation theory. Tony Derose provided a behind-the-scenes look at the role that geometry plays in the revolution using examples drawn from Pixar’s feature films, such as Toy Story I and II. Upcoming movie characters will be animated using a new advancement in geometry recently developed at Pixar.
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