Nearly every televised event where members of the media are present--be it political press releases or celebrity awards--have a professionally designed lighting setup for the video cameras. And a bunch of idiots have to go and ruin it by taking hundreds of flash pictures. The video is nearly unwatchable with all the flickering. Aside from confiscating flashes and scolding photographers for lazy technique, a technological approach may be the solution.

Back at the studio, the footage is buffered and filtered. The algorithm detects a sudden increase in brightness lasting a single frame, and removes it. The remaining gap is replaced with an interpolation of the next and previous frames. The end result is smooth video, free of flashes. This could even be done in real time to make live events slightly more pleasant to watch.
-- Aq_Bi, May 10 2011

wikipedia on HDR video http://en.wikipedia...range_imaging#Video
[xaviergisz, May 10 2011]

Interpolation might work with a single frame but it I think would become just as bad as the flashing itself for a fast series of flashes.

My solution would be a video camera that splits the light travelling through the lens into two or more images which are separately recorded on different CCDs. One CCD is set for normal light levels, while the other CCD is set to record at high light levels (essentially like a HDR video camera). Then the frame that is over-exposed on the normal light level CCD can be substituted by the frame from the high light level CCD.
-- xaviergisz, May 10 2011


Turn a fire hose on the idiots. They will cover their cameras to stop them getting wet. Any sign of a camera flash, hose the relevant area.

Sometimes the simple solution is best. And much more fun.
-- 8th of 7, May 10 2011


I always assumed the flashes were there to keep the audience from dozing off.
-- FlyingToaster, May 10 2011


I don't mind seeing the odd flasher at the cricket. It livens up proceedings.
-- infidel, May 10 2011


What about the lasers that were fitted to that megamillionaire yacht?
-- pocmloc, May 10 2011



random, halfbakery