Amiga Megademo template, created on 1983 technology costing US$3m :-)

Mark Wright · 08 November 2018, 00:54

Totally fascinated by this..

[ Show youtube player ]

A demo showreel for the Quantel Mirage system, intended for TV broadcast professionals (in the PAL market) back in 1985. The NewTek Amiga-based Video Toaster would later replicate much of what you see here for the NTSC market many years later, but I'm astonished at how it sets the template for all of those classic Amiga Megademos.

There's a text screen bragging about each upcoming effect (much of which I don't understand since ich spreche kein deutsch but presumably omitting the casual swearing that became a thing in Amiga demos) followed by vector cubes, spinning bobs, SCALA-style manipulation of frame-grabbed video and at the end a Paranoimia-style forced perspective spinning font thing...

Just wanted to share for the sake of nostalgia. Here in the UK, we were starved of the sort of effects used by broadcasters in France and Germany; a spinning Channel 4 logo was the best use of CGI we got to see for many years. I was always blown away by the TV pres in other countries while on holiday. I don't know who made the first Amiga Megademo (TCC for RSI, Vortex 42, Silents?) but surely the coder was influenced by this very video... discuss!

But anyway, sit it out and about halfway through you'll see what I mean :-)

Crown · 08 November 2018, 09:15

Hi Mark,

Great finding mate. I was unaware of that demo

it also reminds me of the demo VHS tape from TSL by Balle and Kyd.

Wish I have $3M back then.

dlfrsilver · 08 November 2018, 12:10

TF1 (french TV channel 1) used an A3000 for long years to make their presentations and inter advertisement screen animations.

Mark Wright · 28 November 2018, 22:20

Always loved this TF1 closedown/fermeture, surely not Amiga related though? ;-)

[ Show youtube player ]

thellier · 29 November 2018, 09:55

I remember buying Caligari2 to a french professional designer that was using Amigas to render 3D anims for FR3 (french TV channel 3) : he show me a 3D anim for a yacht race showing boats on the atlantic map for Thalassa (TV show about sea). At this moment (circa 1995-98) he was switching to PC "because Amiga was now to slow" so selling his softwares even if "the Amiga can still troubleshoot in some cases".

Crown · 30 November 2018, 09:25

Man, that TF1 closedown was a thrill when I was young.

And there are the firstfruits of the state of the art demo.

dlfrsilver · 30 November 2018, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Wright

Always loved this TF1 closedown/fermeture, surely not Amiga related though? ;-)

[ Show youtube player ]

Yes they did it on Amiga

And it's not the only one !

08 November 2018, 00:54	#1
Mark Wright Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hove, actually Posts: 218	Amiga Megademo template, created on 1983 technology costing US$3m :-) Totally fascinated by this.. [ Show youtube player ] A demo showreel for the Quantel Mirage system, intended for TV broadcast professionals (in the PAL market) back in 1985. The NewTek Amiga-based Video Toaster would later replicate much of what you see here for the NTSC market many years later, but I'm astonished at how it sets the template for all of those classic Amiga Megademos. There's a text screen bragging about each upcoming effect (much of which I don't understand since ich spreche kein deutsch but presumably omitting the casual swearing that became a thing in Amiga demos) followed by vector cubes, spinning bobs, SCALA-style manipulation of frame-grabbed video and at the end a Paranoimia-style forced perspective spinning font thing... Just wanted to share for the sake of nostalgia. Here in the UK, we were starved of the sort of effects used by broadcasters in France and Germany; a spinning Channel 4 logo was the best use of CGI we got to see for many years. I was always blown away by the TV pres in other countries while on holiday. I don't know who made the first Amiga Megademo (TCC for RSI, Vortex 42, Silents?) but surely the coder was influenced by this very video... discuss! But anyway, sit it out and about halfway through you'll see what I mean :-) Last edited by Mark Wright; 08 November 2018 at 01:20.

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08 November 2018, 09:15	#2
Crown Demoscener Join Date: May 2006 Location: FR Age: 54 Posts: 459	Hi Mark, Great finding mate. I was unaware of that demo it also reminds me of the demo VHS tape from TSL by Balle and Kyd. Wish I have $3M back then.

08 November 2018, 12:10	#3
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,413	TF1 (french TV channel 1) used an A3000 for long years to make their presentations and inter advertisement screen animations.

28 November 2018, 22:20	#4
Mark Wright Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Hove, actually Posts: 218	Always loved this TF1 closedown/fermeture, surely not Amiga related though? ;-) [ Show youtube player ]

29 November 2018, 09:55	#5
thellier Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Paris/France Posts: 274	I remember buying Caligari2 to a french professional designer that was using Amigas to render 3D anims for FR3 (french TV channel 3) : he show me a 3D anim for a yacht race showing boats on the atlantic map for Thalassa (TV show about sea). At this moment (circa 1995-98) he was switching to PC "because Amiga was now to slow" so selling his softwares even if "the Amiga can still troubleshoot in some cases".

30 November 2018, 09:25	#6
Crown Demoscener Join Date: May 2006 Location: FR Age: 54 Posts: 459	Man, that TF1 closedown was a thrill when I was young. And there are the firstfruits of the state of the art demo.

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