Evening star., 1936-07-18

is is the usual case, Q procedure known
to the camera man as stop motion"
is followed.
Stop motion simply means that
one or two frames (unit on fllm rep
resenting about one-sixteenth OF
FOOT may be exposed at any given
time instead of the customary larger
number Of frames. In other words,
by means OF this type of camera, right
after each such stoppage, another
cartoon drawing, representing a diff
ferent successive chronological move
ment, Is substituted for the previous
movement and the movie camera
clicks again.
1T IS usually necessary then, for the
animation artist to make a cycle
or a series of drawings to represent
a single movement! For instance, to
show the human arm swinging as 1t
does during brisk walk, the artist
can for some Of the positions devise
lined marks representing all the
chronological stages of the movement.
The original sketches are first of
all constructed in outline only or in
sharply contrasted blacks and whites.
India ink and a well-worn pen are
used in this connection. Then, when
the precise working of action has
been developed, comes the introduc-
finyo ~ iv,fe oHiafa nfYnrf
toward greater realism.
Watching Kennedy in action you
note that in order to photograph ami
mated scenes his especially construct
ed movie camera is placed on a fixed
mount, pointing downward, on which
the drawings are confined by hinged
frame. The particular drawing he
proposes to shoot right now is an
outline representing a single phase
of mechanical action. This has been
superimposed upon background
drawing produced on finest-grade
ledger paper. Immediately after
Kennedy has snapped one notion
picture frame the outline drawing is
removed, new outline superimposed
upon the background and the cam
era clicks again.
While Kennedy Is performing all
these interesting maneuverS you are
advised to bear in mind two particu-
lars entirely different from the usual
motion-picture procedure. One is that
the camera, as limited earlier, is point
ed downward and not horizontally, as
is ordinarily the case. The other
particular Is that with each turn of
the camera handle one frame. that Is
to say, one-sixteenth of foot of film
is photographed instead of the usual
eight complete frames.
THE ultimate result of all this Is
more than illusion. It's magic.
Take a striking example. as pointed
out by Maj. Gillette, in charge of the
cinema unit:
I'm some cases, where we want to
show the precise mechanical set-up
of rapidly-moving objects or equip
ment We photograph the action with
a special movie camera which makes
l28 separate pictures per second.
The result, when perfected in its final
shape for projection on the screen at
the rate of only "a pictures per sec
ord, means that the action has been
slowed down more than five times!
Which is very effective in permitting
mechanical action like. for instance,
the inside workings of an anti-air-
craft gun. to be studied far more
carefully than if it were to be OBJ
served under normal conditions as
the human eye catches speed on the
screen"
The exact opposite of this method is
also being utilized successfully by the
Army animation experts. The effect
Is desired, let us say, Of two auto
mobiles crashing against each other
at terrific speeds without either of the
two drivers getting killed or even
hurt. Maj. Gillette was asked just
how this is achieved.
well, he explains, first OF all the
camera is run at an extremely flow
speed, taking in only about six to
eight frames per second. Whereas, the
actual projection speed, that is, the
speed with which the accident scene
is projected on the silver screen, is
about "a frames per second. There
fore, the eye viewing the crash gets
the impression that the cars are strik-
ing each other while going 10 to 80
miles an hour!"
How long have Uncle Sans PEN
and-ink magicians been performing
their clever cinema feats for the edi-
f1cation of fledglings in the various
service units who are priviledged to
view the training films? According
to Maj. Gillette, the simplest forms
of animation have been worked out
for about four years. As for the
newer and more complex stunts, they
have been attempted only within the
past few months. However, the results
have been noteworthy. And the future
Is even brighter.