How do
these techniques impact on the future of stop motion?
These early techniques were important in the role of developing
animation as we know it today because they helped animators foster techniques
and creativity.
The persistence of vision –
The human eye has the power to create a memory of an image it
has just seen.
In April 1825 the first Thaumatrope was released by W. Phillips. The fact that the image of one side of the disc seems to blend with the image of the other side when it is looked at while it is twirled very fast, is often used as an illustration of persistence of vision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZXfFGYHpsM
Stop frames -
The term stop frames is also known as stop motion animation,
a technique used in animation where objects are physically manipulated in small
movements in each frame. When the sequence is played back, the object appears
to perform a single movement. Dolls with moveable joints and clay figures are
most commonly used for stop motion, as they move easily. Equally, stop motion
films can also be made using humans, household appliances and other objects
that can be moved with ease.
The first example of stop motion was introduced by Albert E. Smith
and J. Stuart Blackton with ‘the humpty dumpty circus’, where a toy circus of
acrobats and animals come alive. Segundo de Chomón released ‘El Hotel
Eléctrico’ in 1907, and used similar techniques as Blackton’s humpty dumpty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1zKxqzDoyE
One of the earliest examples of Claymation was thought of as a “modelling extraordinary” by audiences. In December 1916, Helena Smith Dayton began to
experiment with stop motion using clay. She released her first film in 1917, an adaption of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Animations like the Disney films today and DreamWorks productions would not
be possible without the discovery of movement with these early animators, as
movements can be done quickly and more efficiently, without judder.
Frame rates –
Frame rates are usually described as frame frequency’s, they are
represented in hertz an they are the speed a sequence of images appear on a
display, which helps to create the effect of movement in motion capture systems and
computer graphics.
Early silent films were filmed at about 16 – 20 frames per
second, however the cameras had to be hand cranked and the rate would often change
depending on the scene and the feelings they were trying to convey. Projectionists changed the frame rate, by adjusting a rheostat which
controlled the voltage that would power the film. The companies that had created
these films intended them to be shown at a higher frame rate than they
were originally filmed in, however the image would appear “jerky”. To help try and reduce
this projectors were being used with a dual or triple blade shutter, which
meant the frame was shown two or three times, which helped to increase the flicker
rate to 48 – 72 hertz and reduced eye strain.
When sound films were introduced in 1926, the variations in
speed could not be used anymore, because the ear would be more sensitive to the
changes in frequency’s. Theatres has been showing silent films at 22 – 26
frames per second, so 24 frames per second was chosen for sound. In around 1927
– 1930, many studios had started to update their equipment, and so 24 frames
per second became standard for 35millimeters of sound film. Using 24 frames per
second meant that the film would be able to travel through the projector at 456
millimetres per second. This allowed two blade shutters to project a collection of images at 48 frames per second.
In animation, characters were shot “on twos”,meaning that there will be one drawing for every two frames of footage and twelve
drawings per second of film. The image rate is low, but the fluidity of
movement was sufficient. When a fast movement was needed, the film would need
to be shot “on ones” to present the image effectively, because “on twos” would be to slow. To keep costs down, a combination of both techniques could be used. Modern video standards use higher frame rates at about 120-300, so movement will appear smooth.
Modern video uses a variety of frame rates, due to the the mains frequency of electric grids. Broadcasts on television were developed at frame
rates of about 50 – 60 hertz, sometimes videos were broadcasted at around 25-30 frames
per second, doubling each frame to make movement more fluid. In order to
change 24 frames per second into 60 frames per second, every odd frame was
doubled and every even frame was tripled, which created uneven motion. Additionally, modern video standards can support up to 300 frames per second, which allows frames to
be evenly multiplied and creates smoother movement.
Frame rates are hugely significant in the role of developing
animation, as well known animations today, such as ‘Early man’ or ‘finding
nemo’ would not be possible if they used a lower frame rate because the image would appear to judder
