Techniques

Persistence of Vision-

Persistence of Vision is when multiple discrete images blend into a single image in the human mind, people believed this to be the reason for animated films. The theory of persistence of vision was debunked in the 1900’s and two further persistence of vision theories engorged which are ‘The Phi Phenomenon’ and the ‘Beta Movement. Persistence of vision explains why black sides were not recognized by the audience.

Stop Frame-

This is animation that is captured one frame at a time, with physical objects that are moved between frames. When you play the images rapidly, it would create the illusion of movement like the Persistence of Vision. We can see it every day for example in adverts, TV shows, music videos and films but you might not realize it. When early stop frame (stop motion) first came around it was captured on a film camera, so they wouldn’t be able to see their work until it was all processed. If something was knocked or the lighting wasn’t correct they would have to start all over again. Nowadays we have special machines that allows the animator to look at the last 1-2 shots that were just taken.  

Frame Rate-

Frame rates are the frequency at which frames in a TV show, Film sequence are displayed. Moving characters are when one drawing is shown  every two frames which means only 12 drawings are shown per second. Our brains can make a moving image with only 16 frames per second. 

Frame rates are like Flip books, you have a number of different drawings/ photos when you flip through the drawing/photos on the flip book very fast it comes out as on moving image, which is basically what Frames Rates do but digitally.

Development

William Horner-

Horner invented and introduced the Zoetrope in 1834 and it was a major progress in the evolution of animation. He originally called it ‘Daedalum’ what means wheel of the devil. William only invented the device to help him teach is students since it would be used without a viewing mirror and be viewed by more than one person at a time. The invention was soon forgotten about until the late 1860’s when it was found by a two men M Bradley and William Lincoln in 1867, when Lincoln renamed the device to the Zoetrope meaning wheel of life, which is a light hearted name than the one that was given by Horner. If it wasn’t for the M Bradley and William Lincoln, then Horner device would never have been shown to the world.

Joseph Plateau-

Joseph Plateau was one of the first people to show others the illusion of a moving image. Joseph invented the 'Phenakistiscope'. This was a an early animation device that used the persistence of vision to create the illusion of motion, he invented it in 1841.
The  'Phenakistiscope' was just a spinning disc with different photos on one side attached vertically to a handle, which was spin top make the images look like one moving image.

Emile Reynaud-

Charles-Emile Reynaud invented the ‘Praxinoscope’ which involved the 'Zoetrope'. this was an animation device, invented in France in 1877. Like the zoetrope, it used a stripe of pictures which was lined around the inner surface of the cylinder, it has narrow viewing slits with an inner circle of mirrors, which reflect off the images, when spun very fast it makes one moving image, which is what people see through the slit in the device.