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THE PIONEERS

What is a pioneer?

“Develop or be the first to use or apply (a new method, area of knowledge, or activity)…”

The following people are considered pioneers in the world of animation, and filmmaking, because of their innovative ideas and revolutionary inventions.

Joseph PlateauWilliam HornerEmile Reynaud

Edward MuybridgeThomas Edison

The Lumiere BrothersGeorge Pal

JOSEPH PLATEAU

In 1832, Belgian born Joseph Plateau was the first person to validate the illusion of a moving image in rapid succession with help from his keen interest in the sciences, specifically physics. As a child, and after, Plateau was, like any animator, obsessed with how things move and how we perceive them. With the inspiration from Faraday’s and Roget’s invention “Michael Faraday’s Wheel”, Plateau created what is known as the phenakistoscope.

The phenakistoscope uses the persistence of vision principle to create the illusion of figures in motion. It consists of two discs mounted on the same axis. The first disk has slots around the edge, and the second contains drawings of successive action, drawn around the disc in concentric circles. Unlike Faraday’s Wheel, whose pair of discs in opposite directions, a phenakistoscope’s discs spin together in the same direction. When viewed in a mirror through the first disc’s slots, the pictures o the second disc will appear to move.

WILLIAM HORNER

In 1834, William Horner created the zoetrope, the successor to the phenakistoscope. The zoetrope was originally named the “Daedalum”, meaning “Wheel of the Devil”. This invention was based on Plateau’s phenakistoscope but provided more convenience as it didn’t require a viewing mirror and permitted more than one person to use it at the same time. However, it wasn’t until more than 30 years after the Daedalum’s creation that people would begin to take notice of it. In 1867, M. Bradley patented the Daedalum in England, and William F. Lincoln in America. Lincoln renamed the Daedalum, giving it the name of “zoetrope”, meaning “Wheel of Life”.

Like the phenakistoscope, the zoetrope uses the persistence of vision principle to create the illusion of motion. To create this illusion with the zoetrope, the drum is spun; the faster the rate of spin, the smoother the progression of images. The viewer can look through the wall of the zoetrope from any point around it, and see a rapid progression of images. Because of its shape and design, more than one person could use the zoetrope at the same time.

EMILE REYNAUDIn 1877, Frenchman Emile Reynaud created the praxinoscope. This device was a great advancement in the world of moving image as it overcame the picture distortion caused by viewing through fast-moving slots. Furthermore, Reynaud projected the first public appearance of a moving picture show at the Musee Grevin which included three cartoons: Pauvre Pierrot, Un Bon Bock, and Le Clown et ses Chiens.

A band of pictures is placed inside a shallow outer cylinder, so that each picture is reflected by the inner set of mirrors. The number of mirrors is equal to the number of pictures, and the images of the pictures are viewed in the mirrors. When the outer cylinder rotates, the quick succession of reflected pictures gives the illusion of a moving image without the distortion that is found when using zoetropes or phenakistoscopes.

EADWAERD MUYBRIDGE

In 1879, British photographer Eadwaerd Muybridge (perhaps best known today for his sequence of photographs of a race horse in motion which proved for the first time that at top speed all hooves leave the ground) unveiled his invention: the zoopraxiscope. This was an early motion picture device which worked by showing a sequence of still photographs in rapid succession.

This device took a disc which was mounted vertically on a handle and spun it. A series of pictures – drawn to correspond with the frames of the animation – were placed around the inside of the disc. People could spin the disc and see its reflection in a mirror. As the disc turned, the images also moved.

THOMAS EDISON

Thomas Edison, in 1891, invented the kinetoscope which was a device for filmmaking. The inspiration for this device came shortly after Edison has met Muybridge and became aware of his progressions in the industry.

In it, a strip of film was passed rapidly between a lens and an electric light bulb while the viewer looked through a peephole. Behind the peephole was a spinning wheel with a narrow slit that acted as a shutter, permitting a momentary view of each of the 46 frames passing in front of the shutter every second. The result was a lifelike representation of persons and objects in motion.

THE LUMIERE BROTHERSIn the 1890s, Louis and Auguste Lumiere constructed the cinematograph, a motion picture camera, film projector and developer. The brothers wished to improve upon the flaws that they detected in the kinetoscope. The cinematograph only weighed 16lbs which made easy transportation possible. Furthermore, the device was operated by a hand crank whereas Edison’s kinetoscope was electrically powered, rendering it unmovable. The biggest and most revolutionary feature of the cinematograph was that not only could one person view it, but the images could be projected onto a screen, making it suitable for large audience viewing.

Due to the cinematograph’s superior design, it produced a sharper image when projected than had previously been seen. A kind of fork held the film reel in place through the perforations made on the sides of the film strip. In 1897, the Lumiere brothers added a device – intended to work as a condenser and to prevent overheating of the film after extended use – to the cinematograph.

GEORGE PAL

From the 1940s, George Pal created “puppetoons” for Paramount Pictures in America. As well as puppetoons, Pal directed and produced an array of films, including “The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grim”, one of the highest grossing films of 1962.

Another of Pal’s greatest achievements was another film which he also directed and produced, known as “The Time Machine”. This film received an Oscar for time-lapse photographic effects showing the world changing rapidly.

THE DEVELOPERS

What is a developer?“A person or thing that develops something.”

These men are considered developers of the animation industry because they took what the pioneers had already created and added their own twists, resulting in essential advancements.

Willis O’BrienRay HarryhausenJan Svankmajer

WILLIS O’BRIEN

Californian animator Willis O’Brien made an unequivocal impact on both the animation and special effects worlds with works such as 1933s “King Kong” and 1949s “Might Joe Young” going down in history as classic examples of innovative work.

Furthermore, with thanks to his originality, he was the first person to ever receive an Oscar for special effects.

RAY HARRHAUSEN

Gaining inspiration from Willis O’Brien’s “King Kong”, Ray Harryhausen pursued a career in visual effects. Using stop motion photography, he became one of the leaders of visual effects in fantasy films – most notably woth the classic 1963 film “Jason and the Argonauts”.

He created his last film in 1981 known as “Clash of the Titans” but continued being a mentor to aspiring animators and filmmakers until his death in 2013.

JAN SVANKMAJER

Born in Prague, Yan Svankmajer is renowned as one of the most creative, original and sometimes morbid filmmakers.

mind knows of no creative boundaries, he reflects his originality through remaking classic films. A prime example of this is his rendition of “Alice in Wonderland”, named “Alice”. In this, Svankmajer’s trademarks such as exaggerated sounds, fast-motion movement sequences and realizing inanimate objects are prominent.

THE CONTEMPORARIES

What is a contemporary?“Belonging to or occurring in the present.”

The following propelled animation into the modern-day understanding of it. They commercialized animation and, in the process, inspired minds throughout the world.

The Brothers QuayTim BurtonAardman AnimationsHenry Selick

THE BROTHERS QUAYThe majority of The Brothers Quay’s animation films present puppets constructed from doll parts and organic – and inorganic – materials. These puppets are often partially disassembled to provide them with a a dark and almost morbid ambiance.

Perhaps their best known piece is “Street of Crocodiles” which Terry Gilliam (director and animator) credited with being one of the ten best animated films of all time. Furthermore, critic Jonathan Romney included it on his list of the ten best films in any medium.

TIM BURTONCalifornia born Tim Burton is perhaps one of the most notable and recognizable names in the filmmaking industry with classics such as The Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas. All of these films and many of Burton’s others are created with his trademarks of being offbeat, imaginative and darkly comedic. He has shaped the mind’s of young aspiring animators and is often praised for his creativity in each of his films.

It is evident that Jan Svankmajer influenced Tim Burton heavily. However, Tim Burton’s work tends to be less morbid than Svankmajer’s, although dark nonetheless.

AARDMAN ANIMATIONS

Aardman Animations, Ltd., (also known as Aardman Studios) is a British animation studio mostly known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques. One very famous example of this is the classic Wallace and Gromit. Furthermore, in 1997 Aadman and DreamWorks teamed up to finance and distribute Chicken Run.

HENRY SELICKHenry Selick is an American stop-motion director, producer and writer who is best known for directing The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach and Coraline. The Nightmare Before Christmas was Selick’s feature-directing debut and while it is said to have underperformed in the box office, it is now recognized as a cult classic.Moreover, Coraline was the first stereoscopic stop-motion animated film and was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe; all for Best Animated Feature.

GENRES OF STOP MOTION

TV Animation:

Animation in television manifests in many forms, however most animations are currently 3D or 2D. Nevertheless, there remains television shows that use claymation, such as Postman Pat and Shaun The Sheep. Shows that are produced in 3D are often very smooth and created with a computer whereas 2D shows are drawn and then partake in an array of processes in order for them to make it onto TV.

Channel IdentsChannel 4, Channel 5, and the BBC network – along with countless others – use channel idents as a way to identify themselves on air and to present the viewer with the channel’s logo. Channel idents are typically shown before and after advertisement breaks.

CinemaStop motion has been used throughout the decades in cinema, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Every year, animated films are released and often do very well. For example, Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, Dan Scanlon’s “Monster University” and Pierre Coffin’s “Despicable Me 2” all done exceedingly well.