In order to create a smooth flowing moving image, every image has to be sequential from the last, each only differing to a slight extent in order for the continuity to remain and for the movement of the subject to be visible to the viewer. On average, zoetropes have an image count of between 10-20, depending on the overall circumference of the cylinder. The number of frames in relation to the size of the zoetrope has to match the speed in which the human eye and brain can take in and process each individual image whilst still being able to merge them into one motion. When you view an image, it stays in your retina for roughly 1/15 to 1/20 of a second, therefore if another image appears quickly enough after the first, your brain blends them together instead of seeing two separate pictures. This illusion of continuous motion starts to occur when images are shown at around 10–12 frames per second, therefore the speed of rotation alongside the number of frames are crucial for the zoetrope to have the desired effect.
Dimensions – For my zoetrope I have decided to make the circumference of the cylinder 28 inches as I felt this was big enough to fit a nice amount of images inside, as well as leave space for the light in the middle, all without being too large and therefore making it more do-able in time for the deadline. To accompany this size, I have chosen to include 14 frames, giving the space of 2 inches per frame, I feel this is a good amount of images as it is enough to create the motion effect whilst still having a nice amount of space per frame to draw out the illustrations.
This allocates 4-5 frames per category of movement; looking up, looking down, and howling. If when I begin the drawings (which will likely be tomorrow) and I find this amount is too little to fit the movements in, I will adjust by adding more frames and possibly changing the motion of the wolf. In order for this to work, I want 12–16 images to flash per second. So if there are 14 images that’s roughly;
12–16 flashes per sec ÷ 14 images per rotation = 0.86–1.14 rotations per second.
This averages out to about 1 rotation per second which I feel is a really stable rotation time, that can likely be achieved by hand as well as using a motor.
Rough draft of motion (not in proportion) –
As I have mentioned previously, the illustrations for the animation are going to be hand shadow puppets depicting a wolf figure that’s movements involve looking up, looking down, and howling. I thought this was an even balance of complexity and simplicity that would work well for the zoetrope whilst still showing an image that holds beauty and meaning. I think wolves are very intriguing animals, they are so similar to the domesticated dog, yet a humans approach to a wolf is entirely different and far away from how we see a dog. I feel wolves hold this mystery to them, a kind of mystery that I find rather intimidating, as I said in another post, wolves were my biggest fear as a child and although I no longer feel this way, it has definitely left an impression on my perception of them. For a long time, wolves have been painted as wild, deadly animals, they’re creatures of myth and folklore. However in reality wolves are very intelligent animals, who are incredibly social beings, they develop these specially close bonds within their packs, which in a way makes me feel wolves and humans are actually quite similar in our approach to life.
In order to accurately depict the motions of this shadow puppet, I thought it would be helpful to first record a video of both the shadow itself making the motions, as well as the shape of the hand making the shadow. I thought this would be useful when drawing out the images as I now have a reference frame for each movement that I can base my drawings off of. Below are these said videos :
Video example of shadow movement –
Shaping of the hand –
I will use both these videos along side some existing images online to create the drawings for the animation, as I found it hard to capture all angles of the shadow when recording. I have dedicated tomorrow for drawing the images, I am going to be drawing on a piece of thick card/ paper that is roughly 28 inches length wise and around 5 inches in height. Dedicating 2 inches per frame, I will first mark out roughly what I want each frame to depict, this is so I know before committing that I have enough frames to achieve the motions I have in mind. I am however going in, ready to adapt for change as this is my first time making a zoetrope and so it will at first be a bit of trial and error. With this interior section, my idea is that the card/paper I will be using to draw on will bend around into the circular shape which I can then slot into cylinder. This concept came from when researching zoetropes, I saw multiple examples of the zoetrope as a toy, in which it had interchangeable interior cylinders, each with different illustrations on them.
FINAL DRAWINGS.
These are the final drawings, a collection of 15 sequential images, each 2 inches wide and 5 inches tall, totalling 30 inches length, using a piece of A1 thick white paper. As you can tell, my original plan of 14 images and a circumference of 28 inches had to be slightly increased, which was due to needing one more image to complete the animation. This however, did not come as a surprise to me (like I previously mentioned) as going in I expected there to be changes and challenges that required spontaneity in response to the creation of the final product.
I feel very happy with the final result, each illustration has a slight difference from the last, and although this wasn’t necessarily the desired effect, I feel these moderate impurities make for a very natural looking movement. This is because the image is depicting a shadow puppet, an image, that in real life is constantly changing due to the imperfection of human movement. If I was portraying a different sequence, like a ball bouncing for example, I would be frustrated if each frame had a slightly different shaped ball as this is not a natural occurrence. Despite the variation in drawings, I was very meticulous with the measurements and placements of each frame, every image started 0.6cm in from the left and 0.5cm from the right, and along side I made sure the height of each image matched, this was to ensure that when the zoetrope spins, every image appears through the slits in the same place as the last making for the desired smooth effect of the moving image. As you can see from the last picture above, this method worked and every image appears to be a continual location.
One other aspect that I did change was the actual illustration itself, differing from my draft drawings, I changed it from one hand to two. Before beginning the drawings I saw an image of somebody making the shadow puppet using two hands and I felt this was a more realistic looking hand movement, I also preferred the shape of wolf the shadow it made. For the reference I still used my draft drawings, however adding an extra thumb and finger which I first took reference from the image I found of the two handed puppet. I am very happy with this decision to change the image as I feel it made for a much more precise and defined final image.
The moving image aspect of the zoetrope was one of the most important for me to get right, otherwise my whole idea would not work. The effect revolves around the images, even when it comes to the sound work as this is all going to be related to the drawings and the final animation. This did put a pressure onto the illustrative process, requiring an accurate portrayal of the design I intended going into the project, however, I am very pleased with the outcome and I feel it does accurately represent my initial conception.