Home Movies (1944)

• Fig. I — Frame enlargements were separated, numbered, and guide lines drawn on the back of each as means of aligning enlargements in the closeup attachment. SINGLE FRAME TRICK SHOT... M I LN the review of my film Animal Antics in the May issue of Home Movies, comment was made regarding the gag sequence that closed the picture. In this sequence, a photographer who was developing and printing snapshots of animals made at a zoo, was startled to see the zebra in one of his photographs suddenly come to life. Checking his developing formula, he discovers he used "motion picture" developer instead of still picture developer! The highpoint of this comedy twist, ill an otherwise documentary movie, is the closeup of the photograph held in the man's hand in which the zebra suddenly comes to life, walks a few steps forward, then backward, then stops. In a Hollywood-made picture, this trick effect would be accomplished with special printing apparatus, too complicated for duplication by the movie amateur. There is a successful amateur method by which any movie maker can produce similar cinematic tricks on either 8mm. or 16mm. film. Briefly, it consists of making enlargements on paper cf a series of frames in a scene, then HOME MOVIES FOR JUNE 1 e-photographing them in a small ultracloseup easel built on the principle of a typewriter titler. For the zebra sequence described here, 1 took the strip of 8mm. film that was the original scene of a zebra walking around the zoo enclosure, and placed it i; the negative carrier of my photoenlarger. Blowups were made of a series of frames until 27 in all had been made. Ir. other words, twenty-seven frames of the scene were enlarged on paper in consecutive order. Identifying numbers were penciled on back of each enlargerient to insure arranging them in proper order for re-photographing later. The enlargements were developed in D-72 (1 part stock solution, 2 parts water) for 60 seconds. Having made the enlargements directly from the 8mm. positive print, they became, after development, negative images. The enlargements were then photographed on positive film and the film developed — not reversed — in D-72 for zx/z minutes. This resulted in an image with tonal \.-.lues approximating that in the original film which was very important in making the illusion effective. The individual frame enlargements were photographed with the aid of a home made ultra-closeup gadget attached to the camera as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This attachment is fitted with one of the front elements of a binocular for the auxiliary lens and the whole design is similar to a typewriter titler. As a matter of fact, a typewriter titler could have been used for the purpose providing the frame enlargements were made the required size. In order that action in the trick sequence appear smooth and natural, it was essential that some means be devised for aligning each individual enlargement accurately in the easel and ir. the identical position as the enlargement preceding it. How this was done is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Identical vertical and horizontal guide lines • Continued on Page 24' • Fig. 2 — A simple paper clip was used to hold enlargements in place on the closeup attachment easel. Note white guide lines which insure alignment of enlargements on easel. • Fig. 3 — The closeup attachment is similar to a typewriter titler, employing an anuxiliary lens to facilitate ultra-closeup photography. Use of a cable release simplified single frame operation of camera.