International projectionist (Jan 1963-June 1965)

Sturgis Grant Studio Features Oxberry Animation Process by Vern W. Palen Sturgis-Grant Productions, Inc., 328 East 44th Street, New York City. is known best for its work with medical and technical films, although the studio also handles its share of industrial films and other tasks. On a recent visit, I spent two hours with William Terry, vice-president of the organization, and was greatly impressed by the staff and by the modern equipment we saw in this establishment. In the latter category, there are two Oxberry animation stands that embody the newest design features. Our discussion turned immediately to recent projects, the first being a production titled "Modern Obstetrics: Normal Delivery." This is an official film of both the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Sponsored by the Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation, the 16mm color sound film runs 27 minutes, and is a teaching aid for the practicing physician, intern and student. Live photography and animation are employed throughout the film, the latter being especially effective in showing internal mechanisms which could not otherwise be visualized. Opening scenes show the arrival of the expectant mother in the obstetrical department, starting with the pre-delivery examination, including determination of the fetal position and status, and the manv other procedures covered in the doctor's examination. Animation is used to explain the physiology of the uterine musculature during the first stage of labor, the principal movements of the baby through the birth canal in the second stage, and, after the baby is born, the discharge of the placenta. All of this animation was designed by Dwinell Grant and photographed on the Oxberry stand. In this film, the animation drawings are somewhat unusual in dealing with curvature or roundness. It wasn't just a simple matter of making the usual background drawings — each picture had to be an air-brushed. The usual type of cartoon animation allows a great deal of latitude in the stylization, but the opposite is true for medical films such as this. Every movement, every bit of physiological action, must be actually 14 prescribed within the most exacting medical standards, and at each stage of the film's progress an advisory committee scrutinized every drawing to check its accuracy. Of course, this makes the job of the film producer much tougher, but the final result is most effective because of this care and precision. In contrast to the childbirth film, which was made for professional use, Sturgis-Grant made a 29-minute. 16mm sound film in color titled "Diabetes — What You Don't Know Can Hurt You" for exhibition to the general public. It was sponsored bv the Ames Company of Elkhart, Indiana, manufactureres of testing materials for diabetic patients, and was made through the cooperation of the famed Joslin Clinic of Boston. The animation is schematic, and is planned with considerable in genuity, since it must convey to a lay audience how body processes work. The stylized, cartoon-type diagrams were shot on the Oxberry animation stand, and include one lengthy sequence depicting the production of insulin by the pancreas, and the action of insulin on the body. The diagrams continue, showing how insulin affects the utilization of glucose, as well as what happens in the kidneys if there is not enough insulin. Animation also is used in an ingenious manner to explain the relationship between exercise, insulin and food intake. These sequences involve multi-eel, multi-run techniques, since objects must appear, and then undergo constant movement, requiring a great number of cycles. Thus, animation is used throughout the film wherever a concept needs to be elaborated or more fully explained than could be done with mere words. An overhead view of Oxberry Automatic animation camera equipment shows a Sturgis-Grant technician preparing a typical set up. Another new Sturgis-Grant 16mm color film was sponsored by Procter & Gamble Company, and is titled "Dynamics of Dental Caries." Here, live action and animation are combined effectively to get the message across. Live scenes show patients in the dentist's office and the research carried on in dental laboratories in support of the theory. The animated sequences are very complex, showing the action of acids and various chemical reactions which take place in the dental enamel. Techniques involving cycles and scratch-off, often using up to seven eel layers, were necessary to show movement of mo'ecnles. Time-lapse photography is employed for certain sequences — that is, the movie speeds up the action that occurs in real life over periods of days or months. This was accomplished by using good color transparencies that spanned the desired time intervals. By aligning them carefully and by timing brief dissolves between them, it was possible to achieve time-lapse animated movement. Where the scene involves X-ray pictures, life and action were attained with pans, zooms, toplighting, burn-ins on the second run, pop-on arrows, and other techniques. The Sturgis-Grant people believe this film is about as complex as will be found anywhere with respect to structural animation, and for this complicated work the Oxberry stand was well suited. Sturgis-Grant recently made a series of 8mm color films for Esso Please turn to page 17 International Projectionist October, 1964