Cameraless Animation - Creating aThaumatrope

In this weeks Educational Futures seminar we discussed and looked into Camera-less Animation, which basically means making an image or a drawing move without the use of frame by frame photography. Methods of camera-less animation are Thaumatropes, Flipbooks and Phenakistoscopes.

I myself tried my hand at making a Thaumatrope. A Thaumatrope is a toy that was popular in the nineteenth centuary. It is a disk with two different images on either side and has two strings punched into holes on the edges of the disk, when the disk is spun on the strings the two images blend and together create a new image that the eye can see.

This is how I made mine;

Step 1: I assembled together the necessery tools, such as sissors, colouring pens and pencils, glue, string (or rubber bands), a piece of carboard, plain paper and a compass with a pencil.

Step 2: Next I took my piece of paper and compass and drew three circles of equal radii, its worth taking note of this length as you will need it for the cardboard later.

Step 3: After I drew the circles I then cut them out with sissors.

Step 3: Next I took my compass and piece of cardboard and drew a circle of equal radius to the paper circles and cut it out.

Step 4: Then I took one of my paper circles to one side and drew my drawing of choice on it with a dark coloured pen. The reason for this is when I trace the same image on a seperate disk in pencil I will be able to see it and also when I draw the accompanying image I will be able to see the original and make the second image fit perfectly to it.

Step 5: Using the dark original image I drew the image i will be using and also the accompanying image over it.

Step 6: After I had made my two images, it was time to stick them on ether side of the cardboard. It is important to remember that the image on the back needs to be upside down so that when the disk spins they will both be upright and blend in together well.

Step 7: Take two elastic bands and cut them, then punch two holes through the disk either edge of the disk.

Step 8: I fed the two elastic bands through each hole and tied them on the ends. Pick up your bands or string, each one between your thumb and forefinger then twist and watch the disk spin and the two images melt together to make a new one.

Viola: