Bringing Motion to the Real World
- mike26716
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Animation is everywhere!
From massive digital billboards and signage, to school resources, theme parks, vehicle displays and even public transport boards. It’s hard to go a day without encountering some form of animated image.
What if you could touch it and see how it works before your eyes?
Well… you can!
Here are some fascinating examples of tangible animation devices that bring motion to life.
Mutoscope
The mutoscope uses a hand-cranked drum filled with individual frames of animation. As the drum spins, the images flip rapidly, creating the illusion of movement.
Commonly found in arcades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was an early form of personal animation entertainment.
Tentacle Media has created a modernised version of this called the mini-mutoscope. A complete kit, great for all ages. Each kit contains everything you need to make our very own Mini-Mutoscope. You can even doodle your own images, pop them in and see them come to life!
Zoetrope
The zoetrope is a spinning cylindrical device with vertical slits. When viewed through the slits, sequential images inside appear to move fluidly.
It was a popular toy in the 19th century and remains a favourite among animation enthusiasts today.
Praxinoscope
Invented in 1877, the praxinoscope improved upon the zoetrope by using mirrors to reflect spinning images, producing a much clearer animation effect.
By eliminating distortions, it became one of the first truly smooth animation devices.
This great example shows the classic original principal, recreated in a fun modern way.
Phenakistoscope
One of the earliest animation devices, the phenakistoscope consists of a spinning disc with sequential images around its edge.
It creates a looping animation, laying the groundwork for modern animation techniques.
Thaumatrope
A simple yet effective optical illusion toy, the thaumatrope consists of a disc with different images on each side. When spun quickly, the images blend into one.
A classic example is a bird on one side and a cage on the other, which appear as one when spun. You can easily make your own using a piece of card and length of string. Or you can mount the image disc on a stick, then give it a twirl.
Take a look at this handy guide for some great ideas for your own thaumatrope.
Flipbook
A flipbook is one of the simplest and most enduring forms of tangible animation. By flipping through a series of images in sequence, a small animated scene comes to life.
Flipbooks remain a fun and interactive way to study and create animation. There are some incredible examples ranging from just a few frames, up to whole scenes recreated in flipbook style.
The Legacy of Tangible Animation
These physical animation devices paved the way for modern filmmaking and digital animation.
They all rely on the principle of persistence of vision, where the human eye retains an image briefly, allowing separate images to merge into a seamless motion.
While technology has advanced, these classic devices remain a testament to the creativity and ingenuity that led to the animated worlds we enjoy today.
Next time you see an animation, remember, before the digital era, animation was something you could touch, spin, and see with your own eyes.
Give us a shout to chat about the weird and wonderful ways you can bring images to life!