US1380298A - Process of and apparatus for producing moving-picture films - Google Patents

Description

r BHUHD. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOVING PICTURE FILMS. APPLICATION FILED 001130, 1919- V 1380,2989- Patented May 31, 1921.

3 SHEETS'-SHEET I.

I i/[111 i E. HURD. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING. MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, I919- Patented May 31, 1921.

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E. HURD. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOVING P'ICTUREHLMS.

v m APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30 1919- I "1,380,298. Patented May 31,1921.

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EAnLHuRD, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

rnocnss'or AND ArrAnArus FOR PRODUCING MOVING-PICTURE FILMS.

Specification of Letters Intent. .Patejqted lflay 31, 1921.

' Application filed October 30, 1919. Serial No. 334,602.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL Hum), a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Producing Moving-Picture Films, of which the following is a specification.

In my prior Patent No. 1,143,542 granted June 15, 1915, I have disclosed a method of producing moving picture films especially adapted for animated cartoons. In all prior processes each pose or position of the moving object must be drawn to the proper scale upon a medium preparatory to being photographed. When a series of poses is repeated in producing a complete scene, as in depicting a person or animal walking across the landscape, a set of poses is drawn by the artist showing the successive positions assumed in the act of walking, usually four, six or eigat poses being sufficient and then this set of poses is repeated, each pose being advanced in position to give the effect of Walking. This repetition of a set of poses may be employed whenever the object is,

moving across the landscape or screen in the same picture plane. When, however, the object is portrayed as moving toward or from the picture plane it is obvious that each pose will differ progressively in size from the preceding and the succeeding poses in accordance with the laws of perspective. Consequently the different poses of each set differ from each.other in size and those of one set differ from the corresponding poses in the preceding and succeeding sets. For this reason it has heretofore been necessary for the artist to draw each and every pose throughout an entire action even though it consists of a repetition of identical poses in the several sets because the same object differs in size in each pose throughout the action.

I have devised a method which enables the successive poses to be projected on the posecarrying medium in any desired size and in any desired position and location from a single set of prepared drawings so that they prepare one setof poses necessary to form one complete movement, all in the same pic ture plane, and from this set all of the poses of any number of repetitions of the moveporting guide tive containing a-series of poses constituting a complete movement or action; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sec-' tional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail viewof the operating handle for moving thenegativecarrying frame; Fig. 5-is a perspective view of the apparatus for projecting the poses in the prepared negative upon the pose-carrying media or sheets; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View of the lens tube; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a series of transparent sheets or media carrying a series of cartoon poses constituting a complete movement; Fig. 8 is a detail view of a prepared negative and sup- Fig. 9 is avertical sectional view on the line '9---9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a plan view of a background showing the stationary parts of a scene with a transparent sheet of celluloid or other suitable material laid thereon and carrying one pose of the movable object-or figure; Fig. 11 shows a series of celluloid or other suitable transparent sheets carrying successive poses of a ho as he would appear running across the fie dof vision; and Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line 12-12 of Fig. 5.

In carrying out my process it is first necessary for the 'artist to draw a series of pietures ofthe moving object showing the different poses which 'produce' a complete movementwhen projected upon the screen in sequence, each pose being drawn upon a separate sheet and all the same relative size, that is, drawn in the same picture plane. Such a series is shown. in Fig. 8,

ing No. 4.

Having prepared such a series of drawings upon sheets of suitable material of uniform size and each sheet punched with two holes adapted-to fit over the supporting and positioning pegs on the exposing easel or support, the negative containlng a comwhere the four poses of the dog are suffi plete set of poses constituting a movement is prepared with a photographic apparatus such as illustrated in Fig. 1.

As stated above, the sheets 5, upon which the artist has drawn, the successive poses of the moving object are placed successively upon the pegs 6 on the easel or support 7. The sensitized medium for producing the negative is preferably carried upon a glassplate 8, and the latter is held in a movable frame 9 within the camera 10. After each exposure the frame 9 is moved a distance equal to the width'of one section of the negative, by turning the-handle 12 one revolution, thereby causing the pinion 14 to move the rack 15 the required distance to bring the succeeding unexposed section of the plate 8 in alinement with the lens 16. The developed plate provides a negative having acomplete series of posesof the moving object, such as that of the dog illus trated in Fig. 8.

For the purpose of producing upon celluloid sheets or other transparentmedia the poses of the moving object in size or perspective and proper position and location. on the sheets to combine with the stationary parts of the setting or background in producing the complete scene as it is to be photographed on the film negative, T employ the apparatus shown in Fig. 5. The projector comprises, as usual a projecting lamp or lantern, 20the lens tube 21 carry ing a suitable lens and interposed between the lantern and the lens and a'guide frame 23, through which the negative 8 may slide,

' the whole being mounted upon'a base block or carriage 25 which may be moved forward or backward along the guide rails 26 of the bench by means ofa chain 27 attached to the carriage and engaged by the sprocket 28 on the shaft 29, provided with the handle 30. At the opposite end of the bench from the projector is a drawing table having the inner side open and an opening in the top corresponding insize to the background. A. fixed mirror 37 mounted at an angle of 4:5 reflects the image of the negative which is projected thereon upwardly upon a sheet of ground glass 38 placed over the opening in the top of the drawing table. The ground glass plate may be moved over thetop of the drawing table inthe picture plane as desired to adjust the position of the back ground with respect to the projected object and is provided with two pegs 39 toenter the perforations in the celluloid sheets.

The setting of the scene constituting the stationary background is first sketched on the ground-glass or upon a transparent celluloid sheet which is secured in position over the glass by placing the two punched holes over the pegs 39. A blank celluloid sheet 40 is laid over the background and positioned on the pegs. The first pose of the moving object is now projected by means of the mirror upon the ground glass and is seen through the transparent celluloid sheet. By shifting the ground-glass over the top of the drawing table the reflection of the moving object is brought into the desired position with relation to the background that is the point at which the action starts and by turning the handle 30 in one direction or the other to move the projector nearer or farther away,.the size of the moving object is brought to the proper size. The entire scene would thenappear like that shown in Fig. 10, except that the black and white colors of the boy would be reversed since it is' a negative which is being projected. l

.After the artist or his copyist has traced the image of the moving object on the celluloid sheet, the negative is slid in the frame 23 a distance which brings the next pose in front of the lens and another celluloid sheet is placed on top of the last sheet. The image'projected from the second position or pose. on the negative coincides with the figure traced on the. first celluloid sheet. The ground glass is therefore shifted laterally until the image of the second pose occupies the position whichthe moving figure should occupy when'it assumes the second pose or position. The reflected image of the 'moving figure is the same size as the one in the preceding pose and if the moving figure is receding from the picture plane, that is,

apparently traveling away from the beholder, the figure of the second pose should be reduced in size. To effect this reduction in size of the reflected image the handle 30 is turned to bring the projector closer to the the proper relative positions but also in the proper size or perspective four sheets of such a series being illustrated in Fig. '7. If a row of these transparent celluloid sheets were-superposed theseveral poses of the moving'figure would gradually diminish in size and if these were projected upon a screen in succession they would produce the desired running or other movement. Such a series of sheets is illustrated in Fig. 11.

It will be observed that the entire series of poses continuing (ml Zihitum, each diminishing in size in proper perspective was projected from a single negative containing one set of figures required to produce a movement and all the same size, that is, all

drawn in the same picture plane. Moreover, as no great amount of skill or artistic abil-.

- ity is required to trace upon the transparent sheets the images reflected upon the ground glass, it is unnecessary to employ a skilled artist for this branch of the work.

After the-series of poses on the transparent sheets has .been completed, they are placed in sequence over the background and photographed with a moving picture camera to produce a;film in the well known manner.

Not only hasthe time and effort of the artist been'saved b my' process which makes it unnecessary or him to draw each successive pose in the proper perspective, but the graduations of the moving object can be regulated so accurately that a more lifelike throu hout successive and natural motion is produced by my process than has heretofore been attained in cartoon movingpictures.

It is obvious that when it isdesired to produce the appearance of the moving fi-gure or object moving toward the observer in which the successive poses of the figure gradually increase 'in size, it is merely necessary to reverse the operation previously described by successively moving the projector to greater distances from the drawing table-and mirror. Likewise if-the figure or moving object is to remain in the same pic' ture plane or parallel with' the screen g poses, the projector remains inthe same pisition. Theadvantages to be derived from gt'he use of my process will be appreciated'by I moving plcture artists and-jthose familiar with the prior methods of; producing car= toon moving picture films. "A large part of the laborous work which heretofore required the services of a skilled artist are obvlated. The services of an ordinary artisan may be utilized in tracing the figures projected from the negative upon the'grou'n-d glass.

. Furthermore the naturalness of the result-' ing product is enhanced while the speed of production is very greatly increased.

I have described in detail-the particular apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings but it is evident that I am not restricted thereto in carrying out my process and that many changes may be made therein.

1. A process of producing moving'pictures which includes forming a series of pic'- tures of a movable object, successive pictures showing the same object in successive positions or poses, photographically producing negatives of said pictures, projecting said negatives in sequence upon transparent sheets to position on the respective sheets the different positions of the object relatively to a background, changing the size of the successively projected, negatives to produce-a perspective eifect of the movable object, tracing the images of the projected negatives on the sheets, superposing said sheets 1n succession upon a background and photographing the resulting pictures upon a clnematograph film.

. 3. A process of producing moving pictures which includes projecting a series of nega- 'tives' showing successive poses of a movable object upon a translucent medium, positioning'said medium in conjunction with an outlined background with relation to the projected image,'adjusting the projected image to the desired size, graduating the sizes of the: successively projected images to produce the proper pprspective effect of an ad- .vancing or recedingobject, and tracing the images on successive transparent sheets.-

4. A process of producingmoving-pictures which includes preparing negatives showing successive poses of the same movable object in the same picture plane, projectingsaid negatives in succession upon a translucent medium having thereon an outline of a suitable background, moving said medium with the background after the projection of each image to cause a progressive movement of the successive poses-relatively to the background, and tracing said successive images upon separate transparent sheets super- 5. A process as defined in claim 4 and posed upon said translucent medium.

wherein the successive projected images are graduated in size to produce the proper perspectiye efiect of an object advancing or receding from the picture plane of the first f pose.

.6. A process of producing moving pictures which includes preparing negatives of jecting the images of said ne atives through the instrumentality of a refi upon a transparent medium, positioning said medium in conjunction with the outline of a background to bring saidimage to a predetermined portion of said background, moving said medium after each projection to cause a relative movement of the successive images thereover and tracing upon separate sheets of trans arent material the successively projected images.

ecting surface successive poses of a movable object, pro- 7. A-process as defined in claim 6, wherein the successively prmectedmaages of the different poses of the 'movable object are graduated in size to produce the effect of an advance or recesslon of sand movable object With respectto the picture plane of the first pose. Y

which includes forming aseries of pictures of successive poses of the same movable object upon suitable media photographicession of the movable object with respect to the picture plane, angi tracing said images 8. A process of producing moving pictures upon separate sheets of transparent material.

9. combination, a photographic plate or him having thereon the representation of a movable object, a translucent plate or sheet carrying the outline or; representation of a scene or background and suitably supported over an opening, means for projecting the image of said otnect through said opening and upon said plate'or sheet said plawor sheet being movable in the picture plane with respect to the projected image, and a transparent sheet detachably superposed upon said translucent plate upon which said projected iinage may he trace&.

l n testimony whereof ll my signature.

int ETLURDE

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