American Cinematographer - October 1968 - 41

(LEFT) FIGURE 2-The live action scene, as photographed on Fine Grain Negative stock. (CENTER) FIGURE 3-The animation cels are photographed
over a black card on the animation stand. (RIGHT) FIGURE 4-The animation cels are photographed a second time on the animation stand,
using a High Contrast Negative stock, with the light source coming from behind the eels. The processed film shows a clear area of the cartoon
on a black field.

(LEFT) FIGURE 5-A High Contrast Positive printed from the High Contrast Negative. (CENTER) FIGURE 6-Fine Grain Negative of the live action
and High Contrast Positive of the animation printed to form a Master Positive of the live action, with an exposed area where the cartoon is
to appear. (RIGHT) FIGURE 7-The Second Run through the camera (original animation Fine Grain Negative, plus High Contrast Negative) produces
a composite of the live action and the animation.

zero it is totally closed and at 170 it

directly over the live action photogra¬

Printer is to make possible the com¬

is in the wide open position. As the

phy

the

bining, on one film, all the images on

shutter is gradually opened, the dou¬

sponsor

unob¬

two or more pieces of film. Thus if it

ble-exposed

trusively to the viewer without interrupt¬

ing

cartoon with live actors, the Optical

visible

and

image
is

becomes

faintly

very transparent.

The

electronically.

his

conveys

his

enjoyment

this

way,

message
of

watching

the

desired

combine

animated

more the shutter is opened, the brighter

football field and all of the interesting

Printer will do the trick. The technique

and less transparent does the double-

sidelights that might be taking place

involves several steps, as follows:

exposed image become until finally it

during intermission.

at its

brightest and

not at all

transparent.

(1) The

The Optical Printer

containing

the

live

Grain Negative stock. (Fig. 2).

Many of the special effects used in

Superimposure

scene

actors is photographed on Fine
(2) The animated cartoon is drawn,

motion pictures today are made pos¬

inked and opaqued in the usual

sible by the Optical Printer. The 35mm
Optical Printer is a machine that em¬

manner.

bodies a camera and a projector with
their lenses facing each other. (Fig. 1)

cartoon character is to be posi¬

sor of a football game, for instance,
wishes

The

sition of the live actors. This is

product flashed on the screen directly

loaded with unexposed motion picture

determined by tracing a frame

over the regular televised scene. The

film, while the projector portion con¬

of the live action photography

message, whether it be a caption or

tains film that has been exposed and

enlarged to the field size nor¬

an animated cartoon, is planned in the

processed. The films pass before the

mally used for animation. It is

usual way except that only the outline

respective apertures of each machine

not advisable to use the original

is drawn in white ink on acetate cels

in synchronization with each other. A

negative for this purpose as it

and

ray of light passes through the pro¬

is very vulnerable and

cessed film

in the projector and the

to scratches. Only a print can
be safely subjected to repeated

Another

form

"Trick

Photogra¬

phy" is the "Superimposition." This is
especially desirable when a TV spon¬
to

have

the

photographed

message

high

his

contrast

film over a black card. When the film

camera

part

of the

machine

However,

first

necessary to decide where the
tioned with relation to the po¬

subject

is processed it is immersed in a high

image is picked up by the camera and

contrast positive bath so that the re¬

photographed on the unexposed film.

sulting product will be a white image

Thus

on a solid black field. This piece of

graphing

film

device

photographing (one frame at a time),

inked

which will project the cartoon image,

a film of a previously photographed

are photographed over a black

or the message, as the case may be,

scene. The real function of the Optical

Continued on Page 790

is loaded

into a

special

AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER, OCTOBER 1968

the

camera,
a

live

instead
scene,

of
in

handling.

photo¬

(3) When the animation has been

effect

completed, and the acetate cels
and

opaqued,

the

cels

757

American Cinematographer - October 1968

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