animation without pin registration?

[schnozzle]

Has anyone tried using a non-pin-registered camera to shoot animation in 35mm? Assuming there wouldn't be any multiple exposures involved, that is.

 

I ask because I ran across a reference to an animator who shot a feature-length stop motion film in the mid-80's with a 1920's-era Debrie Parvo, which I'm pretty sure isn't pin registered. Now I wonder how well such a thing might work nowadays.

[Bruce McNaughton]

Absolutely no problem... If, for example you used an Arri 2 (A,B,C) you would get the same registration (or better because there would be no inertia at the end of each pull down) than if you were shooting live action. No one has ever complained about the screen steadiness of film shot with an Arri, there is so much more movement in any projector.

 

I have shot 'self matting' live action scenes with a 2C. Even title backgrounds.

 

The only thing you have to watch, with any animation is that if your camera does not have a focal plane shutter, you will get light leakage between exposures. A capping shutter goes some way to fixing this.

 

But oterwise, any camera will do the job for you

 

Bruce

[Bruce McNaughton]

Absolutely no problem... If, for example you used an Arri 2 (A,B,C) you would get the same registration (or better because there would be no inertia at the end of each pull down) than if you were shooting live action. No one has ever complained about the screen steadiness of film shot with an Arri, there is so much more movement in any projector.

 

I have shot 'self matting' live action scenes with a 2C. Even title backgrounds.

 

The only thing you have to watch, with any animation is that if your camera does not have a focal plane shutter, you will get light leakage between exposures. A capping shutter goes some way to fixing this.

 

But oterwise, any camera will do the job for you

 

Bruce

[schnozzle]

Thanks for the reply, Bruce...

 

Although...do cameras commonly used for animation, like 16mm Bolexes, do they have focal-plane shutters? What about those old hand-cranked cameras animation studios used in the 20's and 30's? I have to admit I don't actually know.

[Bruce McNaughton]

Every camera pre Arri mirror reflex had a focal plane shutter. Arri invented the spinning mirror which doubled as a shutter. Very clever. And every camera manufacturer has copied it. And most have relinquished the focal plane shutter beciuse it meant more work spinning two shutters, usually at different speeds.

 

Bolex has one and it makes an excellent animation camera. The Oscar winner "Harvey Krumpet" was shot with a Bolex (and our animation motor and super 16 conversion)

 

Bruce

[schnozzle]

Oh, I see. Well that makes sense. Yeah, all of the cameras I'm looking at predate the Arri, then, so that's fine.

 

So you modified a camera used to shoot Harvey Krumpet? Cool!