Diagram Explanation
A. The crank to turn the film.
B. The "view finder".
C. The dowel and spool holding the film.
D. The film is fed through each spool, looks like a continuous loop
E. The hinge of the Plexiglas/plastic door!
A. The crank to turn the film.
B. The "view finder".
C. The dowel and spool holding the film.
D. The film is fed through each spool, looks like a continuous loop
E. The hinge of the Plexiglas/plastic door!
Description
For this project I am looking to create my own kinetoscope similar to that of the original inventor, Thomas A. Edison.
For this project I am looking to create my own kinetoscope similar to that of the original inventor, Thomas A. Edison.
The main structure of the kinetoscope will be constructed of wood. Lying on it's side, it will look like a shallow square shaped box.
Four of the boxes sides will be the same length: 20 inches by 8 inches. The fifth will be 20 inches by 20 inches. On the sixth side, there will be a clear door most likely made of Plexiglas or solid plastic. This will be fastened onto the box with hinges, creating a door that will allow people access into the box to better interact with the mechanisms inside.
Cut into two of the four sides will be small "view finder" holes. These are so that the viewer can see into the box, just as Edison had in his.
Inside the box will be 5 wooden dowels attached to the largest wooden side of the box. They will be evenly spaced within the box resembling the number 5 you would see on dice. On each dowel will be an empty spool, all of the same size, like that used to hold ribbon.
Instead of ribbon it will hold "film". The film I will make will be one long strip of paper with small photographs pasted onto it (unless it could be printed directly onto the paper). The film will be fed through each of the spools, creating a large loop.
Four of the boxes sides will be the same length: 20 inches by 8 inches. The fifth will be 20 inches by 20 inches. On the sixth side, there will be a clear door most likely made of Plexiglas or solid plastic. This will be fastened onto the box with hinges, creating a door that will allow people access into the box to better interact with the mechanisms inside.
Cut into two of the four sides will be small "view finder" holes. These are so that the viewer can see into the box, just as Edison had in his.
Inside the box will be 5 wooden dowels attached to the largest wooden side of the box. They will be evenly spaced within the box resembling the number 5 you would see on dice. On each dowel will be an empty spool, all of the same size, like that used to hold ribbon.
Instead of ribbon it will hold "film". The film I will make will be one long strip of paper with small photographs pasted onto it (unless it could be printed directly onto the paper). The film will be fed through each of the spools, creating a large loop.
Ideas, Concepts(photo on the left, and example of the kinetoscope)
I want to create a series of photographs that, once seamlessly put together, would create the illusion of motion...my very own motion picture! It won't be a long series, just as they were not in the 19th century. Instead I will create perhaps 3 short features that could be interchangeable within the mini-kinetoscope.
Creative Problem
Can I build my own version of the kinetoscope successfully (with all the mechanics working properly)? Will it draw in an audience's attention? Will I capture the intimacy, and simplistic enjoyment that Edison's original kinetoscopes provided?
Can I build my own version of the kinetoscope successfully (with all the mechanics working properly)? Will it draw in an audience's attention? Will I capture the intimacy, and simplistic enjoyment that Edison's original kinetoscopes provided?
Artist Impact
This project will be the product of taking another creative step in developing an existing idea. As an artist, this project will allow me to work on my creative process giving me experience, and insight on how to best push my ideas further then the initial concept.
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat, out of the box idea. No pun intended :) You have the makings of creating something truly unique, inspired by genius. What's old, is new again!! I love it!!! I think it is very unique how you have taken what was in the past, and possibly over looked by many, and bringing it into the light. What idea's did you have, or thoughts to what your motion picture was going to be about? I think it would be interesting to base the motion picture on something from the past as well? or you could go in a completely opposite direction?
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of building a...kinetoscope? Its cool that you're building it and everything but what exactly are you going to capture on the film? I know its going to be about motion, but will it be someone running? or dancing, or...something like that.. oh! brittney had the same idea i was going to give you to have the subject be of something from the past!
Cool idea Melissa! The whole stop motion thing reminds me of claymation, you know like Gumby and wallace and Grommet! Would you have time to do something like that (assuming you wanted to of course)? I think that would look super cool.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, relating to what Brittney and Tida said, it might be neat if you did the multiple film strips being past, present and future. Oh there are so many directions this could go in!
Good luck!
-Greta
A blast from the past!
ReplyDeleteMelissa, this is really interesting.
What made you want to do this project? and what do you want the viewer to get out of this?
What would be really cool (and completely impossible for a school project) if you could turn an entire room into a kinetoscope and have the viewer be able tour the mechanics, but thats just my crazy mind thinking. lol)
-aryn
To Brittney and Tida,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to create almost a replica of a kinetoscope, kind of diving back into the past for a bit. We are constantly bombarded with new technology, which as enjoyable as it is (I'm saving up for a new iPod :]) I though it would be interesting to try to capture what was exciting back then, the excitment of human conection caught in time = I've decided to film my dad in black and white preforming magic tricks, as people often went to see back in the day to be blown away and entertained. I feel that it's appropriate after all since magic and the motion picture are both illusions. :) What do you think?
To Greta,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I'd have enough time to do a thoroughly good job on a claymation, I am however still debating the possibility of doing one in the furture. I'm hoping that If i build a great kinetoscope, I can change the reels of "film", and so replace it with that of my very oen claymation! :D Another reason why I chose not to do claymation is because the original movies (as in back when the kinetoscope was still used) were of real people and places, though i can understand how putting a spin on reality through clay wuld be interesting as well. :)
Mel- At first I didn't understand this, but I think it was just the box that I didn't understand.. I'm not much of a mechanical thinker. But for the photo part I did understand and I think it's a great idea! I do wish I understood the box though.. Could you maybe explain it a bit further? Like how does the person see the photos moving? Yeah I suck, I know haha.
ReplyDeleteMy only concern for the success of this project is that you want to do three mini-features. They may have been short back then but when you think of the fact that video is 24 frames per second, that's a lot of photos, even just for one feature. I think it would be better to keep it simple at one, that way you can focus your time and attention onto one video of your dad and make it as best as it can be, rather than scrambling to finish three mediocre ones. I'm so pumped to see the finished product; this is going to be such a spectacle! If you install it in the front foyer or something like that I'm sure the other students will think it's the coolest thing ever! Wow I can ramble but that just made me think.. How are you decorating the outside of the box? I personally think it would be cool to make it reminiscent of where people would go to view these kinetoscope things, instead of trying to make it look exactly like one. If it references the old one I think it'll be clearer that you're giving a nod to Edison and not trying to make it seem like it's your own invention- which of course we will all know is not the case, but people who aren't in this class may not.
If I think of anything else I'll talk to you in history about it or something.. I need to stop rambling :)
To Melissa
ReplyDeleteI think the magic idea is great. It captivating, creative and interactive. It also incorporates, like you mentioned something from the past, which then ties in with the Kinetoscope itself. Magic is something universal, that everyone can draw something from it and relate.
I love it! :)
I love the simplicity of your endeavor. I often try to go back to basics but the complexities of today's world often get in the way. I think the magic tricks will work nicely with this theme, and I think the viewer will find your device magical. I think I understand the mechanics of the thing, I'm just curious what you intend to use for film. Do you have a film video camera? From my understanding they were all so expensive and low quality that companies stopped making them. Were you thinking of shooting still images with a camera like a stop motion video and then inverting them in a dark room so that you could use the film in your box? Does this require a light bulb inside? Or were you just going to shoot in digital and then print out the images on photo paper and link them together to create the real? Also, will you use a rubber roller to move the film when the crank is turned, or will you use perforations and a gear like with film? The rubber roller would be much easier to do and should would just as well in the place you have it in your diagram. I don't understand what all of the additional rollers do, but I suppose you have everything about that straightened out. Is does each Kinetoscope only play one movie? If this is the case be sure to be economic when you film your movies because even at a low frame rate like 7 fps, anything 10 seconds or longer will require a LONG strip of film.
ReplyDelete-Nik
Kenzie,
ReplyDeleteI'm mos def not going to completely replicate a kinetoscope! haha... I only wish I had the skill to. That'd be sweet. But I just want people to get a feel of what the kinetoscope had to offer. I think one featurette would be best like you had suggested, since we're short on time and I want it to be of good quality. I was thinking of designing a sort of old school logo to go on one side, I was totally inspired by an old circus poster with a magician on it!! I wish I could have posted it! Ah well. I'm more concerned with what will be on the film right now, but I agree that the outside will add to the effect of the overal piece :)
Nik,
ReplyDeleteshooting still images with a camera like a stop motion video and then inverting them in a dark room so that I could use the film in my box does sound like a great idea, but mighty ambitious. Too ambitious for this project. I plan to print out the photos, then link them together like you had guessed. I plan on using a rubber roller to pull the film along, seeing as creating preforations would be a most tedious task. I had wanted to create more than one kinetoscope, to create a kinetoscope salon like they had back then, but it just isnt do-able right now. In the future I'd want to make more, because I feel it would give more of the effect on the viewer i'm looking for!
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteYour idea is amazing, good luck with building the kinetoscope! What I really want to know is what kind of 'movie' will be playing and will it relate back to the 19th century or will it be more modern? Maybe, since you were going to do three you do one that represents the three centuries that have happened since the kinetoscope was created, 19th, 20th and the 21st. I think you should make the backing Plexi glass that way the viewer ccan get a better look. My other question was are the three going to be on one strip or seperate strips? If you ahve them on seperate strips will the viewers be able to interact and switch the tapes if they get bored with what is already in there? That would be really cool! And are you going to include sounds or maybe the first original 'motion picture'? That might be interesting even to the viewers and maybe they might get a better understanding of what the project is if it is just sitting in a room by itself, which would be cool as well. Anyways good luck with the construction and I hope it all turns out for you. :)