CineMagic #07 (1980)

Thl. month'. Re"lew e •• mlne_.n effect th.t c.n' t be .Imuleted. Breek· e.e), bottlel Ind glellel Ire e"llI.ble relltl"el)' lnexpen. II"ely from ROlco. The)' don'tJult b ..e.k, the)' Ihette .. with In Impect th.t look ..._lind lound • .-e.l . ROlco 1'),1 the f ... gmenU I ..e .blolutel), 'Ife .nd will not herm IC' to ..1 0" technlcllnl. See pege 31.

Tbe wo ..ld II ...de of ct.y .t wm Vln· ton P ..oductlonllo Portl.nd, 0 ... Here hindi .. _ch Into th. "mege IquI ..e let on Rip VIR Wlnld. to mo"e the Chl"ICte ..1 I tiny hlctlon In hlme· by·f"lme .nl ....Uoo .

, • The dlooleu .. let: flote the b ..eg· ullrly Iheped cut'out to the rlght of the c.me"I, which I, c.ned. "cookie" or "kukllorl." .0.1 II u.ed to ce.t .hedow., Common U I _ ue to luggest shsdows of t ..ee branda· es Ind I_".s.

CONTENTS Number 7

Editor's Bench _ _ Basic Cartoon Animation _

4

FUmmakers'1 7 Review Forum A regular department devoted to readers' comments and correspondence about fantasy filmmaking.

6

Ciaymatlon

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Making movie history with mud & magic-the story of the world's first daymation feature film. Sy Rick Cooper.

James F. Caldwell examines tools

Producers' Bulletin Board _

and equipment for the filmmaker.

24

Books

_ 32

Books for fllmml!lkers-valuable sources of Information and tech· niques for the filmmaker.

Simple techniques in eel animation. By Richard Allison.

ProfUe _

14

Latest news of our readers'

productions.

Classified advertising and

26

Damon Santostephano-A film· Clayton.

33

announcements.

FUm Contest Rules ~

maker on the rise . By John

Clnemaglc Marketpiace, _ __

The official ru les of the 1980 CINEMAGIOSVA Short Film Search illustrated with stills from last year's entries and winners. A column of guidelines and helpful hints is included.

Close-up _ 3 3

Easy kaleidoscopic effects for special effects. By Jack Imes Jr.

~

Editor's

@.7iJf4!#B_E_N--=C_H _ _ _ ......... ..,.1

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O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC. 475 Park Avenue South New York, N,Y. 10016

Happy Birthday, CINEMAGIC!

Norman Jacobs/Kerry D'Quinn

Aaodate PlaIt. . . . .: Rita

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UitoI'· ..·c....,: David Hutchison

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..........

Robert Sefcik

A..aocIat. Edlto..r John Clayton

,. . . . . . . . E41to.. ; Bob Woods

......... Coatl'lltlltonr Richtlrd Allison

James Caldwell RkkCooper Jack ImesJr.

AnS..",

Laura O 'Brien Leigh Grau

.......ctIo. AuIataa.... , Cindy Levine Therese Russo Bryna Seligson AngeJtque Trauvere

T

hose of you who are into reading absolutely everything in the magazine, cover to cover, including the indicia (that's what all that fine print at the bottom of this page is called), will have discovered th1lt this issue (#7) is Volume 2, No.1. Which means we are beginning our second year of publication. CINEMAGIC started out as a quarterly, but by the third issue we had grown suf· ficiently to increase the frequency of publication to bimonthly status. I hope that over the coming year more filmmakers and filmmaking schools and libraries will become aware of our publication and ask to join the active ranks of ClNEMAGIC readership. As the scope of our readership grows. so can the scope of our magazine-which means more issues, more pages and more color. But we need to move a step at a time. Though there are a number of magazines that deal with professional film pro· duction on a "hands-on"level, none of them covers all phases of film production (from film technique to model construction to fantasy makeup and beyond) as thoroughly as CINEMAGIC does, No other magazine seeks to create so strong a sense of community among fantasy filmmakers that encourages the rapid flow of ideas and information. In this issue we introduce a new department, "Profile," which focuses on the filmmaker as an artist. It will explore the triumphs and trials of young filmmakers like yourselves who are either trying to create a career for themselves or just exer· cise their imaginations by creating their own special brand of fantasy-adventure in film, I hope that over the course of several installments you will be able to gain some perspective concerning the problems and possibilities of professional filmmaking as well as beng able to pick up a few inside tips that you can use for your own projects, Speaking of those projects, CINEMAGIC would very much like to look at some of the projects that you have brought to our attention in "Producer's Bulletin Board," As you finish a project, send it in to CI NEMAGIC. You may find yourself and your film featured in these pages one day, so that other filmmakers can learn from and appreciate your work. That's the sort of communication between filmmakers that makes CINEMAGIC special. It's what we're all about. As you grow in your craft, so do we all. Later this year we are planning a comprehensive feature on titling for fantasy films. We would like to be able to show off as many examples of our readers' work as possible_ $0 if you have a great idea for a snappy title, by all means shoot it and send it in! We'll print frame blow-ups (the best ones in color) with your description of the means used to achieve the title shot. W~ want to see your work. $0 don't just send us your ideas; let's see what you've done with that idea. So if you've been thinking about an interesting title effect using flames, melting letters. zooming names, spacey artwork or whatever ... now's the time to show it off.

......... of CINEJlAGIC .....

EtIItodaI C....altaal:

...,,"

For ....... rtl$;ng Iniorm.Ul)n; 11.11. EloeMleln {2J2)

About the ea.....: A behind ·the· ~ IDOIlat the memben of the WU Ybdoll ProchactJo_ te... wol'll:· bIa _. eceae r..... their , . .tuM Llttt.1'rlIace and ,,.,.... The 10_1. the n_ r_ture·1entJtb ~ .,.-oductiOJl. the alory'

rn-. ,...

...._ _ ,..e18.

4

David Hutchison

Don Dohler

CINEMAQIC*7

CINEMAGIC II PK'iptiot1 o..parttneflt, P.O. So>. 142, MI. Morrl., IL61054. Poatmastu, s"r>d form 3579 toC INEMAGIC. P.O. Bo~ 142, MI. MOffi., IL61054. Printed in U.S.A .

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THE GUIDEBOOK FOR FILMMAKERS The authoritative guide to Super 8 is back in a newly revised edition. With the latest equipment and prices, the latest systems and techniques for serious users of the Super 8 medium. And ... a sturdy its best-Is back In a newly revised edition. Gunther Hoos and Mark spiral binding! Handbook of Super 8 Production-the book that gives you Super 8 at

Mikolas have brought their complete hands-on guide up-to-date with the changing technologies of Super 8 production-all the latest equipment, systems, techniques and prices are here, In more than 300 pages of Information on everything in SuperB. And now, a sturdy spiral binding to make the Handbook even handlerl

second edition

You've read about Gunther Hoos and Marti: Mlkolas In Indus1rlal Photography, Audio-Visual Communications and Super 8 Filmaker, where their reports have helped thousands of serious Super 8 film producers improve their craft. But have you seen the reviews for the Handbook?

"The Handbook's 312 pages contain just about everything there Is to know about the craft and business of SuperB filmmaking. It deserves the attention of anyone seriously Interested in the present state and future prospects of professional Super 8 film production." -Matthew Fleury In Millimeter.

"It's only the biggest, longest, heftiest, fullest, most firmly packed compendium of information about the gauge ever to greet our unbellev· ing eyes."-Del Hillgartner in Filmmakers Newsletter. " The most comprehensive book on Super 8. The authors, who are among the most knowledgeable of Super 8 filmmakers, describe the equipment that is available, tell howto select what's best for an indlvldu· aI's needs, and describe how to make inexpensive substitutes. More Importantly, they detail howto use the equipment to Its best advantage, It Is an amazing compendium of Information, much of it unavailable elsewhere, making this a book that Is a must for any serious Super 8 fllmmaker".-Elinor Stecker, Camera column, The New York Times. _com~t.

hands-on guide

The second edition of Handbook of Super 8 Production is ready for you. Use the coupon below to order yours today!

r------------------------CINEMAGIC DEPT.C7 ClO O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC. 475 Park Avenue South New Yorl< NY 10016

Here's my cash, check or money order for $16.00 Send me my copy of the second edition of Handbook of Super 8 Production Payable 10 " O'QUINN 5TUOIOS, INC.. ·• Chec ks must be payable in U.S. funds. Canad ian orders add one dol lar. Other l orelg n orders add two dollars. No C.O.O.' •.

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CARTOON ANIMATION: The Basics

C

reative amateur filmmakers

ambitions can create their own two·dimensional animated films for a surprisingly smllil outlay of money. A camera, a pair of photofloods and a roll of film are the biggest invest-

work necessary to achieve even modest results. While this is largely determined by the complexity of the artistic style you choose(not to mention the smoothness of the movement), twcrdimensional anlmation need not beany more difficult than its three-dimensional counterpart. To put it simply, it need only be as complicated as you make it.

This article concerns itself only with the process of getting an animated image on

By RICHARD ALLISON with small budgets and big

toon animators hi!lve been intimidated by the thought of tremendous amounts of

the screen. For this reason, the use of

ments. Although you won't be able to compete with Disney, you can bring good, entertaining films to the screen. No doubt you'll be concerned with the costs in· volved. The techniques el(plored here are relatively inexpensive. Countless numbers of potential car·

sound will not be covered. Likewise, sev· eral books cover the fundamentals of ac· tual charncter animation and how to draw cartoon characters in much greater detail than could be realized in this short article.

Anlm.UOD

a ••le.

The d ifferent methods of animation

, IAIft: An anlmaUon .tand does not Mye to be a .tate· of·the·.rt O.berry. This Yery .lmple copy .tand pro· duces good results for the animator wbo has enough talent to compen..te for the lack of prGf_.lonai equipment. The large bl.c:kboard u..t I. mounted to the camera'. lea. ellmlftllte. camera reflec:t1on frGm the highly reflecUye eel. or gla••• Note the two '4" dowela lhIIt _rYe aa regl.tnUon peg•. It take. mo... lngenulty to produce acceptable anlmadon on thb type of Ht·Up lhIIn It would on ••tate·of·the art anlnutlon aland. Thb kind of equipment forees the animator to aU of hili c.-tlylty. The re.ults can be very rewudlng. Above: Thb home· buDt camera mOllnt work. well bllt reqlll.... e.tra work for the anlmHor. Thb .tand does not f_ture fleld ·.I_lndlcation or foUow ·foc\U, but a diligent .nlmator can achieve good ....ulta.

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ClNEMAG/C-7

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discussed her@ use drawings. Se:v@ral oth@r tKhnlques, most notably those involving cutouts, ar@ better d@scribl!d elsewhere. Although It Is not @ssential that you beable to draww@II ,It'sobvious· Iy to your advantage jf you can. The best way to achlev@this kind of artwork Is to work on the fllm one shot at a time and make two "extr@me" drawings for each shoe These two drowings show the @lC· treme or important parts of the action. Th@trlck is to use these two drllwings as the baslsofthatshot. By pl&eing your two extrem@s on a light bolC (animation board) and lighting this drawing from behind, a third d rawing can be made in a position in-between th@firstand$@COncl d rawings (Figur@ 1). This proc@$S is, needless to say, known as " in-betweening." In mor@complicatedshotsitisl ikely that you will need more than two @xtr@mes.

Simply put, the In-between drawings smooth out th@ action between the extremes. In Figure 2, drawing A and E are the extremes in II simple five·drawing shot. From these two extremes comes the in·b@tweenC. At this point, drawing C becomes an@xtremewlthdrawlngAto produc@ the in-between B. This Is continued until enough drawings are ac· cumulated to re$ult in a smooth action_ One point to keep in mind is that the extremes do not necessarily hllve to be the first and last drawings in II shot. In other words, several drawings can come before and after the initial extremes. The action dictat@s where the important drawings will be ioc.!!lted. Also, in-betweens do not necessarily h.!!lve to cover the action half-wllY. Here again , it is the action,thi!!lt you want to see on the screen that has the fln.!!ll decision . Of course all of this Is a simpllficlltion, but it is baslcal-

A

figure r,z

B

c

Iy the same way In which professional animated cartoons are made. By using the in-between method, you know where you are and where you .!!Ire going In relation to the number ofdri!lwlngs you have to [email protected] hand,ifyoustartat th@ beginning of a shot, make the drawIngs in numerical o rder (straig ht through). you don't hi!lve th@ degree o f control that you needov@rtheal'Jlount of artwork produced. By not In·betweening, you also run the risk of "character dis:tortion," a process by which the features of the char.!!lcter or object that you're animllting progressively distort during the shot. In·betweening , acting as a point of reference, helps prevent this. For the different methods discussed h@re, the use of an animation board is essential. This device simply holds the artwork in proper register while it is being photographed. It can also serve as the

la.betw_alng t. a v..., eff.n· Ive _Utod of dnwlag ••ootIa ...... tIo... Dra..... A .... E ... the eztre_ of tbb . . . . . .«1 . Dra.I"g C t. the ftnt In·be· t"ella dn...... Draw"" C u..a beco_ an..v.- for 4nowiDg B (Ia betWell_ dnwlag. A & C) aad for dnwlng D (I.. betw.... drawing. C & E.)

o

E

RJgbt: Another _ample of In-betw_nlng. Draw· lag B t. the Inbetw_n cIn.· lag for dr.wlag. A & C. Note aiM»

UultthebaU flatu_ wben the klc.ll.er ....k_co....c:t with it and g __ bac.ll. to Ita

natur.l.b.pe Itnl_ •••y .

a.

A

B

c ONEMAG/c-7

7

drawing board when the drawings ar~ first m8d~. You can also buy a m~tal ani· mlItlon "disk" which does th~ sem~ thing. While the degree of precision found on a professional devic~ such as this is quite high, so is the price-uslRllly more than $150. An animation board, which you can build yourself, consists of a base (plywood isa good material) with a r~ctangular opening approximately 8 x 12 This opening is cov~red by a sh~et of glass, mounted flush with the top of the board (Figure 3). Registration pegs can be made from simple quarter-inch dowels that are placed just above the g lass. (You can also place a second pair of legs direc:tly under the glass for added v~rsatility. ) Two pegs are satisfactory but three may be better. The distance be· tween the pegs is determined by the punched hates in the paper. Animated "pans" are possible with the H

H.

addition of movable pegs. Make a groove in the baseboard just above andlor below the g lass-covered opening. The registration pegs are mounted on a strip of wood fitting into the groove (Figure 4). A simpler method is to glue two parallel slats on top of the basebotJrd itself. The pegs, again mounted on a wooden strip, slip between the slats. If you choose this method of mounting a sliding pegbar, the glass must be mounted above the baseboard so that the top of the glass is level with the top of the strip for the registration pegs (Figure 5). Most professional animators use one of two major systems of registration: Acme or Oxberry (Disney Studios have th~ i r own). The difference is the size of the pegs and the distance between them. Because professional animation disks. cels and even paper are so expensive, it may be necessary for you to make your

=SSLF'_!:~, =~~I--....sl

own equipment and supplies. Using a paper punch. you can save lots of money by utilizing regular typewriter paper and dear sheets of acetate. In any case, by building your own equipment and mak· ing your own materials, you won't be spending good money for a name, such as Acme or Oxberry. This is not to say that the professional equipment is not worth Its cost. Rather, it's that most of us can't afford what they offer. The three techniques that follow are possible for the amateur on a limited budget. By no means is any of this easy-animation is a discipline that reo quires total commitment. Noneth~less, hard work and a reasonable amount of talent can work wonders.

Papel' Animation One of the most inexpensive ways to make two-dimensional an imated films

Left: Flgul'e. "4 .how•• • Imple. w.,J of co_tn.«· Ina an anlmIiuoa boIar.dI with moveable peg•. The. peg. .... mounted on a . trlp of woo4 u..t sUd_ In a groove.. The .trlp" le ve.l with the ala.. • urf.ee..

Rlghtl Figure "3 . how. the. mo.t b ••le eo_b'uc' ~onfol'ananbn.~oa

boaI'd. The. peg. .... not mov_ble.. The. a ... . .. nu. h wlth the . IIIfH e. o f the. boud. Rec:taagular alas. ope.nIna . hould be about." . l a",

,

•

Left: Fig ...... ~ show. an alte.rDllte. method of eoa ' . tn.ctlna moveable. peg•• The . trlp that the. peg• .... mounte.d oa .Ude. be· tw_a tWD othe.1' stripe wblc h are mounted above. the board. 0 .... 1. l'aIA".

(~side from cut-outs) is with the use of drawings on ordinary paper. While this method cen never compete with the quali ty of acetate eels, interesting things cen be done with peper and lit only a frac· tion of the cost. However, there is one obvious disadvantage. if you desire backgrounds, they must be drewn on the

same sheet as your enimated characters Clnd just 0$ often. This neceuitates a simplicity in the style of the artwor1er Las Vegas, NV 89120

~lnlaturestv.nted

Garden State Productions 1032 Prospect St. W estfield,

NJ 07090

Newsstand Sales? ... In your ads for ClNEMAGIC, you advertised (when I ordered a subscription) and still do adver· tise, "Not on newsstands!"' But that must not include bookstores with magazine racks- because Ihat"3 where I found it. I 3incerely hope that they are there without your permission. or I shall feel Ilke I have been "ha d" by an ad campaign designed to sell subscriptions before the magazine goes public. As I men· tioned before. I do enjoy your magazine and I will con tinue to buy it even if you are selling CINEMAGIC in bookstores. Roger W. Perkovich 1423 Sooth 81st St., Apt. '"30 West Allis, WI 53214

Zooming through star fields seems a standard effecl. It might be interesting for someone 10 calculate what speed would really be necessary for a crd/llrlUJeling Your are correct. Newsstand through a star cluster to actually distribution is nol the same as wilness the effect. Incidentally. bookstore sa.les. ClNEMAG/C is many of our reader's have fOUfld IIvallabie through 11 few specially the Oaven backwinder to be a shop dealers in the United States much higher quality product than and the United Kingdom. II is a/sa the EWA backwinder. &xii ilems sold through the larger Walden's are available from HaJmar Enter· prises; se£ their ad in CINEMAG/C Books slores. II is nol, however, distributed nationally through Marlrelpla~. newssland dealers as are STARLOO. FUrURE UFE and Warp Drive FANa:JRJ..O.. ... The electronics system you describe in CINEMAGIC '"4 is also very useful for warp-d rive enAines Backwlndlng for the AMT (old version) Enter· Technique pri5e model. This identical system ...In tn earlier issue you placed l!I is available from Paul M. Newitt"s spot III Filmmakers' Forum con· company at 5035 Swingle Dr., cerning Gerald Genco's method Davis, CA 95616. The kit form is of reloading Single·8 cartridges no longer available and the with Super·8 film. I have been in prebuilts sell for approximately touch with Mr. Genco and he has $225. shown me II. truly ingenious John Potter method for doing this-allowi ng Rt. 2, Box 479-A for unlimited backwinding of he Honea Path, SC 29654 film for multiple exposures. 10 be becoming

r~~~I~.~e~~~~~~F~.~c~e:!~g!~~~____"T~==~::

We need miniatures for our film, S/aTRaiders. We are holding a contest for people who want to make miniatures for our movie, We need fou r ships: the 5.5. Omega: the Dark Raider; the Gargoyle Base Ship and the Ark 7. Anyone who is interested in building a miniature for our film can submit one or as many as you like. We will use the four best entries in our film. Your work will be c;edited and all models not us· ed .... ill be returned, We appreciate all entries.

••• J thought you might like to see the end result of CINEMAGIC '"4's article on building a wire animation model. It began as something resembling a spider and ended up as something any ALIEN fan should be able to recognize. It WllS built by follow· ing the article, except for a few small changes. For instance,

thanks to my huge budget, it was colored by mixing food colori ng into the latex-although I haven't matched the color all the way around yet. "III know is it can sure liven up a dull party. rony Gardner 3415 W. Oxford Oval North Olmsted, OH 4 4 070

Anyone who wants a copy of the details for this technique can send II. S.A.S.E. to my address and I'll send you one-free of charge. Also. I own one of the now discontinued Elmo C·200 cameras. with interchangeable Single or Super·8 backs. ! would like to hear from anyone who can tell me where I can purchase a Single·8 back so that r can put this marvelous method to use.

(working one section at a time), apply dots of co lor to the detai l. Before the paint dries, wash it over with a clean brush dipped in thinner. The resu lting faded col· ors can make the ship look damaged or weather beaten. Carl Paolino 53-12 1 63 St. Maspeth, N.Y 1 1378

Dale Schoeck

2210 E. Hwy. 190 Copperas Cove, TX 76522

Painting Spaceships ••• 1 recently constructed a model spaceship for a SFX shot. The following is a description of its construction. First, decide how you want to suspend your model in s~ce during filming. In this case r used a horizontal rod stretching from the center of the model into the black back· ground. The ship itself masked the rod. The model was pieced together on II plastic hot·rod frame. Additional detailing was added from other model kits. When you lire satisfied with the results, prime the model with a coat of white paint. When dry

1- ------------1

Moon Mix ... Being a Space: 1999 fan , J foun d it ne