When deconstructing the analog processes developed by the pioneers of early animation, I inevitably find myself reconstructing them using digital technologies, while identifying opportunities to expand, and dare I say, improve them. With its affordance of proceduraily and repeatability, computers and computer--driven devices can make the tedious process of frame-by-frame animation less grueling.
In 1958 New Zealand Artist Len Lye used a direct-to-film technique to scratch ‘figures in motion’ onto 16mm black film leader to make Free Radicals, a 5 minute visual music set to bongo beats.
He used various scribes, from dental tools to arrowheads, (and I'd bet a comb) on the very small 10.24 mm x 7.49 mm frame of Super16 film.
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| The surface area of Super 16 film (`92 mm²) is about 1/3 of a US penny (~285mm²). |
I was in awe when I realized his crude marks were rotating in place, and seemed to be dancing in a 3D space. Maintaining volume in 2D drawings is very difficult when done by hand.
Rotating in Place and Dancing in a 3D Space
_____________Quote by Len Lye about the music
Free Radicals by Len Lye, 1958, 1979, 4.09 min.
____________________________"I did about ten minutes worth of this stuff, collected the best bits, said "Oh, here're the best bits now," and looked at them. I realized that they were boring. I couldn't kid myself, after ten seconds they were absolutely boring to me. I had had it . . . .It was curious how I lost my involvement with the stuff after about ten seconds, but when I played both (the music and the animation) together I could stay with it for three or four minutes. I am totally involved with the sensory business about motion without any intellectual story, or anything else other than just motion."
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In 1979, Len Lye re-edited Free Radicals reducing its duration to 4 minutes. He died in 1980.
Music by the Baruirimi Tribe of Africa
Copyright 1980 Len Lye Foundation.
Digital transfer from 16 mm B&W film by Park Road Post Production and Weta Digital Ltd
Material Preservation by Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
How I scratch Super 16 film:
1. Modeling and Animation in Maya
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7. combine with other scratched elements 
2. Resize and place rendered CG frames using a Super 16 Template in Photoshop.
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3. Generate vector outlines using Trace function in Silhouette Studio
4.Arrannge vector outlines to align with the strips of black film leader on the cutting mat.
5. Cut with a dull blade and low pressure.
6. Add motion scratches and color by hand, before digitizing.
6b. Here are the results of an earlier attempt using lower resolution images in the Trace function of Silhouette Studio
8. compose layers and recolor with Aftereffects
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I am developing this technique for Simorgh in the 21st Century, my imagined follow up to Conference of the Birds, written in 1177 in the Persian language by Sufi poet Attar.
Using scratched film implies the story is told from the perspective of birds, who document their adventure, perhaps as a warning to mankind.
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From my lightning talk for Experimental and Expanded Animation; Exploring Artistic Possibilities. Presented May 27th, 2022 via Zoom, this presentation is part of a monthly series organized by SPARKS (Short Presentations of Artworks & Research for the Kindred Spirits) for the Digital Arts Community of the ACM SIGGRAPH (Association of Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques).
