What is a Zoetrope?
The Zoetrope is a primitive optical device, which was invented around 1834, before the film was. It brings cartoon figures on a paper stripe to life as if by magic. It shows simple repetitive movements of one second such as walking, waving, hopping, opening and closing etc..
What do we do in the Zoetrope workshop?
In the Zoetrope workshop we work with different animation techniques, such as cartoon, cut-out and object animation.
Each participant creates one-second animations of repetitive movements on a paper strip. She or he tests and presents her or his animation on historical optical devices such as a Zoetrope or Praxinoscope. Usually, each person manages to create at least one or two animation strips in five hours.
In a workshop lasting several days, participants also draw or model their animation on paper or cork discs and show their animation in motion with the help of strobe lights.
Or they create their animation on a transparent strip, similar to an old film strip. The result is projected onto a mini-screen with a primitive projection device.
Making-of film about the workshop
Public presentation of the results
The workshop results can be shown to all participants, teachers and guests on the devices. Depending on the scope of the workshop, the animations can be presented to specially created music.
After a six-day or several-week workshop, e.g. in cooperation with teachers as part of school lessons, the results can be presented to the public in an impressive way as an audiovisual performance called The Spinning Animation Show.
Presentation of the results of a six-day workshop entitled:
The Spinning Animation Show
Duration of the workshop and number of participants
The workshop is suitable for a larger number of participants, e. g. school classes. The minimum duration of the Zoetrope workshop is four hours with up to 15 participants. For more than 15 participants, a minimum of 6 hours workshop duration is required.
Zoetrope workshop moduls
Get more details of the moduls and see how you can combine them.
Click on the image below and open a pdf-file (German).
Next Zoetrope workshop
Take a look at my upcoming workshop.
Report by the Hessian Broadcast TV