5 ms·

Walt Disney's MultiPlane Camera (1957) [video]

126 points by jschwartz11 10y ago

trsohmers 10y ago
There is a very impressive display of this at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio, San Francisco. I highly recommend checking it out if you have 2 or 3 hours in SF!
6stringmerc 10y ago
Wow, quite a neat find and overview of an innovation in pursuit of a goal. Reminds me of how I was using Flash for animation projects long ago. What an exponentially easier process than the one Disney highlights here.
spking 10y ago
Ub Iwerks is one of the most under-appreciated technical geniuses in film industry history. In addition to being an early innovator of multiplane camera design, he introduced the xerographic process into animation and drove the development of the sodium vapor process for combining animation with live action. His son Don Iwerks also created the first 360-degree camera (for use in Disney's 1950s nature documentaries). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ub_Iwerks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ub_Iwerks
- 6stringmerc 10y ago
  Have you seen the "Drunk History" telling of Walt and Ub's relationship? I found it quite a fun version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XAoAn7GDLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XAoAn7GDLE
  - spking 10y ago
    That was great, thanks for sharing. Never thought I would see Baby Buster playing Ub.
    - 6stringmerc 10y ago
      It also gives a perfectly rational insight as to the origins of Walt Disney's iron-fist grip on Intellectual Property in the United States. It's enlightening. I still hate what the real-world implications are and the challenge to reform (thanks a lot, Sonny), but at least I can understand his motivation.
- lowglow 10y ago
  He's also a prolific animator. He was truly the workhorse getting Disney off the ground at one point. I often go to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco for inspiration when I'm feeling like I need a boost, you should check it out if you're in the area. Still looking for my Mickey Mouse. :)
  - dnautics 10y ago
    Rooms ~2:~n-2 of the wdfm are really an inspiring story of entrepreneurship, from garage startup stage through growth marketing to monetization and commoditization, surviving through economic collapses, and betting the farm on hugely risky projects (snow white). I highly recommend it to basically everyone here on hn.
    - lowglow 10y ago
      Also the room with the letter that he should be ashamed of himself and his work, and the idea of going from mortimer mouse to mickey, also the part where he confesses to thinking he felt like he got into the animated movie game too late, but kept going.
      - dnautics 10y ago
        Yes. The part where he thought he was too late was fascinating. It's very inspiring to me because I'm working on a startup which has two competitors that are ahead of us, but we have a strategy that could enable much faster scaling.
        lowglow 10y ago
        Personally the bigger message for me is that as time changes, all things change with time. As long as you're working to achieve your vision, you'll adapt with time, fashioning events in favor of your vision, and with a little luck will be able to meet success head on. Good luck to you, keep working on it. :)
  - pchristensen 10y ago
- padobson 10y ago
  The Disney/Iwerks and Jobs/Wozniak analogy is a good one. In fact, you'll rarely find a world-shifting industrialist who didn't work with some co-genius.
- drawkbox 10y ago
  Ub Iwerks is one of the most under appreciated innovators of our time. He also was the creator of Mickey Mouse. Much like the programmer/innovator today who does the work, the bizdev guy Walt got all the praise because he was seen and out there (also funded it), he also sold the dream. They were a great team, I just wish Iwerks got more recognition.
hammock 10y ago
No gloves used when handling the celluloids or painted glass?
- johnnydasu 10y ago
  Why are you asking when you can see for yourself in the video?
iMark 10y ago
It was undeniably impressive 60 years ago, but I can only imagine the glee Disney himself would have felt to realise that out outcome of such technological evolution was available to so many today (but not yet everyone, sadly)
agumonkey 10y ago
Funny how the 4th wall narrator - character interaction reminds me of 12 tasks of Asterix intro segment. Probably an homage. ps: only recently I realized how much animation techniques were a big part of non animated movies too. Matte paintings etc.
topherjaynes 10y ago
This is such and understated break through in animation technology. It help the create better shots, but helped distribute pieces of development. It's not unlike what the tech department did at ILM. They used technology to help create the shots they need, which lead to digital editing, computer shot layouts, and many other tech advances that seems standard these days. Highly recommend Droidmaker by Michael Rubin
chaostheory 10y ago
Here's a big picture view of the Multiplane camera on my site: http://www.theymadethat.com/things/multiplane-camera http://www.theymadethat.com/things/multiplane-camera (Shameless plug) If you like what you see, please upvote and comment on my ApplyHN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11523675 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11523675
padobson 10y ago
I remember the first time I put together a parallax-scrolling background in a 2D video game. The extra sense of immersion you get for the amount of effort required to add it is absolutely worth it. What I found most refreshing about this video was the technical grasp that Disney himself had on the process. It's explained in a way that's both accessible and engaging. It's hard to imagine the top level people at current movie studios putting together a presentation like this. Maybe Spielberg? On the other hand, you could certainly see Mark Zuckerberg or Drew Houston giving a similar presentation - probably because CEOs of younger industries tend to be technical minds. That would also explain why Disney, originally an animator, had such a grasp of the nascent animation industry he built.

126 points by jschwartz11 10y ago

There is a very impressive display of this at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio, San Francisco. I highly recommend checking it out if you have 2 or 3 hours in SF!

6stringmerc 10y ago

Wow, quite a neat find and overview of an innovation in pursuit of a goal. Reminds me of how I was using Flash for animation projects long ago. What an exponentially easier process than the one Disney highlights here.

spking 10y ago

Ub Iwerks is one of the most under-appreciated technical geniuses in film industry history. In addition to being an early innovator of multiplane camera design, he introduced the xerographic process into animation and drove the development of the sodium vapor process for combining animation with live action. His son Don Iwerks also created the first 360-degree camera (for use in Disney's 1950s nature documentaries). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ub_Iwerks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ub_Iwerks

6stringmerc 10y ago
Have you seen the "Drunk History" telling of Walt and Ub's relationship? I found it quite a fun version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XAoAn7GDLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XAoAn7GDLE
- spking 10y ago
  That was great, thanks for sharing. Never thought I would see Baby Buster playing Ub.
  - 6stringmerc 10y ago
    It also gives a perfectly rational insight as to the origins of Walt Disney's iron-fist grip on Intellectual Property in the United States. It's enlightening. I still hate what the real-world implications are and the challenge to reform (thanks a lot, Sonny), but at least I can understand his motivation.
lowglow 10y ago
He's also a prolific animator. He was truly the workhorse getting Disney off the ground at one point. I often go to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco for inspiration when I'm feeling like I need a boost, you should check it out if you're in the area. Still looking for my Mickey Mouse. :)
- dnautics 10y ago
  Rooms ~2:~n-2 of the wdfm are really an inspiring story of entrepreneurship, from garage startup stage through growth marketing to monetization and commoditization, surviving through economic collapses, and betting the farm on hugely risky projects (snow white). I highly recommend it to basically everyone here on hn.
  - lowglow 10y ago
    Also the room with the letter that he should be ashamed of himself and his work, and the idea of going from mortimer mouse to mickey, also the part where he confesses to thinking he felt like he got into the animated movie game too late, but kept going.
    - dnautics 10y ago
      Yes. The part where he thought he was too late was fascinating. It's very inspiring to me because I'm working on a startup which has two competitors that are ahead of us, but we have a strategy that could enable much faster scaling.
      - lowglow 10y ago
        Personally the bigger message for me is that as time changes, all things change with time. As long as you're working to achieve your vision, you'll adapt with time, fashioning events in favor of your vision, and with a little luck will be able to meet success head on. Good luck to you, keep working on it. :)
- pchristensen 10y ago
padobson 10y ago
The Disney/Iwerks and Jobs/Wozniak analogy is a good one. In fact, you'll rarely find a world-shifting industrialist who didn't work with some co-genius.
drawkbox 10y ago
Ub Iwerks is one of the most under appreciated innovators of our time. He also was the creator of Mickey Mouse. Much like the programmer/innovator today who does the work, the bizdev guy Walt got all the praise because he was seen and out there (also funded it), he also sold the dream. They were a great team, I just wish Iwerks got more recognition.

hammock 10y ago

No gloves used when handling the celluloids or painted glass?

johnnydasu 10y ago
Why are you asking when you can see for yourself in the video?

iMark 10y ago

It was undeniably impressive 60 years ago, but I can only imagine the glee Disney himself would have felt to realise that out outcome of such technological evolution was available to so many today (but not yet everyone, sadly)

agumonkey 10y ago

Funny how the 4th wall narrator - character interaction reminds me of 12 tasks of Asterix intro segment. Probably an homage. ps: only recently I realized how much animation techniques were a big part of non animated movies too. Matte paintings etc.

topherjaynes 10y ago

This is such and understated break through in animation technology. It help the create better shots, but helped distribute pieces of development. It's not unlike what the tech department did at ILM. They used technology to help create the shots they need, which lead to digital editing, computer shot layouts, and many other tech advances that seems standard these days. Highly recommend Droidmaker by Michael Rubin

chaostheory 10y ago

Here's a big picture view of the Multiplane camera on my site: http://www.theymadethat.com/things/multiplane-camera http://www.theymadethat.com/things/multiplane-camera (Shameless plug) If you like what you see, please upvote and comment on my ApplyHN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11523675 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11523675

padobson 10y ago

I remember the first time I put together a parallax-scrolling background in a 2D video game. The extra sense of immersion you get for the amount of effort required to add it is absolutely worth it. What I found most refreshing about this video was the technical grasp that Disney himself had on the process. It's explained in a way that's both accessible and engaging. It's hard to imagine the top level people at current movie studios putting together a presentation like this. Maybe Spielberg? On the other hand, you could certainly see Mark Zuckerberg or Drew Houston giving a similar presentation - probably because CEOs of younger industries tend to be technical minds. That would also explain why Disney, originally an animator, had such a grasp of the nascent animation industry he built.