User:JLLobdell/sandbox

Multiplane Process
The multiplane process is a technique primarily used to give a sense of depth or parallax to two-dimensional animated films. To use this technique in traditional animation, artwork is painted or placed onto separate layers called planes. These planes, typically constructed of panes of transparent glass or plexiglass, are then aligned and placed with specific distances between each plane. The order in which the planes are placed, and the distance between them, is determined by what element of the scene is on the pane as well as the entire scene’s intended depth. A camera, mounted above or in front of the panes, moves its focus toward or away from the planes during the capture of the individual animation frames. This gives the viewer the impression that they are moving through the separate layers of art as though in a three-dimensional space.

History
Predecessors of this technique and the equipment used to implement it began appearing in the late 19th century. Painted glass panes were often used in matte shots and glass shots, as seen in the work of Norman Dawn. In 1923, Lotte Reiniger and her animation team constructed one of the first multiplane animation structures, a device called a Tricktisch. Its top-down, vertical design allowed for overhead adjusting of individual, stationary planes. The Tricktisch was used in the filming of The Adventures of Prince Achmed, one of Reiniger’s most well-known works. Future multiplane animation devices would generally use the same vertical design as Reiniger’s device. One notable exception to this trend was the Setback Camera, developed and used by Fleischer Studios. This device used miniature three-dimensional models of sets, with animated cels placed at various positions within the set. This placement gave the appearance of objects moving in front of and behind the animated characters, and was often referred to as the Tabletop Method.

The most famous device used for multiplane animation was the Multiplane Camera. This device, originally designed by former Walt Disney Studios animator/director Ub Iwerks, is a vertical, top-down camera crane that shot scenes painted on multiple, individually-adjustable glass planes. In later years Disney Studios would adapt this technology for their own uses. The multiplane camera used for the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, designed in 1937 by William Garity, used artwork painted on up to seven separate planes, as well as a vertical, top-down camera.

The final animated film by Disney that featured the use of their multiplane camera was The Little Mermaid, though the work was outsourced as Disney’s equipment was inoperative at the time. Usage of the multiplane camera or similar devices declined due to production costs and the rise of digital animation. Beginning largely with the use of CAPS, digital multiplane cameras would help streamline the process of adding layers and depth to animated scenes.

Impact
The spread and development of multiplane animation helped animators tackle problems with motion tracking and scene depth, as well as reduce production times and costs for animated works. In a 1957 recording, Walt Disney explained why motion tracking was an issue for animators, as well as what multiplane animation could do to solve it. Using a two-dimensional still of an animated farm house at night, Disney demonstrated that zooming in on the scene, using traditional animation techniques of the time, increased the size of the moon. In real life experience, the moon would not increase in size as a viewer approached a farmhouse. Multiplane animation solved this problem by separating the moon, farmhouse, and farmland into separate planes, with the moon being farthest away from the camera. To create the zoom effect, the first two planes were moved closer to the camera during filming, while the plane with the moon remained at its original distance. This provided a depth and fullness to the scene that was closer in resemblance to real life, which was a prominent goal for many animation studios at the time.