Behind the Scenes
- Return of More Than Meets the Eye
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
- Mysterious Makeup and Preposterous Props! - II
- Higher-Tech Reality
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
The Creature from the Backyard
From walking to running, from running to flying, an animal changes the way it moves when something changes in its environment. Filmmakers use scientists' knowledge of animal movement and behavior to develop convincing animal characters. In the best animation, a talking cartoon animal still moves with the distinct patterns of its "cousin" in the backyard.
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A Matter of Timing
The speed of an object is measured as the distance it moves in a specific amount of time. Suppose that the time the miniature moved didn't match the time we expect for a person to walk a certain distance. Our experience would immediately tell us that something was off. The action might look comical instead of creating the suspense desired. Filmmakers slow the speed of the film to create the effect, instead of adjusting the speed of the miniatures.
More Middle School Activities
- Return of More Than Meets the Eye
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
- Mysterious Makeup and Preposterous Props! - II
- Higher-Tech Reality
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
"It's a Bird, It's a . . . , It's Flying!"
The center of gravity of an object represents the point where the total object is pulled by the force of gravity, and it will influence the position an object takes when it is suspended. Since this point is not necessarily the middle of an object, harnesses must be designed to adjust for this point on any object or person. The apparatus used to control the flying motion of actors in a film, like Superman flying over Metropolis, is a complex machine. It is made up of simple machines working together. Pulley and gear systems-like your spools, straw, and string-are important parts of these rigs.
More Middle School Activities
- Return of More Than Meets the Eye
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
- Mysterious Makeup and Preposterous Props! - II
- Higher-Tech Reality
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
What's Walla?
To reproduce a sound you must simulate its pattern of vibration. Different things can be used to create the same pattern. You can see the vibration when the water moves in a bottle. When you use a tape recorder, you're reproducing a vibration, too. You can hear because your ear channels these vibrations to your eardrum. The vibrations are amplified and travel into the inner ear-where they are translated into nerve impulses, which the brain interprets as sound.
More Middle School Activities
- Return of More Than Meets the Eye
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!
- Mysterious Makeup and Preposterous Props! - II
- Higher-Tech Reality
- More Monsters, Motion, and Mechanics!