Introduction

Eadweard Muybridge was a 19th century photographer. Beginning in 1878 he began to photograph animals and people in motion using a bank of synchronized cameras. Muybridge felt that the images would be useful to scientists, trainers, and artists. Not long after Muybridge's work became known, several enterprising inventors created devices that could "play" his images in rapid succession, and thus create the illusion of motion—cinema was born.

Today Muybridge's images continues to be an invaluable aid to artists and animators alike. And with digital software, it's easier than ever to bring Muybridge's subjects back to life.

Assignment

Create an animated sequence out of a photo series shot by Eadweard Muybridge.

Procedure

1. Download this zipped file; it contains several Muybridge series. Select one to use.
2. Open the file in Photoshop.
3. Drag guides and position them between all of the image frames.
4. Choose the Slice tool. In the Option bar, press the Slices From Guides button.
5. Choose File > Save for Web and Devices. Select All of the slices (with the Slice Select Tool). In the Optimize palette, choose JPEG, maximum (100%) quality.
6. Click Okay.
7. In the save dialog box choose the "Images Only" option. Photoshop will create a separate jpeg from each slice and place them all in a folder called "Images."
8. Quit Photoshop. Launch Flash.
9. Change the frame rate to 12fps. If you leave the frame rates at 24 your subjects will move way too fast.
10. Import your jpeg files into the library.
11. Place the first image in your sequence on the stage.
12. Open the Align window. Make sure the "to stage" button is pressed. Now click on the "align horizontal center" and "align vertical center" buttons.
13. In the Timeline, select frame #2. Insert a new keyframe. Next, choose Modify > Bitmap > Swap Bitmap. In the dialog box that opens, select the second image in your series. The second image should take the place of the first in this frame.
14. Repeat step 11 with frame 3, etc., until you reach the end of your sequence.
15. Make sure your file is saved ("YourName_Muybridge.fla").
16. Test your sequence by choosing Control > Test Movie.
17. Tweak your frames. Depending on how your images were sliced there may by a "jiggle" in your animation as it plays back. Adjust the image on each frame—nudging it slightly up, down, left, or right—to create a smoother sequence. Hint: oninion skinning can help you see when the images are aligned from frame to frame.

Option (may not be appropriate for all sequences)

Select all of your keyframes; Control-click on one and choose "Copy Frames." Now click in the first empty cell after the sequence. Control-click again and choose "Paste Frames." Select these new frames, then Control-click one more time; choose "Reverse Frames." The sequence will now play forward, then backward.

Go Above and Beyond

Some possibilities:

• Add color (paint the Muybridge images in Photoshop or Flash).
• Put the Muybridge sequence in some kind of setting/context.
• Find or create your own sequence of images.

Specifications:

• Size: 550 x 400 (default Flash size)
• Frame Rate: 12 fps
• Length: (variable)
• Due Date: Week 3
• Deliverables: both the FLA and exported SWF files.

Grading rubric