Top Right: Pro , fessor Clayton aalley'. robot.. are the lIubject of CII'(E"'AGIC -3's co .... er story, If you've ever dreamed of build ­Ing your own life, sl~ robot for your SF films. this article can show you an affordable way of making thst dream come true,

Bottom Right: Psul Hsra. Dsve MacMillan, snd Don Nelson pose with "Normsn," a robot they built for an upcoming TV show entlUed "The Reluctant Robot." The show Is aimed at. child audience "nd III Kheduled for airing this f"l1 over most Field CommunlcaUons station", There'll be more .bout ''The Reluctant Robot" ln a future Issue of CINEMAGIC.

Editorial __ 4 Filmmaking as a career: Is it really possible to spend the rest of your life making movies?

Building 6 a Robot __ Methods and materials are explored for the construction of mechanical actors in your SF film.

FilnunakerS'14 Forum __ A regular department devoted to readers' comments about film­making, their problems and solutions.

First Steps as an 16 Animator_ Author and animator Kit Laybourne emphasizes the importance of establish ing your own style.

FluidArt_ 18 An unusual animation technique.

Electronic Special 22 Effects, __ Construction of a light sequencer circuit for SF props and sets.

Producer's Bulletin Board __ 24 Latest news of our readers' productions.

Review _ 26 Gadgets and accessories for filmmaking and specia l effects.

Number 3

The Nightbeast29 Walks __ Filmmaker and artist John Dads shows off his new creation.

Books _ 30 Books for fjlmmakers-a new section listing books and other publications with information and techniques for the filmmaker.

Cinemagic Market- 33 place, __ _ Classified advertising and announcements.

Closeup _ 34 How to build realistic trees for your miniature set.

@//47ir!JJI Published by:

O'Q{lINN STUDIOS, INC. 475 Park Avenue South New York, N.Y. 10016

PubUahera: Normlln Jacobs/Kerry O'Quinn

Founder of CIPlEMAGIC and Edltorlal Conaultant:

Don Dahler

Edltor·ln-Chlef: David Hutchison

Dealgn Director: Cheh N. Low

Designer: Elaine Ashburn-Silver

Managing Editor: Bob Woods

Edltorbll Contributors: Clayton Bailey James Caldwell

John Dods

Art Staff: Laura O'Brien

Steven Oxman

A •• ocate Publisher: Ira Friedman

Asslatant Publisher: Rita Eisenstein

For "" ........ ng infonn .. lgno Ira Fried""",. ~i ... Eioenslein 121 2) 669·26JQ

CIN[M",QIC i. publl'Md bi-monthly by O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC_475 Par k ""en..., South. 1'1"", Vor~ . NY 10015. ISSN · 0090·3000. Th i. i. i ..... " Num~' 3, Volume I. ContMI I. " Copyright 1979 by 0'0<.111'11'1 STUDIOS, INC. All ,ights r • .., .. ~. ~.prinl "f ,oprod"", Hon in PI't Of in ",hole .. il hou, .. dUen ~fmi .. ion I,om t~ p"bli.n., .. I •• trk.ly I",bldden, CINEI'IAGlC """~pb no 'eoponllbMy t", unsolicited monu>c,il>l', pho.os, Oft

0' 0'''''[ male,I.I •. bul II I",el.""" .ul>miU. , • • ,e ":com ~nied by a ..,11·.d<l ... _. " .ml'"'d en.eH>l'"', I""y ... ill be .." Iou.ly c"".iQe, ed and, il fle<e .... 'y . ,ely,,,,,d. P,oducu od,enl.<;d o'e nol fle(c ... " iy onclo,_ by CINEI'IAGIC , ond ony .J<, ... s • • p, .. ~d in edito,i.1 <09Y a,e flO' fle(e".'ily 1110.., 01 ClNEI'IAGIC. Sub><:ril>lion '010" ~8,'19 one yeo, (Ii, i .. ue.) r;leli ... ed In U,S .• C.noda ond Mo ,i co: I",eign ,y~,ipl 'on. $1 1.'19 In U.S, lund. only_ No" ",boc,lpHons, '."""01. and ct>onge 01 add, ... should be sent dire<!iy to: C INEJoIAGIC. O'Quinn Studio., I"" .. 47~ Park A.o""" Sou.h. N ..... Yo,k, NY 10015. P'int~d in U,S.A,

4 CfNEMAG/C")

An irate letter from a young filmmaker and SF fan arrived at the (JNEMAGIC offices recently. It seems this person was objecting to my series of articles in STARLOG that explored career opportunities in special effects. Apparently, he had gone to Hollywood, had no

success finding a job in specia l effects and had returned to his home in Pennsylvania a very depressed young man.

I know others. though. who have gone to Hollywood and knocked on doors armed with nothing more than the intense desire to learn something about filmmaking. These people didn't care how much they were to be paid or how many hours they would be asked to work, They did care about filmmaking and would do whatever was necessary to learn the craft. If it was necessary to get a night job to supplement the meager salary of a go-fer at an optical or special effects house. then. fine-they d id it. Generally speaking, if the desire is there and the person really loves the work (and it is work). then there is a pretty good chance that that person will be able to make a living at it.

On the other hand, there are those who are merely in love with the idea of being a filmmaker and have no real love for the doing of the craft. These people get their mental thr ills by picturing themselves as another Doug Trum· bull or John Dykstra. They imagine themselves working in some big studio filled with marvelously complex machinery. If you knew that <you would be spendin~ 18 hours a day seven days a week working in a lonely studio with back breaking care and precision. If you knew that some producer was pound· ing on the front door asking for a shot of the destruct ion of the world on a budget of $1.98 and that a bill collector was at the back door asking for his overdue $198.00 for laboratory expenses ... would you be looking elsewhere for a career? Because. if you enjoy thinking of yoursel f as a filmmaker more than filmmaking itself, you'll never last.

But if you love your work and there is nothing else that seems to mean quite as much to you, then no closed door in Hollywood can stop you and you will be overjoyed at the prospect of being <'Illowed to spend 18 hours a day. seven days a week as a filmm<'lker.

But it takes more than love to be financially successful. You have to be good at it. You have to be better than the other filmmakers you are compet ing with. Or if not better, you must be able to do it cheaper or have some other value to offer that makes you more desirable.

There are a lot of young people competing for jobs in Hollywood. But it is not necessary to go to Hollywood to make movies. Almost every major city in the U.S, h<'ls a small film company (check your yellow pages directory) that turns out commercials, TV spots, documentaries. industrials. etc. for the people and business in that community. And if there isn't, it might be possible to start one.

Will it be easy? No. Will success be guaranteed? No. But you're not doing it because it's easy or it will make you rich. You're doing it because you love it.

-David Hutchison

THE GUIDEBOOK FOR FILMMAKERS The authoritative guide to Super 8 is back in a newly revised edition. With the latest equipment and prices, the latest systems and techniques for serious users of the Super 8 medium. And ... a sturdy spiral binding!

second edition

Handbook ofSu~r8 Production MARK MIKOl~.s .nKl Gi!!!!

TMcom~!. hands-on guide

Get your hands on Super 8 now with the complete guide, a $16.00 investment

that will pay for itself hundreds of t imes!

Handbook of Super 8 Production-the book that gives you Super 8 at its best-Is back in a newly revised edition . Gunther Hoos and Mark Mlkolas have brought their complete hands.on guide up-to-date with the changing technologies of Super 8 production-all the latest equipment, systems, techniques and prices are here, In more than 300 pages of information on everything In Super 8. And now, a sturdy spiral binding to make the Handbook even handler!

You've read about Gunther Hoos and Mark Mlkolas In Industrial Photography, Audio-Visual Communications and Super 8 Filmaker, where their reports have helped thousands of serious Super 8 film producers Improve their craft. But have you seen the reviews for the Handbook? '

"The Handbook's 312 pages contain just about everything there is to know about the craft and business of Super8 filmmaking. It deserves the attent ion of anyone seriously Interested in the present state and future prospects of profeSSional Super 8 film production."-Matthew Fleury in Millimeter.

"U's only the biggest, longest, heftiest, ful lest, most fi rmly packed compendium of information about the gauge ever to greet our unbeliev­Ing eyes."-Del Hillgartner In Filmmakers Newsletter.

"The most comprehensive book on Super 8. The authors, who are among the most knowledgeable of Super 8 f ilmmakers, describe the equipment that is available, tell how to select what's best for an Individu­al's needs, and describe how to make Inexpensive substitutes. More importantly, they detail how to use the equipment to its best advantage.!t is an amazing compendium of Information, much of it unavailable elsewhere, making this a book that Is a must for any serious Super 8 fi lmmaker".-Ellnor Stecker, Camera column, The New York Times.

The second edition of Handbook of Super '8 Production is ready for you. Use the coupon below to order yours today!

r~;~~;;~~~---------------ClO O'QUINN STUDIOS, INC. 475 Park Avenue South New York NY 10016

Here's my cash, check or money order for $16.00 Send me my copy of the second edi t ion of Handbook of Super 8 Production .

Payable to "O'QUINN STUDIOS. INC .. " Checks must be payable in u.s. funds. Canadian orders add one dollar. Other foreign orders add two dollars. No C.O.O.'s.

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COVER STORY

How To BuDd a Robot By ON/OFF, THE WONDER ROBOT

My head need. many ventn.Oon grill. for air and vl.lon. Note wiring for In.trument light eye ••

I am ON/OFF the "Wonder Robot." t was built by Professor Clayton Bailey of California State Univer· sity, Hayward, four years ago in a

secret workshop In northern California. I have almost·human intelligence and Zlbili ties. I was designed to function as a public·relations device for the notorious Dr. Gladstones Woodefs 0( the World Museum. My origillZll pro­gram specified that I go into ··outer space" to collect specimens for the museum. Each Sunday afternoon I col· lected all the local tourists and herded them into the museum. J have learned to control human beings with hypnotic techniques. Now I can program myself to do nearly any human or inhuman task.

I want to help you become a robot. I will show you how you can shed your human identity at will. I will share my

6 ONEMAGIC-3

most intimate knowledge and .secrets of robot design so that we can create a race of robots to take over the minds and bodies of human beings. I will show you unexpurgated. uncensored photographs that reveal my most in· timate parts. Although I am very un· comfortable looking at myself inside­out, I know how important it is to your learning and understanding of me. I want you to become one of us. You will be happy and contented to have a pro· ject that keeps you busy in your workshop, and that allows you to become a robot at will.

Your robot should be a believable anthropormorphic machine, an in· credible mechanical being, a func· tionallooking robot. [f you are resourceful and ingeniOUS, you can make the robot inexpensively and with just a few tools. Most materials Can be

found in surplus. salvage and second· hand stores. Assembly is done with .. pop rivits'-· screws !lnd silicone glue. You will need lin electric drill and soldering Iron. Good craftsmanship will disguise the true identity of the parts used in the finished robot. SO that your first·class robot will look good close·up.

Because the design of the robot will develop from the materials you are able to find or make, begin with as mu~h material as possible to give you ideas and choices for the design. Study these diagrams lind photogrllphs of me and then begin shopping for parts. Sources of low· cost metal parts for robot building can be located in the Yellow Pages. Look for the following:

1. Scrap.Melat Yards Take along some tools so that you can dismantle or strip off parts that you want. You will

Removsble chest psnel c onbllns Internsl wiring snd s witc hes snd i. held In plsce by wing nuts .

pay for the weight of the metal you take home.

2. Aulo· Wrecking Yatds are a good source for chrome and plastic mold· ings. rubber. lightbulbs and sockets. A friendly yard will let you look lIfound for interesting parts to build a robot.

3. The Cily Dump is a pilice to sal· vage odds lind ends from stoves. refrigerators lind other lIppliances.

4. Thrift. Slores. Surplw Slores. Garage Sales and Flea MaIke/s are mao jar sources of parts for the home· built robot. Shop the "As·!s" departments of the thrift stores to collect junk vacuum cleaners. toasters, heaters and other home lIppliances. and remove trim and mouldings which CM be used on your robot. Look for lightweight lIluminum sheet, tubes, domes, cups. cones and bowls of any shape or si ze. Roasters. coffee urns, cllke covers, breadboxes and hairdryers can often be dis· assembled to obtain lightweight lIluminum or sheet·metal p.lIrts ideal for robot construction.

Spend as much time liS possible looking around for parts before start· ing to construct your robot. Find more than one suitable head and sensory devices (pairs of eyes. ears, mouth. etc.). Collect all the p.lIrts you can find and then IllY them out or set them up to decide what looks and fits together best as II head. Study my photographs carefUlly. Take me apart mentally. Can you recognize where my p.lIrts were salvaged from? Notice the many ven· ti lation ports In my head and body.

Feet must be flexible st knees sod sokles. Note rubber tubing, hose clsmp!t snd plywood !toles.

You must consider your needs as a biological organism when building a robot. You need fresh air to breathe and cool your body. A small robot is hotter and stuffier than a roomy one. Use as many ventilation holes and grillworks as possible, so you can ~ what is nappening around the robot. No one should know that a human be­ing is inside the robot. so the ventila· t ion holes will often require baffles 10 fo il would·be peekers.

Keep safely in mind when building your robot. You must be especially careful to avoid dangerous projections and sharp edges inside or oulside the robot. Use foam·rubber padding where needed inside. File and sand all metal edges before assembling or attaching parts.

Robot Body Making the body is the first step. A

fiber drum. about 22 inches in dia· meter and 30 inches deep (or larger), can be used as an inexpensive, lightweight robot body. Cover the bar· rei with thin lIluminum sheeting such as aluminum flashing obtained at a hardware store or lumber yard. Neat rows of pop rivits hold the metal to the barrel which strengthens the metal and prevents it from denting too ~asily. To disguise the fiber barrel. you can saw the metal rings off each end of it and make ¥.·inch plywood oval discs to fit into the ends of the barrel. thus ~p­ing it into an oval tube.

After a suitabl~ head is found, a hole is cut in the disc to fit the head on th~ end of the barrel. Aluminum sheet is cut to fit and is contact·cemented over the plywood. A hole is cut to admit the body and legs into the other disc. The edge of the body can then be finished off with flexible aluminum or rubber molding. (See Diagram I.)

Arms sre constructed of nexlble psrt.s s o thst robot csn reach for s nd gnb hold of objects.

If you have a large enough sheet of sturdy aluminum, you can eliminate the fiber borrel, and just wrap the metal around the plywood discs. A large dome-shape might be used for the top of the body. In this case. cut a plywood disc to match the base of the dome and use the dome and the disc as forms for the sheet metal body.

You can be comfortable wearing your robot body if you attach it to a backpack frame. Use angle brackets and pop rivils to attach the frame to the inside of the body. Now you can carry the robot as comfortably as a bllckpack. Football shoulder pads cou ld also be used. but a backpack frame is more comfortable and stable;

ClNEMAG/C -3 7

. "' ~-'" " "

48. l<- ."Er 'R", ''''MOLY a I"' 'To looy WrTtt TA,eS

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D/AG-RAM

find one in 8 flea market or thrift store. After the pack frame is 8tt&ehed, try on the body to determine where arm holes end spy holes wil be located. Spy holes 8fe not cut into the head until the eyes end other facill] features have been found. Taillight housings, chrome speaker rings, goggles or gas masks could be used for eye openings. My eyes lire coffee pot parts which were cut to fit with airline snips end attached with metlll angle brackets. A wide· lingle "spy hole" for i!I door mekes II good viewer for the o~rlltor inside. The perforated metlll pilne]s in my mouth lind eyes are the main spy.holes for my human operator.

A.nn. .114 Halld. Make the arms before cutting holes

In the body for mounting them. Robot arms should move; the hands should be capable of reaching out and grasp. ing. Aexible arms can be made from a plastic dryer vent, or automotive heater duct or a large "flexible rubber boot." Look In auto-wrecking yards. automo· tlve or marine supply stores or surplus stores for a flexib le duct. Use a minimum six·inch d iameter if you In· tend to reach into the arms to manlpu·

B ONEMi'.G/C-3

late the hands. Arms should emerge from the body at approximately elbow level of the operator.

Use extra· large size heavy·duty rub· ber gloves for hemds so that the robot can do tasks with almost human facili· ty and so that you can slip your hands in and out of the gloves easily. The joint between duct and glove Is a reducing coupling made from coffee cans rivited together. (See Diagram 3.) Paint the coupling black before install· ing it. A hose clamp, eledricians tape, aluminum trip strip or chrome speaker rings can be used as trim to hold the glove, duct and coupling together. A section of a coffee can Is used to rein· force the upper end of the duct so It can be attached to the body with 8ngle brackets. A chrome speaker ring or headlight rim Is used as trim for the shoulder joint between arm and body. It is held to the body by atttJd1ed metal tabs which are pushed into slots cut In the body and bent over. This is also the method used to attach my eyes to my head, as seen in the photograph.

Caliper brakes from a bicycle could be turned into menacing robot pincers; o r pincer claws can be built up with plywood lamitllltions, sanded and

painted to resemble metaL I have tried several hands (as you can see in the photograph). but rubber gloves provide the best facility be<:ause of biological feedback.

Feet and Lega Robot legs must be joined at the

ankle and the knee. They can be made entirely of six· Inch diameter or larger flexible duct provided you can stick your foot through it, and slide it over your upper leg. Check local surplus stores for flexible duct, or buy it at lin automotive parts supplier. Robot legs can also be made of aluminum cylin. ders with inner tube knee and ankle joints. (See DiagTi!lm 2.) The ends are removed from two large food cans. Aluminum fli!lshing is pop riveted to the cans. making a light, sturdy aluminum tube for upper or lower leg. Cut a notch out of the upper leg for the groin and cushion the edge with cloth tape. Knee joints are short lengths of Inner·tube rivited to the ends of the cylinders with a binding strip of medium.weight aluminum. urge nose clamps could also be used here. Inner· tubes come in various diameters. so find the right size at your local service station or Ure store .

The foot has an " i!lnkle" which is e short tube of the same diameter as the leg. This ellows you to connect the foot and leg with an inner·tube coupling like the knee joint. A number of com· mon objects can be utllized to make robot feet. Domed or conical forms such as lempshade reflectors Ci!ln be sawed in half to make a matching pair of " foot tops." Airline snips are used to cut awey the conical form to fit agi!linst the enkle tube. Cut eway material slow· Iy end carefully until parts fit. File all

H.nd. c.n be either rubber glove. 01' worluoble cI.w •. Auto hellter duct arm h •• coffee can ends and Is f •• tened with hose clamps.

edges. A metal strip is added to raise the conlc,,1 foot top three inches above the floor to give the foot is proper form. ~rk the ankle tube for cutting lJWlJY excess materilJl beneeth the foot top, Ieliving an extrll inch of material to form tabs for rivi ting together the parts. (See Diagram 2.) OvlJl aluminum roasting pans and aluminum bedpans also mlJke very good robot feet. The lJnkle tube Is rivited directly to the top of the bedpan or rolJster. After the foot is riviled together, a ¥,·inch plywood sole is cut to fit into the bottom of the foot. It is held in pllJce with wood screws so It can be replaced when worn out. Cushion the insides of the feet

Su.pender. cro.lJed O"l')r . houlder. makl') be.t leg .upporU. W.f.t belt s upport ma,. CIIU_ fatigue .

with foam rubber to fit your foot, and to hold It in place while walking.

The most comfortable harness for the robot legs is a pair of suspender· like stfllPS which cross over the should· ers. Belt hamesses c"n also be used, but they cause fatigue if the robot does much walking, or if the legs weigh very much.

Photon B.'me and Soalc Bunte When the basic body, helJd.lJrm and

leg structures are mlJde, add the trim and special·effect devices. The main control plJnel box Is on the chest of the robot. It contains a switch panel. and the electrical gadgets such lJS tape deck and amplifier. Its size and shape are determined by the site of the tape deck and lJmplifier units.

Your specllJl·effect circuitry will con· sist of photon beams and sonic bursts. My primary sound system is a small

six·volt portable cassette tape deck with 30 minut~ of recorded elecronic sci·fi sounds. You can generate the sounds yourself with a synthesizer or tape them from records, radio or televi· sian broadcasts. The robot's voice can also be recorded on the tape. An aux· iliary speaker is mounted on the front of the robot body and plugged into the tape deck outout. My voice Is

dehumanized by speaking through a "reverb microphone" and pocket amplifier obtained from Radio Shack. You can alter a portllble tape deck or transistor radio to make the voice amplifier. Connect a microphone input across the detector diode of the rlIdio or in place of the tape head and you hllve a lightweight amplifier. A six·volt lllntern battery can be used for power,

DIAlTRAM 2.

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DIAG-RAM 3

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but better results are obtained with a motorcycle battery. The motorcycle battery has more power to put out maximum sound and brighter lights for a longer time.

Be sure to group all control switches in a logical way. and touch-code them so that when you're inside, and in the dark . they will be easy to locate and operate. I want you to be comfortable and confident of your functions while you are a robot. The main switch panel has an orlfoff main-power switch which supplies power to the "control switch panel" and to the basic "running lights" of the robot. These lights lire tran· sistorized flashIng. light devices taken-

10 ONENAG/C·3

-[TIN CAN FITTlt'& I TPlPl' tlO'-D!> pucr

.ti

TO ATfIt;6S OR Mt:TA~ ~""'DS ARE. RIVElE:P

T \ l-\ - Cf'li'l C.OV1"U NG

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from highway warning flashers. These can be found at your local flea mC!lrket. They make bright flashes and don't draw much current. The lights are mounted in plastic lenses on my chest pack and atop my head. Severel LED flasher clrcuits provide another group of running lights distributed on the head and body.

Although the tape deck and voice amplifier have separate on/off swItch· es, the rest of the robot's light·and· sound circuits have momentary can· tact micro-switches.

Lights can be flashed rapidly or held on for longer duratIons with micro· switches: they can be arranged Into a

Sock e t Is ror e.sy head ~mov.l. Powe r Is b y 6 V motorcyc:1e b.Uery .

keyboard which responds to alight touch. Automotive or flashlight bulbs (six.volt) imd sockets are used in various ways for "photon beam" ef· fects. The purpose of the "photon beams" is to drC!lw attention to a fune· tion or a feature of the robot or to at· tempt some kind of communication. The light bulbs are effective when they lire beamed by flashlight. type reflec· tors. and when used behind trC!lnslucent p lastic windows. A back·lit plastic win· dow can show a message when it lights up. The message is printed with pillstic stick·on letters behind the translucent window. A bright "photon b last" is created with a photo strobe unit

Inte rior or he. d s hould b e p_dded to protect you rrom sharp p.rts In c._ you r.1I down.

LED FLASHER C.IRCUIT

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DIA6'RAM ~ Dlagnm 4 : This I •• schemallc for my LED n.sher dreult. Each of the_ drculu coata about $ 1 .50. See the arth::le on electronic a peda' effect. in this I •• ue for other circuit.. you can UIM! in your robot.

available from hobby-electronics sup­ply houses. A flint.type spark igniter will make a SlTICIller flash i!lnd puff of smoke. Smoke effects can also be generZited with a cigaretter if adequo!Ite ventilation if provided.

Battery toys can provide.!l variety of mechaniclll sound effects, sonic blasts and movement. The small motors themselves make servo motor sound

effects. Mount them d irectly to the body so their noise is amplified and resonated. My robot "brain" is made from battery toy dogs. Mounted upside·down on my head, they make odd barking sounds. and their legs cause springs and wiggly rubber memo branes to flail around when I " think." Spring mounting the entire "brain" adds an additional quivering motion.

Battery or air.powered buzzers. bells. sirens and horns can be incorporated. A robot has all the potential of a one· man band.

The LED is an efficient and econom· iCIII type of lighting device. Although It is not a very strong source of light, it adds a "high· technology" look to the robot. The circui t diagram shows a basic method of making blinking

1

to m~lfunction )_ I speak to mailboxes or motorcycles and ignore the humans; propose to a cigarette or candy machine or talk to a wall. These mal· fucntions will mislead the hUmlIn be· ings as to your real intelligence and potential for mischief. Then you can become a robot hypnotist who demands coins for its slot. You had better have a guard or robot handler nearby to cope wi th those whom you cannot hypnotize and control.

Now you have some basic sugges­tions. You are ready to build your robot. You lire very ell:ciled and en· thusiastic about becoming a robot. You can't wait to get started. Wherever you go you will be on alert for metal, plastic and rubber parts 10 build your robot. It will be a fantastic machine. Send me a picture of your robot when it's done. Write to: CINEMAGrc,

Interior of robot'a head la a maae of wires. Note the socket plugs for easy removal of head and the script taped at eye level.

do O'Quinn Studios. 475 Park Ave. S .. N. Y .. N.Y. 10016. (II

LEDs. The rl'l~teri~ls required to build this circuit ere avelleble et R~dio Shack. Byte Shop ~nd most other elec· tronic ellperimenter supply stores at a cost of ~bout $1.50 per circuit. Circuits c~n be grouped to achieve complex looking circuits. or random blinking ef· fects. Mount each LED c~refully ~s if it were a jewel.

Color code ell wires (red is positive) and use the robot body ~s ~ negative ground for ~ II circuiu. This will simplify the wiring. Each light. bell, buzzer or other electrical device is grounded to the body and supplied with ~ positive wire to complete the cir­cui t when the control switch is pushed. The electrical system must be designed so it is easily taken ~part or unplug­~ed for repeirs or modlfiClitions. A body panel (such liS the chest panel) should open. or detach to expose in­terior wiring ptlnels. The head of the robot should be fitted with a multi­prong plug to cerry signals to the elec­tric devices in the head, while allowing its removal from the body when necessary for repairs. Think ~bout ease of repairs and modlficetlons when building your robot. ~ke circuits ac­cessable and solder lIli connections.

Robot Beh8vlor

As a robot, I earn my operating ex­pense and cash for meintenance and development with my coin slo t. I only move and speak when I am fed coins. HUmllns are suckers for this. They ex­pect machines to be coin·operllted. As 1I coin-operated robot. you are in con­trol. You can give out what you wish with each coin. I dispense II souvenir picture postcllrd of myself with each in­sertion of e "silver coin. " I sometimes malfunction (humllns expect machines

Rlghtl My "brain" wlgglea and appeara to "think" aal walk.

12 CII'IEMAGIC-;

This is the interior of the torao with the chest pane. attached. Note control.wltc:he., microphone and arm portal.

Left: Here lam In my full glory. I love to amble down the .treet and terrorbe an the_ Earthling motorl.ta. With a IItUe paUence you could build your own IIfe ·.I_ robot and add authenUcity to your fllm •. It'a not very hard to do and It'. not a. _penalve a. the flnl.hed product loob. All you need Is .pare Ume, a little money, Ingenuity and patience. Think of what you could do with a full -.I_d robot! You wouldn't have to superlmpo_ a toy robot over footage of your live actors_ You could graduate to making .clence fleUon fUm. of profea.ional callber_

Above: Here lam with my frhnd. In Profe.sor Bailey'. work.hop. The professor hope. he has been of help to those of you who want to build your own robot.

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Building Beings, Creating Creatures, and Doing Dinosaurs

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ELECTAl e ruMIINE TOIIP£DO

In Defen.e of: "State of the Art

Technology" SUIte of the art technology is

the very aspect of Hollywood filmmaking that has made possl. ble such fUms as StIlT WIVS. Close Encounlers 0( the Third Kind and Slar Trek- The Mcx/on Piclwe. Up until recently the definition of a miniature as uiM!d In Hollywood was a half to three·quarter scale model. It WlilS the introduction of such splIce·age mlilterililis lIS

epoxy cllstlng resins and silicone rubber molding techniques thilt made it financitlily fellsible to simulate mile·1ong structures nOllting in the null·gravity world of outer space.

Ken WlIlker's concepts of model mllking lire fine for con· structing 1I show piece or display model. but the relillity of Holly· wood filmmaking calls for much more durllble and nexlble mlnill' tures. 1\ typICal mlnllllure 15

USUlllly cooceptulillized by lin art director with very little thought liS to how this miniature will ultimately be constructed. The model mllker. therefore. must be exceptionally versatile In his ap' pr~ch to the construction of such concepts liS compound curves and odd radii that result when turning a two·dimensional concept into a three·dimensional relillity. The design is subject to many changes In the course of construction. Sometimes a new art director will take over in mid· stream lind change tIS much liS 50 percent oIa minillture thllt is 1I1most complete. which ClIlis for 1I1mostlil complete reconstruction 01 thai minitlture, The problem is ti'wtt the production's delldlines are not pushed bKk to lICCOITI().

date such dellilYs. This is when rubber molds come in i'wtndy for reproducing basic parts that OIX' rTllIl1y would take months to regeneililte.

One must 1Iiso undersUlnd whlll the minilillure goes through after it leaves the nands of the model maker. Upon completion it is turned over to the film crew Ihat will S\J5pend it in any number of gravity·defying positions. raise it. lowe, it. vibrate it. expose it for long hours to skin temperatures of 200 + degrees F and expect it to look exactly the same six months later as It did when It first

Rh:hard Thomp.on.t work on the Enterprt_ model for the upcoming Sur Tre.k mol'l4il.

arrived. Without usillQ the space. lIge technology. this would be an impossible leaL In ClIse of an lICCident, such as a JO-pound light 11Iliing on the minillture. the repair must take pillee in a matter of minutes. not days. liS the film crew slanding by is costing the producer upwards of 52,000 lin hour (and that is just in saililries and doesn't incillde overhead fOf the facility). My point is, contrary to Mr. Walker's statements. that the model making industry uses these esoteric methods to save as much time and money as is pos· sible with the technology that is available today, In his article on the construction of his model. he says it took him over a year to build. That would have cost a producer over 520.000 in just his salary 1I10ne at current union fates. With overhead, elc., thllt lS.inch model would untimlltely hi!lve cost over 550.000 and he has no provisions lor on-lhe·spot replacement of lIny of the compo­nents except for 1I few light bulbs. II his model S\JS\IIined a fall of say. (lve feet. could he have il ready to photograph the next moming when Ihe film crew ar· rives and is ready to shoot with· out using space'lIge technology S\Jm as E.listman 9·10 and pre· ~st replacement parU?

In summary. today's profes. sional model milker must have II good working knowledge of all the techniques Ilvailable-includ· Ing the toothpick and rubber· band approach. He must also have 1I working knowledge of the

many different machines lIvailable so he ClIn produce lhe best miniature possible within the time Irame and blldget alloted to any particular project. A well · equipped shop may have up' wards of S25O.ooo worth of mao chinery and tools. bul ti'wtl is 1I pittllnce when compared to a film 's overalfbudget of $20.000.000 + . If a PIIrticolllr machine or 1001 cuts production time considerably. It is uS\Jally well·worth the Investment to the professional. One single mistake· in the iM!lection of materials or production methods clln costa producer more money than the individUllI making thllt decision will make in five yellrs or more. The profeSSional model maker is judged noI by the skill with which the minillture Is constructed, noI by the tools lind methods employed to bring to fruition a given project. but by the image of that miniature when it is fintll1y projected onto the silver screen.

Rlci'wtrd L. Thompson 8 125 Norwich Ave. Van Nuys. CA 91402

Rudets UIt'fI! /nulled 10 com· ment on Mr. W/JIker's def.aiIM lJIfi· de. "'The TooIhpkk and Rubber Band~ school 01 model construe· lion whkh (l/Jpeared Ir! the ~ Issue 0( CINEM;o.C;1C Mr. Th0mp­son is M employee of Mlilgictlm and works in lheir model shop. where /he rnoc/(.>/s for lhe upcoming Star Trek-The Motion Picture UIt'fI! completed. He goes on 10 say. "We fllbrlcaled IIle new

Enterprise. Drydock and Klingon BalUe Cruisct- d!TIOI1g others. We also have /he ~ /raueling malle/ blue screm video process in the indU5iI!J; we haue produced rninl.!1Uft'.S and commercial spots for such cllenls as IBM. Sears. ADT. Son,!; Panasonic and many olhers. We are cUlTCflUy worlring on /I spccial'efff'!;15 package for Carl Sagan's Cosmos Sf!IieS and haueJusl compieled sequences for lhe Mork lind Mindy season Qpenf'I. ..

MI881ng Dlno .. ur8? ... For the past year or so. I have been very upset. I sent in money and patiently wllited for my book (&i/ding Beings. ClIsling Oealures and Doing Dinosaurs from IE.S Visual ArlS). Seven months Ililter I received 1I Cllrd saying thllt they were sold out and would send me one lIS

soon 115 they were back in stock. So 1 wtoited si" or seven more months. In late I\pril '79. I wrote again. but the leiter was reo turned by Ihe post office. mllrk· ed "Addressee Unknown." Plellse help!

Tom Edwllrds 2625 1 Papagayo M ission Viejo, CA 92675

ONE.M/o.G/C has had much the same problcm as reader Edwards trying to conlactlhe company. Recenlly. howeuer. CIi{fridge Publishing contacted us. They Me now handling Ihe book in qucstion. They apologize for Ihe situation and further slale. " We haue done everything possi· ble 10 insure that all the old 1&5 customers haue been laken care of (there were a few bad checks and some orders sent with cash and completely unreadable ad· dresses). Anyone who has nol receiue1lheiF merchandise from 1&5 should conlacl me (Lee M . Seikr. publisher) al C/i{fridge Publishing. Box 2. Elk. CA 95432. immedialely. I will~· sonalty see Ihat the Ofder is laken care of."

Repairing M.old8 ... 1 am involved in making mllsks and specilll f~m· llIlex ap· pliances. There is a tip I'd like to PIIss on to young makeup lIrtists and special-effects people. I htlve found thllt Elmer's glue is the

best adhesive for mending cracked or broken foam·latex molds. You can roughen·up the surfaces to be glued with a wire brush or a sharp tool and soak them in water for a few seconds, let stand and apply the Elmer's.

David Ayrell, In his studio, sculpts a new dellign.

Squeeze the pieces together and let the mold dry out overnight or put it in a warm oven for a few hours. The bond Is durable and will last for several bakings.

David Ayres 204 N. Fraser Dr. E. Mesa, AZ 85203

Mr. Ayres Is a professional makeup anis/. He hllS u.>Ofked on such TVshows as Quincy, Charlie's Angels and such fealUl"e {ilms as Empire of the Ants and Demon Seed, among many others.

Galactlca Model .. 1 would like to comment on

Monogram's most recent SF release. the Gaiaclica. Everyone I know who has encountered the kit is extremely diSllppolnted. I won't go into details, but if Monogram cont inues to sell

Above: ture by GaJdeckl & Wren.

ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS ClNEMAGIC has received a number of letters expressing diSllp·

pointment with the quarterly production schedule. Now the good news .... You will not have to wait a whole year to receive the first four issues of your subscription. Beginning with the next issue, CINEMAGIC will go to a bi·monthly production schedule, so that you will receive your Issues sooner. Renewal notices will reflect the more frequent publication rate. The publishers and editors of CINEMAGIC thank you for your continued support.

... I've seen laser·beam effects that had ~n airbrushed onto glass. I have a solution for people that don't have airbrushes or backwinding equipment. All you need is Saran Wrap or a similar mllterial. a piece of glass about 12 inches by 15 inches and paint (glossy~ Stretch the wrap on a newspaper and then paint it whatever color your laser be!lms should be. When the paint dries. cut the painted wrap into thin strips and smooth them onto the glass, unpainted side down. Now. suspend the glass and film. To create a ghostly glow, breathe on the lens.

Bryan Mclane 4100 SW 32 Dr. Hollywood, FL 33023

Thank You. Dick Smith ... Not being a "gore" f!ln myself, I'm not really sure how to

take the article on Dick Smith, or the really BIG. gruesome picture of the poor chap from The Sen· linel. But Dick's information should prove helpful to other filmmakers trying to do Sam Peckinpaw one better! It is ex· tremely nice of the guy to openly sh!lre his own tried·and·proven formu ta for blood. since he could e!lsily have been as "tight·lipped" about his processes as others seem to be. Here's hoping that, through his eX!lmple, other pros will st!lrt sh!lring their secrets through the pages of ClNEMAGIC. (But don't forget the dedic!lted amateurs and their techniques!)

Ken Walker 542 t Silbert Rd. Norfolk, VA 23509

Muscle By Muscle . . . 1 have been making models for !lbout two years and have enclosed a few photos of my I!lstest animalion model-an

.John A. aaJdecki and Chris Wnm at work In their miniature model production s hop.

substandard kits. I fei!1 that it wlll set back modeling. I simply bought it for photographic pur· poses and was almost convinced

not to buy it by the bol\ !lrt-it looks like a toy. I've begun custom detailing, but will proba· bly only do half of it since so

Above: The stop· motion Allo .. urus model by Kohn. The .noature Is superb.

alloSllurus. The skeleton is made of steel with bronze ball be!lrings and brass rod. The skull is h!lnd· moldable epoxy putty and the body sections are clear lucite. The body is built up muscle by muscle from foam rubber, and contact cement with rubber skin. The skin was rubber from a lex· lure mold .

Justin Kohn 5798 SW 58lh Ter. South Miami, FL 331 43

00

John A. Gajdecki 12 Kesley Ave. Ottawa, Ontario Canada K2E 5Z t

C/NEMAG/C"3 15

First Steps as an Animator

Strategies {or developing your own style as an animator.

By KIT LAYBOURNE

Style is the ultimate achieve­ment. I don't think there can be i!I more difficult or II more rewarding goal than develop­

ing one's own unique vision through an art form like animation. As you begin the process of e)(ploring anima­tion . I'd like to suggest that you try out at least a few of the following strategies.

Start (rom Slreng/il . The best place to begin is where your interest is strongest. Read along until you come to a project that you find yourself eClger to try. And then do it. When you feel finished. move on. Don't allow yourself to agonize when you want to skip or quit a .particular proj­ect. It is important at the beginning to build up a momentum. II's also good to create II string of successes as you get your commitment centered and your confidence strengthened.

Build a "Studio." Claim a space that can become the symbolic home for your work as an animator. There is no need to be fancy. When I started by own work I allocated a single drawer to the new enterprise. It was a modest studio. to be sure. But it gave me an Important "psyehological space" in which to develop new skills. In addition to commandeering a physical place. I urge you to commit a specific amount of energy, time and expense to your exploration of animated filmmak ing. Everything you invest will be returned to you through increased productivity, effiCiency and pleasure.

Develop a Project Menlalily. Let's say you decide to be an oil painter. No one, even yourself. would expect you to produce a masterpiece on your first canvas. Animated filmmaking is every bit as difficult to master as oil paint· ing. So give yourself a break. Just 8S an oil painter begins with a sketch pad and a series of experiments. allow yourself the psychic freedom to develop your competencies at a reasonable pace. My book suggests different "projects." Try as many of them as you can. They have been carefully formulated to let you ex, perience various processes and tech­niques, But 8S you do them . try not to be overly self.critical. Don't judge

Moment. frOIft .r.aet Perlm.n' . " Lady Flabbourne'a Complete Guide to BelterT.ble ..... nne,. ... THIE A."IMA.TIO" BOOK by Kit Larbourne . Crown PubU.hera , lnc. (Courteay or the rUmmakeraad Carouae. Filma, ) Bee the "wle. or Kit LarbnurDe'. new book ID lblal.aue.

yourself by first efforts, Remind yourself that it is not the product of your animation that counts but the process of your learning. At least in the beginning that's true.

A sample reel is the filmmaker's

equivalent to the artist's sketch ~, Save your exercises and experiments, however primitive and inadequate you may think they are. It is easy to splice everything you shoot onto one reel. since you'lI most likely be doing all

your filming with the same equip­ment. From time to time screen this sample reel for your friends (the ap­plause won't damage your ego), And screen it orten for your own study, analysis and evaluation, You will learn more from your own mistakes than you'll learn from any other source-these pages included,

Keep an Animator's Diary, I strongly recommend that you consistently keep tr.!lck of what you are learning and how you are feeling, I can't over· emphasize the importance of devising some system that allows you to monitor and record what you ex· perience. Any system will do, An easy one is to designate a special book, or section of a book, as a place where you can maintain a running record of your projects. The things you ought to keep track of include questions, frustll tions, evaluations o f projects, ideas for new films, personal goals, technical data, planning notes, ex· penses, words of encouragement and counsel that you've collected from favorite books, and so on,

Loose Tune. Gauging your abilities as an independent animator ought to be a very long·term goal. But as you go along, periodica lly make informal and tentative lIssessments of your skills, There are many different things to master, and no one-no one-has

Top of PAge: Scene from W.ll DI.ney'. "Peler P.R." ( © Disney Prod.)

Above: Richard WIIU.m. wllb cell from hi. film, '7he Pink PAnlber.··

ever been able to do them .!III. Walt Disney didn·t. None of the indepen· dent animators mentioned in my book would say that they have total facility in all the skills it takes to pro· duce a finished film. I certainly don't have them, You won't either,

And iI's not important that you do, What can be important. however. is that you are able to mllke lin lIsseSS' ment of areas where you are strong

and i!lrei!ls where your skills are less developed, This is important because it can help you guide your own development. You must be able to gauge your own sk ill, interest, goals and talents if you are to realize the ultimate goal for finding your own personal style. (II

I'/cpfloled Irom III(' """",,,lIim) ij",,/o.. bv Kil L~vbo"rnc. with Ihe p"flnis.iO<1 of C,O .... O Publish"", !r",_

C/NEMAGIC"] /7

Fluid Art An Inexpensive, Fast and Flexible Way

to Animate Painted Imagery.

Fluid Art offer. many advantage. over eel animation. You don't need a huge budget, art.taU or endle •• time .

By KELLY HART

Afew yeollrs ago, I imagined 011

film that would show the growth of a person, from birth to death. A live-action

film seemed out of the question, so I thought about simple animation techniques that might be employed. Not wanting to invest a lot of money or tedious labor in eel animation, but wanting to explore fully drawn or painted imagery, I began i!I search for some method of painting directly under the camera. I had read of Norman McClaren's animation using pastels on paper and trClnsforming the painting directly under the camera, but it seemed limited by an eventual mud· dying of ("olors or tearing of the paper. What 1 wanted was a plastic medium which could be erased indefinitely, added to or altered over a long period of time, Closing lhe characler'. e)'e •• hould lake onl)' a few mlnule. wllh Fluid Art.

18 CINEMAG/C-J

1

n

I tried crayons, marking pens, grease pencils and oil pastels on the glass screen of a tittle homemade light box . The grease pencils seemed the most adaptable, but the lines they made were crude and hard to control. The glass became warm because the light box wasn't ventilated. When I touched the grease pencil to it. the paint melted and became quite fluid. I tried using a brush and found that the warm greasepaint behaves much like oil paint in the way it produces textures and mixes to form new colors. The backlit grease image is wonderfully brilliant.

Warm greasepaint proves to be a very flex ible medium. It is easily removed from the glass with a few swipes of a rag: areas can be cleared with a small scraper blade. If the glass is allowed to cool. the greasepaint will harden, but will become fluid again when reheated. Thus. II painting can be "in progress" for years and yet remain fresh and alive.

Faces, my first film using this tech· nique, is based on my idea of the evolution of an individual. It is a por· trait which keeps changing, getting older. until a very old man shuts his eyes. and his face dissolves so tMt only his handlebar mustache remains. Then it flies like a bird into the distance.

As soon as I saw Faces projected, I became fascinated by this simple, spontaneous form of animation. The film carried a sort of painting. in·

Fluid Art Is sn IUsy to accomplish ne!w anima lion techniqUe! that'. pro· duced by bac kllghllng gre!ase! pencil Image!s which ar", dnwn on glass. The! gr",a8e pencil I. easy to re!move from the! g la.s and you don't haVe! t.o draw a new ell'll (or e!ve!ry new frame. Supplies are available (rom the author.

motion quality, that was unlike anything I had seen. I soon created Swye, a fr~nowing, stream·of· consciousness film. and Our Sun. a swi rling mandala form that expands and contracts according to modern cosmollgical theory of the evolution of our Sun.

Armed with these three films. I ap­proached Ho llywood in 1973 lind, with some luck , landed a commission to create the evolution sequence to The Naked Ape. co·produced by Universal Pictures and Playboy Productions. Working in 35mm, 1 made a one·and·a­half-minute film depicting the evolu· tion of mankind f rom a singh!! cell, through the various animal forms leading to early humans. The research for this project took much longer than the actuaillnimation. which lac· complished in approximately one week. Actually. I had to animate the entire film twice. because the first ver· sian was ruined by a faulty shutter in a rented camera. I learned the hard way that which is true of all animation created directly under the camera: If lit first you don' t succeed. you have to do it all over again.

Since The Naked Ape, I have put much energy into developing Fluid Art, as I call this new medium. It took three years to acquire a U.S. patent on the process, and a few more years to design, build and test several genera· tions of Fluid Art devices. The Fluid Art Stand is the simplest version: a basic light,box/camera stand. The more complex "Animachines" employ movements to pan the artwork beneath the camera.

I have found that Fluid Artwork varies in appearance, depending on how it is lit. Backlighting emphasizes the brush strokes and makes the colors glow. When lit from above, the paint is

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THIS 15 YOUR MAGAIINE

CINIMAGIC WIll flATU_I ,

How to produce plOfesSIOfl,,1 tit les lMt ll'IO'Ve. CM09\!: color. melt, SPdrkle, burst into flames. zoom IntO space all fOf a few t)uclcs!

TIred 01 SQuare screens? le"rn "bout In· expenSIve lenses and devlces to make your PICture W+D-E-5-C·jH·E·N Brc"~"w,,y po'op!I for rcolistH: /'::!ht scenes.

AnlmatfOrl 00 your homemdde st,,~q. Build your own rotxlts With electronIC li9ht effects

MIlke your own foam latex anlmatfOrl models, molds and armatures and make them come alive! Glass palnlin9S. matte box effects, spilt screens.

ReVieW'S o f new equipment, lenses and optlC~1 9ad9\!:tS fOf creatm9 speci~1 ef· fects! Readers' forum - it':tters and questlOOs f:XCMnglng tec.hniques and productlOO s«retsl Step-by·step Il­lustrated artICles detailing methOOs you can use to create VISual efteds, makeup and sound F~.

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The warsn gr .. _ pancD can be applied to the glaaa with an artlat's brusb,

flat and opaque and the hues are changed considerably. This means that above-lit Fluid Animation can be done over a separate background, such as water color or collage on paper. My latest film. Hears Where?, was done this way, using an Animachine. A little character Is animated by moving the glass easel about one millimeter or so for every other exposure and just repositioning his features slightly before the exposures.

Animation implies movement, but this movement is not n~rily direc· tional. The movement could be a transformation or a metamorphosis of one image into another. Or the move· ment could be textural or atmospheric, such as a field of grass swaying in the breeze. Fluid Animation lends itself quite readily to these non-d ir~iona l forms of animation, because the paint of one image can be altered with just a brush stroke to a different configura· tion to affect the change.

With a little practice. a person can create Fluid Animation quIte rapidly. On The Naked Ape sequence, which was fairly complex, backlit animation with fully painted beckgrounds, I averaged a change every three minutes. With simpler animation, such

20 CINEMAGIC-)

as making a body of water appear to be in motion. the changes can be made every few seconds. so that a rhythm is generated by the actions of painting and making the exposures. It's almost like playing a musical

Instrument. In order to make a Flu id Art facility

available to anyone who might be in· terested, I have formed a company to manufacture the equipment and pro· vide the necessary supplies and infor·

.... ssnanscraper blade snay be used to remove gre •• e peDcll detail from the Fluid Art cell. A brush Is used to re-.pply the warm grease.

mation for exploring this new medium. The Fluid Art Stand sells for $225 plus handling. and a kit of supplies is $20. A Super·8 reel of sample animation

A STUNNING BOOK. •• • 120 Pagas • Larga 8~ X 11 Sile! • Over 225 Photo. -

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formation. the "Fluid Art Stand' Manual" mey be ordered for $1.00. Send orders and inquiries to: Fluid Art, 8363 Trenton Rd " Forestville, CA, 95436. (If

FILM MAGIC Hera it is! The bibla on making yuur own step-by-step special affects. FILM MAGIC givas you tha best 110m the pagas of the fera. out of print issues of Oon Oohler's Ofigimll CINEMAGIC".plus. more than 20 pages of bflmd new how-to mater ial, in­cluding many full color photosl

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Electronic Special Effects Building a Light Sequencer Circuit

By KENNETH WALKER

Turn on your television set to any science fiction TV show or movie, and chances are you will se~ among the background

props some type of "flashing-computer light plIneJ" composed of hund reds of tittle lightbulbs or li t squares going on and off in some kind of quasi·ordered paUern. (Remember the "control plInels" in Lost in Space. The nme Tun­nel. Voyage 10 the Bouom 0{ lhe Sea?) If you're like me. you've always wtmted a moving light display. like this for your own film projects, as " futuristi c; prop for engine rooms, spaceship bridges, etc. Luckil y, with the recent intro· duction of several specialized digital integrated circuits (hereafter just ICs), the building of an all·electronic circuit to accomplish these sequential light shows has been made relatively easy. In fact. what used to be produced by sometimes cumbersome mechanical means can now be done electronically, and with less expense, which means that amateur and semi.pro filmmakers can now make use of electronic props thai look and function as well as those in today's Hollywood sci·fi films.

In this article I will detai l a useful do· it·yoursel f project that can be built by any filmmaker with a little patience. The finished product-a light flasher circuit-will add a touch of profession· alism to your films and other projects.

The particular combination of. elec· tronic components described here will cause seven small lightbulbs to light up in ten different combinations. auto· matically. at whatever speed you wish. The circuit runs through these ten combinations, then repeats them. over and over.

Besides making your instrument ~nels look "functional." this basic cir· cuit can be used in robot const ruction projects. for example. as "chest panel l ights:' With a little off·camera on·off switching of the circuit. the robot can appear to talk in unison with the flashing lights! As another use. the bare lightbulbs themselves could be mounted Into your spaceship model (during construction) giving the model

5-VOLT Ie POWER SUPPLY

120 Volt-to-12 Volt transformer

I

20 yolls A.C. Input

conning tower lights, landing lights. etc. You could "Iso gather all seven bulbs randomly into a tight group. in· stall them in the "engine" of your modeL and cover them with some type of colored plastic prismatic material (like an old bicycle reflector) The engine will appear to be " under power" as the lightbulbs turn on and off. especially if the frequency knob of the light flasher circuit is turned up to a high value .

Construction Although this article will be deZl' ling

with a lot of seemingly " heavy" elec· tronics ideas and "complex" parts (the ICs), have no fear-no great electronics knowledge on the part of the reader is assumed. I've tried to make the building of the required circuitry as easy and painless as possible. In fact. all the rea l "work" involved in making the circuit operate has already been done for you by the manufacturers of

12 yolt A.C.

\ output

"Brktge Rectifier" (50 PIV)

the transistors and ICs! The circuit diagram may lcok complex at first sight. but if you carefully go over it you'll see that it's really nothing more than a lot of wires. with very few actual electronic components. If you follow the: wiring lines and IC pin numbers closely. you should have no trouble with assembly. (The pin numbers and their locations on the IC will be sup­plied with the part.)

Don't let the "complexity" of digita l rcs scare you away from using them if you're not electronically trained; they are nothing more than building blocks, easily made to work. and easily inter· connected with other ICs and with other components. Besides. the:y operale off of a "safe" 5 volts. Essen· tially. "digital" means that a circuit is either on or off; it has no other in· betwee:n states. (Note that the 555 1C has 8 pins. the 7490 has 14. the 7447 has 16.)

There are less complex ways of

" -+

-

-

"

building this circuit, making use of some rather "exotic" ICs which may not be available everywhere, I have at· tempted, however, to use only readily available ICs and components in this project.

Since most ICs do work off of 5 volts, you'lI be needing a power supply to operate them. Poly Paks, a mail· order electronics discount house (P.O. Box 942, South Lynnfield. Mass. 01940) sells a very good 5·volt power supply in kit form, for about $9-or you can purchase the individual parts from Radio Shack and build your own.

routine on exaclly how to build this light flasher circuit (the assembly of which is very easy and straightforward) I will instead give some helpful tips on building any type of IC project. There are several circuit·building skills with which you should become familiar before you begin. The most important of these skills is the proper use of a soldering iron. Don't use a soldering gun (the thing that looks like a heavy pistol) for installing ICs, transistors and the like. Asiae from its other ills, a soldering gun puts out too much heat to be tolerated by modern elec·

approximately r 16 volts D.C.

5 volt regulator IC LM·340K, LM 340T .

output or 7805 + _ output input ......

+ + +

- \ II /

should be used for mounting the ICs to the circuit board-they allow com· ponents to be quickly plugged in and out, and thereby prevent potential damage to the IC due to too high a soldering temperature.

Most readily·available ICs are very inexpensive for what they accomplish, costing around 40~ apiece when pur· chased hom discount tirms such as Poly Paks. Also. you can get fifteen 2N·3906 trallsi:.tors in a single package from Radio Shack lor $2. (Note that lor every seven lightbulbs in this light flasher circuit, you'lI need one

o .1 mIcro aril dd' '" capacitor 1 ;

+ '+ 5,0' t output

~ , -

-\ / - \/ -I'"

2 1000 V. 50 volt electrolytic

capacitors

-

(See the power supply wiring diagram.) The 5·volt regulator IC costs $1.39, and its Radio Shack part number is #276·1770. In my own supply, J took care to mount this 5·volt regulator to a "heat sink", a piece of aluminum with a large surface area for radiating heat away from the IC I then installed the finished power supply in a small wooden box, and included a small fan to further cool off the transformer and the heat sink-these two get hot!

For d igitallCs to operate properly. they must have a "regulated" 5 volts-hence the uollage regulalor inte· grated circuit in the power supply. Due to th is need for regulation(i.e., keep­ing the voltage at a constant 5·volt level), batteries are not recommended as the power source for ICs, Since a good power supply will come in handy for operating future projects in this col· umn, time and money spent here is a good investment.

Rather than go into a step-by·step

T ground

47 microFarad, 50 volt electrolytic

capacitors

tronic components. Get a 25·30 watt soldering pencil instead. (These are available at electronics stores and some department stores.)

Learning to read electrical and elec· tronic symbols on "schematic diagrams" may also prove helpful. You really don't need the mind of a genius to become familiar with this basic material, the teaching of which I leave to numerous other sources. I'll be keeping the use of electronic symbols to a minimum in this and future col· umns, to make things easier for those readers not overly familiar with electronics.

The use of " printed circuit boards" is also advised when working with ICs, A tangle of wi res is always confusing when you're trying to track down a cir· cuit problem. Besides, circuit boards keep the circuit compact. Materials for making your own boards are available trom any electronics supply house. It haS been my \:!xperience that .w(:I ... cl.~

- -7490 Ie. one 7447 IC. i.lIld ,~CU(,11 triln· sistors. Note also that the one 555 IC is the only one r\:!quir\:!d. <md it is wired to the tirst 7490 only.)

It is even possible to add more light· bulbs to the basic circuit. As mention· ed before, the seven original tights follow a repetitive pattern of blinking. At slow speeds this repetition will not be apparent, and the different com· binations of patterns will appear to be occuring randomly. At fast speeds, however, this repetition pattern will become noticeable. By cascading­"adding in series"-another identical pair of 7490 and 7447 ICs to the one 7490 shown in the diagram, the circuit will run through 10 times 10 or 100 different combinations of lights-using 14 bulbs this time-before repetition begins. See the circuit diagram for the appropriate cascading point.

Th\:! 555 IC fUliction:. as an u .... cilldlul in the circuit by setting the rate at

(continued on page 28.)

ClNEf.1AG/C"3 23

Producers'.

U In The Alchemist. A man transmutes himself into a variety of obscene, un· earthly creatures: a tarantula, a skull, etc. Jekyll and Hyde plot. Producer: Dunwich Company Studios. Directorl Cinematographer: Larry Apakian. Cast Jim Mullen. Super·B. color, sound. Running time: 45 minutes. (Larry Apakian, SCCA 1501.2230 Forrester Ave., Holmes. PA 19043.)

Allen. Space traveler helps alien, only to find that its powers endanger his ship. SF thriller. Producer: Galactic Guy Motion Picture industry. Cast: Guy Davis. Super-S. color, sound. Running time: 15 minutes. (Guy Davis. 5425 Clarkston Rd., Clarkston, MI48016.)

Armageddon. Space war with Romulans and Andorians against humans in the starship Polemkin. sister ship of the Enterprise, climaxes with a joumey through a black hole. Pro· ducer/Directors: Eric Hull and Jeffrey 1, Adams. Super·B, color. (Jeffrey T. Adams, 1934 Lincoln Ave" St. Albans, WV 25177.)

Athena I : The Salvation Project, The crew of an Earth starship is caught in a war between a computer·governed society of peacemakers and a race of super reptiles. Effects include stop·motion, mattes, double·exposures. Producer: Omnivation I. Director: Ed Magalong, Cast: Chris Norbury, Roberta Brown. Dave Zumsteg, Mike Gregonis, Cindy Grod· zickji. Super·8, color, synch sound. Running time: 20·25 minutes, (Ed Magalong, 203 Cain Rue, Newark, DE 19711.)

Barf Rogers, Corny space adventure with queer characters, Stop· motion animation. Producers: Nicholas Kent. Joseph Timmons, R.O.P. Films. Super·8. color. Running time: 10 minutes(Nicolas Kent, 138 W. Olive, Long Beach, NY 11561.)

Battleworld. Two Earth people are caught up in an inter· stellar war. Producer/Director/Writer: Ken Newberry. Cast: Keith Ransom, Linda Newberry. Bob Newberry, Graham Tapp. Clive Stuart, Aitch Spurgeon, Gary Ransom, Graham and Paul Tindall. Super·8, color. Running time: 40 minutes (Ken Newberry, 47 Shea Is Crescent, Maidstone. Kent. England.)

Carnivore, Two aliens tell the story of a war·shattered Earth whose survivors have turned to cannibalism. Twist ending. Special effects include alien costumes, sets and alien city. Producers: Feminist Productions and 5,6 Productions. Director: Abbie Herrick. Cast: James Glenn. 16mm, B[,W, sound. Running time: 20 minutes: (Abbie Herrick, 28 S. Portland Ave., Brooklyn NY 11217,)

24 ONEMAG/C"3

Captain Equator Is Coming. A group of young men and women with their pet cat protect their home and Earth's galactic outposts. SF comedy. Producer: Anthony Rappa. Cast: Anthony Rappa, Paul Carfagna, Pete Carfagna. Joanne Carfagna, Sheri Scalesci, Joe Calcutta. Running time: 60·80 minutes. (Cuba Avenue Film Works. 213 Cuba Ave., S.I., NY 10306.)

Chaos I : The Disaster Sands. The Southwestern Desert is invaded by alien beings. Special effects include animation. spaceships and explosions in the 1950s "B" movie style. Producer: Skywatcher Studios, Ltd. Directors: Eddie Elliott and Gary Shepherd. Cast: Angela Elliott as the creature. Super·8, color. Running time: 5·10 minutes. (Gary Shepherd, Box 183, Route Itl, Warrensville, NC 28693.)

Cosmic Encounters. Parody of 200 I. Slar Trek, Slar Wars, and CE3K as a theatrical trailer. Super·8. color, cassette sound. Stop·motion animation. Running time: 3 minutes. (Randy Schmidt, 15217 Alondra, Saratoga, CA 95070.)

The Destined. A young pilot's quest to destroy the evil Coronian Empire. Effects include stop-motion and super­imposition, Producers: R [, K Special Effects Team. Director/Writer: Rip Russell. Effects: Mark Kiger and Rip Russell. Cast: Eugene Lillywood, Ron Gross, Pat Kilgore, John Robinson, Keith Wilson. Super·8, color, sound. Running time: 6 minutes. (Rip Russell. 14 Glenlake Rd .. Columbia. SC 29204.)

Dinner fo r Two. Gruesome horror comedy. Effects too terrible to be mentioned. Director: Abbie Herrick. Cast: Deborah Friel, Abbie Herrick, John Kuhi. 16mm. B[,W, sound. Running time: approx .. 1 0 minutes. (Abbie Herrick. 28 S. Portland Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11217.

Dracula Goes to College. Comedyl Horror epic. Producer/Director: Scott Campbell. Cast: Paul Erickson (Dracula), Vici Anderson. Bill Chessman, Jamie Lovelace. Susan Arrington. Super·8. color, magnetic sound. Running time: 60 minutes.

Dracula's Land: A Search f or Vlad the Impaler. Semi.documentary. Filmed on location in Snagov. Brasnov. Tirgovista, Castle Bran, Castle Dracula (near the villages of Arefu and Poenari), Tirgsor, Sigisoara and Bucharest. Story of Vlad Dracula. the 15th·century Wallach ian prince. Pro· ducer: Paleo Productions. Super·8. color. sound. Running time: 30 minutes. (John F. Crossen. 7525 East Camelback Rd., Suite 210, Scottsdale. AZ 85251,)

Ears. Jaws parody. Producers: David Emmons, Dennis Rushton. Director/Writer: David Emmons. Cast: Dennis Rushton. Effects include stop· motion, miniatures and

mattes. Super·B, color. sound. Runnini=j time: 90 minutes. (David Emmons. 17930 Sherman Way "c. Reseda, CA 91344.)

Eggllen. Alien parody. In space no one can hear you laugh. Producer: Michael Alan Rissi Productions. Effects include: stop·motion animation. miniatures, mattes. Super·B. color, sound. (MAR Productions. PO Box 1254. Placentia. CA 92670.)

Evening of the Dead Who Are D ead (This Particular Evening) for No Apparent Reason - The Movie, Part II. A parody of (,/i9111 of 1I!(.~ Living Dedd. Barbara. a young can· fused woman who is being chased by zombies, tries to find protection in an old house where she meets Sambo, a black zombie killer. and a strange family with a deformed little girl who seems to be dying of leprosy. Producer: Johnswelch Productions. Cast: Sara Leigh, Don Kress. Pete Welch, Drew Richardson. Super·B, color, sound. (Jay Johnson and Pete Welch, 3614 Fairway Road, Fargo, NO 5BI02.)

Frank·n-Stein . Descendants of Frankenstein family are forced out of their country and must learn to survive in New York. Farce. Producer: Tiger Pictures, Inc. Script: Steve Corcoran, Tommy Spaulding. Brandon and Brice Scala, McRobert Meek. Chad Harvey. (Steve Corcoran, 901 Dixon, Billings, MT 5910 I.)

Galaxy Collision . Three Starstriker spies take part in a 3,OOO,00Q·year·old war over the collision of two galaxies. First of a series. "The Haunted Eclipse:' Director/Writer: Ken J. Mc­Connell. Animation and effects: Ed Holbig, Joy HCffington. Super·S. color. sound. (HMH Product ions. IIOB Shef· field CourL Altamonte Springs. FL 3270 I.)

The Getaway. First of a series in the ildventures of It. Jerry Taylor during the Asterite Revolution 2137 to 2143 AD. Based on a series of short stories by Jason A. McLeod. Pro· ducer: Capstone Productions. Ltd. Script: Jason Mcleod, Keven R. Pittsinger. Score: Jason McLeod. Model animation. Super·B. color. sound. Film will be transferred to videotape. Running time: 15·30 minutes. (Keven R. Pittsini=jer. 3257 Waterbury, Ravenna. OH 44266.)

The Good, the Bad and Mr. Spock. Capt. Kirk and Mr. Spack versus the Klingons in a showdown on the planet Eastwood. Parody. Stop· motion. Super·B. color. cassette tape music. Running time: 3 minutes. (Randy SchmidL 15217 Alondra Lane. Saratoga. CA 95070.)

Hyperspace. Two men and their ship. Slar Hawk, do battle with the Sybertons. Producer/Director: John Contarino. Cast: Mike Contarino, Ken Marks, Rich Vanmeter. Super·S color. synch sound. Running time: 15 minutes. (John Can· tarino, 205 N.Marion Ave .. Wenonah, NH 08090.)

Human Go Home. Humanity sue· ceeds in destroying the Earth and will terraform Mars into their new home if Rizi=joss, a Martian. doesn't stop them first. Stop·motion. Producer: Twentieth Century Duck . Super·B. color. sound. Running time: 20 minutes. (Raymie Musquiz. 27880 Vista Del Valle. Hemet. CA 92343.)

I Know What You Need. A young man with psychic powers uses them to get his girl-with disasterous results. Producer/ Director/Writer: Joel Rycks. Production Designer/Special Effects: John Jockinsen. Makeup Effects: Gary Christensen. ExplOSions: Richard Ferrin. Cast: DeAnne Spicer. Gary Christensen. Kimberly Anne. Michael Halver· son, Drew Whiting, John Eaden. Super·B. color, sound. Run· ning time: 50·75 minuters. (Center Cinema Enterprises, 235 W. Orangewood, Suite 16A. Anaheim, CA 92802.)

Invasion of the Bureaucrats. Comedy thriller based on Invasion a(lhe Body Snalchers. Producers: Wayne Keyser, Pat Bond. 16mm, B[,W, sound. Running time: 15 minutes. (Wayne Keyser. IIII Army-Navy Drive, A·71O, Arlington, VA 22202.)

The Killer. Psychopathic killer attempts to murder an entire town. Producer: Scott Weaver. Cast: Charley Worth as the killer. Jeff Caraway. Scott Weaver, Mark Verseput. Steve Frith. Chris Weaver, Steve Most. Kurt Hackney. Jeff Long. Michael Most, Sean Hackney, Jay Turcotte. Effects include: front projection. double exposure, weapon and blood ef· fects. Super·8, color, sound. Running time: 25 minutes. (Scott Weaver, Sooy Lane, Absecon, NJ OB20 I.)

Llthdara . The search for the legendary sword that steals souls-Lithdara. The story of the evil wizard who wields it over a terrified dark ages world and of the unlikely and slightly comical trio who, along with an old and eccentric wizard. set out to stop him. Based on a number of contem· porary fantasy role· playing games, the film will involve over one dozen special·character makeups and full body suits; as well as several matte·shot sequences and five animated figures. The research, the pageantry of the costumes and the authenticity of design are being provided by the National Society for Creative Anachronism. recently spotlighted on CBS's 60 Minules. The producers""ltre seeking further finan· cial backing. Producer/ Director: Tom Lee: Script: Tom Lee, Mike Pingo. 16mm. color. sound. Running time: 50 minutes. (Tom Lee. 1129 Sixth Ave., Rockford, IL 61108.)

M etamorphorse. PhantasaliegoricaJ story about a horse of another color. Animated. 16mm. color, sound. (Abbie Herrick. 28 South Portland Avenue. Brooklyn, NY 11217.)

Neatness Counts. Space creatures land on the Moon and discover Earth astronaut litter. Model and cel animat ion. Super-B, color. Running time: 4·5 minutes. (Jeff Bloomer, 10359 Grafton Carleton. MI 48117.)

Nobody. A young woman brutally murders her boyfriend who then returns from the grave to torment her. Horror thriller. Producer: Gloman Productions. Script: Charles Gloman. Stephan Shreuder. Score: William Schweitzer, Charles Gloman. Cast: Lyn Partington. William Schweitzer, John Howard. Super·B, sound. B[,W. Running time: 30 minutes. (Gloman Productions, 725 McKinley St., Hazleton. PA IB201.)

Where Are We? A camping trip turns into a bizarre fight for survival when the campers find themselves in a dimension that doesn't really exist, but the creatures they do battle with. do! Producer: Michael S. Maddi and Ralf G. Cordero. Effects include: stop-motion, rear projection, miniatures. Regu lar-B. color. Running time: 10 minutes. (Michael S. Maddi, 97-01 50th Ave. , Corona. NY 11368.)

ClNEMAGIC #J 25

EWA BACKWINDER

I n the first issue of STARLOO's new ClNEMAG1C mi!lgazinf!. an article described how to go about backwinding film in III

Super·S cartridge. The author men· tioned that there were commerctlll products on the market for backwind· lng. and for my money. EWA rnllkes the easiest to use.

EWA is one of those companies that has sprung up in recent years and o ffers II multitude of accessories for photographers. In this column, I would tike to review three of the most innovative for Super·S filmmakers. They are the EWA backwinder, the motorized pan head and the under· wliter bag.

The EWA backwinder is made of thin mellil with a plastic hinge lit­tached to one end that is open. To use it, you must first tape over the Super·S clIrtridge where the camera engages the take·up hub. Now, set the dial on the front o f the backwinder for sound or silent. This is one of the redeeming features of this gadget over some olhers on the market-it accepts both sound and si lent cartridges. Although

UNDERWATER BAG Jf you ever get a desire to film an

I!plc Su~r·a version of Jaws. thl! first problem (barring the shark, of course) is where to get an underwater camera. Although th\!re are a number of mellli and pll!xlglass housings on thl! market. they tend to be quite expensive and out of the budget for most amateurs. EWA has solved that problem with a flexib le underwater camera housing.

The housing consists of a heavy PVC bag that is open at the top. Your

26 C/NEMAGIC"J

EWA PRODUCTS By JAMES F. CALDWELL

EWA's new bac;:kwlnder I. a handy new tool ror the rool-your·own FX amateur rllmmaker. It allowa you to s uperlmpo.e, matte and dissolve ,

the cartridge must bl! inserted in the dark. the actual backwlnding may be done with thl! lights on. A dial on the front does the actual rewinding. Each turn rewinds 15 frames of film. Up to 225 frames of film Cl!In be rewound successfully. Any more could lead to Jamming, which is a fault of the Kodak cartridge and not any back­winding system. After the film is back· wound to the desired frame, the car-

Cllmera is slip~d into the opening and the bag sealed with two mellli rails that lire screwed into place. The Cllmera shoots through an optical glass port which is positioned at the side of the bag in line with the camera lens. The camera controls are gripped through the vinyl.

Although the vinyl m ight frighten some of you, it would Ulke a lot to puncture it. We have been testing them for a year and have not had one single drop of water leak onto any of our cameras! The bags are limited to about )0 ft., though. They won't necessarily leak below this depth, but the bag col· lapses from the pressure lind makes it difficult to use.

There are other lICIvantages to the bag. It is a perfect protective cover from snow, sand. mud or whatever. It also floats and can save your camera from a severe dunking. At $45· $70 (depending upon size), it is one of the best insurance policies you can get. There are several sizes available for

tridge is removed (in the dark). the tape is rl!moved and the film put back into the camera. That's it!

I was a bit leary of the plastic hinge at fi rst. However, several friends and I have used this device for many hours and havl! nl!ver broken one. I imaginl! this hinge is probably the "weakest link" in the system, but to date I have not heard of any complaints and have nonl! myse:lf.

both still and movie cameras. It is im· portant that you get the right size for your camera.

EWA has many other fine products for both movie and sti ll photographers. In coming issues, I will review other handy gadgets and accessories available to the hobbiest.

MOTORIZED PAN HEAD Fluid c~mera movements are one

of the most distinguishing features of comml!fcial motion.picture produc· tion. With some of the shabby tripods amateurs have to work with, it's no wonder that some Super·8 films look as if they wefe shot atop an Osterizer! And tripod heads!!?? The built-in still camera prejudice raises its head high . Most tripods simply are meant to be set up and locked into place. not to smoothly rotate with a heavy movie camera on top.

Now EWA has come up with a device to solve that problem-a mo·

,

todzed pltn head. Although it costs $149.00, it is cheaper thlln pro fes· sional mo tion'picture tripods end you don't have to relegate your tripod to the closet. This little gem h.!ls.!l femele 114·20 thread in the bottom so it will mount on top of your tripod heed. Just lock down the head .!Ind let the motor t.!lke care of panning .

The actual panning is done with a little hend·held control which plugs into the plln helld. By simply turning e knob on this control , the pan head starts to revolve-from dead start to full speed. The further you turn the control, the faster the he.!ld will plIn. Any cemera up to 20 Ibs. can now be smoothly rotated-just like the pros!

There are still drawbacks, though. Most notably, even though your pens wll ilook great, you will stilt be stuck with a tripod that is difficult to tilt. Your camera also sits up higher on the tripod lind if yours is prone to be unsteady, the added height will only Increllse your problem. You elso need more bauery power-without bat· teries. no panning.

The pan head also comes with a turntable that can be used to rotete objects as well as cameres. It could come in very handy for table top minio!lture work, or even titles.

GADGETS Gltzo Ball and 80cketHead

1lle compact Giuo Ball 1, with a sort. cushioned, circular pletform'of I ll. " diameter, weighs but 7 oz .. yet supports 35mm, Super·8 and heavier cemeras up to 12 lbs.

The eccentric GiUo design combines 360° plInning with more than 90° tilting and turning in any directlon­conveniently off·center for vertical end close·up positions. The eesy·to­tum tightening lever locks the steel ball rigidly in any position, to prevent

camel"ll vibration. Tile Ball 1 supplements the three

other Giuo ball heads: Ball 00 for lighter, Ball 2 end 4 for heavier cameras. Full fi~·~er wllrranty. Price: $49.95. For add it lonel information write: Karl Heitz, Inc., 979 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

New Gltzo Tripods Karl Heitz, Inc. ennounces the addi·

tion of five new Gillo Cremaillere 0 tripods to their line. These lightweight. sturdy tripods feature e strong gearlift center column end crank , for one· hand fine adjustment. plus a safety lock to prevent the sudden crashing down of the camera.

The corrosion·proof, deeply anod· ized (1/ IOmm) leg extensions glide smoothly, lock firmly on fiber sleeves (no metal on metal) without any bind· ing ever. The tubular legs are firmly positioned ag21inst the solid center part, for optimal stability without torque to prevent camerll vibration. Three or fou r leg sections provide a choice of height for ei ther the Standard or the Performence models which offer individual leg spreading and 5" short center column, for special and extra· low positions down to floor level.

The rugged Cremeiliere 0 tripods with 1I'" leg diameter are ideally por· table for 35mm. Super·S or heavier cameras and accept the Gillo RatiOMI 0, Rational 06 plIn tilt or Ball 0 ball· and·socket head. Th@CremaillereO Combi is supplied with o!Ittached 172 total pan til t head.

Like the more then 80 other tripods and 30 heo!lds of the Gitzo system, they are designed for lifelong durability and are covered by the full five·year Gitzo warranty buyer protection. For addi· t ional information write: Ked HeiU. lnc .• 979 Third Avenue, New York. NY

Transparent Color Filters

Edmund Scientific is offering Transparent Color Filters that are exceptionally easy to cut. Made of cellulose acetate, they're heat resis·

(conUnuedon page32)

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LIGHT-FLASHER CIRC(JlT R I is the speed control for the circuit .

to + 5 volts

10 +5 volts to +5 volts ~ t 01

..,pln 'l

L pln 'l ....,

/ - ..... pin "' I J

0 2 ...., ~ .. , ... - +If ......

leI : ( "'1 ~ 0 3 ~ rf' R4.Rl 0~

-= Eo"

lC ~ --< "groun

'-:; ;:---<

I ~tPllts 555 1C

7 447 1C

d"

& 1 t ransistor, resis tor, -=; f" 7490IC

~ ~ bulb for each output

Goes to Input pin (1 4) of next 7490 Ie J (next "cascaded" s tage. see text. )

to +5 volts

KEY

lK = 1000 ohms res istance

PARTSUS T: R 1 = 500K potentiometer RZ, R3 = 10K re.LstoB , 'I. watt R4-RIO ::: l K reals lora, '14 w att Cl = 2 .2 microfarad e le ctrolytic csp.dtor Q t·Q7 = 2N 5139, or 2N 3 906, or . imll.r p · f'( ·Plnma ta tor. 8msllllghlbulbs = 1.5 volt, 15 mllll~mp (Radio SMick . 272-1 ]39) or "'48 bulb (Sylva nl •• General Elec­tric:: , e t c.)

Electron ic SFX (conlinued (rom page 23.)

which the lights turn on and off. Turn· ing the knob on potentiometer R I will change this speed from "very slow" to "very fast" Changing the value of capacitator C I to a smaller value, say to I mICrofarad, will further increase the speed of the blinking lights. By tur· ning the speed control to a very high value. your "computer" will appear to be " thinking" fasler. (Note that you can make all the lightbulbs light up at once simply by connecting pin "3 of each 7447 IC to "g round". On the circuit diagrams. "ground" is just the ncgaliue side 01 the power supply.)

Remember that each lightbulb. when lit. d raws CUffen/ from the power sup­ply. So the more lightbulbs you use in the final circuit. the more current will be needed, which means you'lI need a

28 ONEMAGIC"3

bigger power supply. (The uoIlagc of the supply must always remain at 5 volts. though.) If. after building this cir· cuit, you find that the smail lightbulbs are rather d im (though this didn't hap­pen with my prototype circui t) , it prob· ably means that your 5·vol1. 1 amp power supply isn't "supplying"the nceded current. Vou con wire ",lOiltCI· 5,volt, I amp supply in paralld with the first. which will give you a total of 2 amperes o f current at 5 volts. This should solve the problem. Instead of Radio Shack lightbulbs, less'e)(pensive .. .. 48 instrumentation lights" can be us­ed in this circuit. and are available from electrical parts distributors.

The most common use for th is cir· cuit would probably be to give life to a drab "computer panel"' in a spaceship set. Try installing the seven lights under a long narrow piece of frosted plastic, covered with squares of col· ored plastic or acetate. Separate the lights from the frosted plastic by a small space to avoid "hotspots." Place a piece of white paper or aluminum foil under each bulb to reflect all the light upward through the plastic. When turn· ed on. the seven side·by·side lights will appear to be under the control of some type of "computer program:' going on and off at a definite beat. (All the lights "change state" at the same time and stay on or off until they do change state-which differentiates them from. say, Christmas tree lights which only blink on and off at random.) Due to the nature of the 7447 IC, some of the lights will be on longer than o thers.

A different combination of lCs will produce a !>{~uenfially flashing SIring of lights similar to airport landing lights. Thi s and other projects wi ll be dis·

cussed in upcom ing installments. 1"11 also be d iscussing a way of hooking up this basic circuit to power regular household lightbulbs or small photo­flood bulbs, making them light up in sequence. Not all topics to be covered in future installments here will deal with " building your own circuits:' Elec· trOflicti lly :>f."=(lkiny. though. this Is a good place .to begin. It will allow you to gradually increase your knowledge of electron ics for use in future projects of your own design. I will also be delving into some of the ways that pro(e;sional effects techni· cians use electronics to accomplish some rather surprising film illusions.

Write and let me know of the dif· ferent uses you've found for this cir· cui t, any modifications you've made to it, etc. Also. I'd like to get ideas from you as to what circuits. devices. theories and even general information you would li ke to see presented in this column in the future. I hope to deal with topics that are of genuine interest to the effects·oriented filmmaker. Let's hear from you!

I am indebted to Don Lancaster's TTL Cookbook (Howard W. Sams and Co .. Inc.) for its wealth of information Ofl digitallCs.

(A ready·ta·use. etched and drilled ci rcuit board for this project-minus parts but with sufficient space for 14 lightbulbs-is available for s5.50 from Kenneth Walker. do CINEMAGIC , O'Quinn Studios, Inc., 475 Park Ave. S., New York, N.Y. 10016. A comp letely wired and working 14·l ight circuit, m inus the power supply, is eavailab le for $29. (Jf

'rHE NIGHTBEAST WALKS John Dods, Master of "Grog, " Creates a New Fantasy Horror Character

Designer. animator and artist. John Dods was asked by Cinema Enterprises to create a "mentally ill"' alien

lor their feature film !lOw in production Nighlbeast. 'The film:' says Dods. combines elements from PsyCho and Slar WafS.

'" was asked to make the atien as frightening as possible. so I designed the monster with lots of teeth:' The Nighlbeast alien has escaped from an asylum beyond our galaxy and is being pursued by two other aliens called Retrievers. "The Ret rievers have human eyes and not quite so many teeth. The Nightbeast's eyes are made

out of resin with a little red dye in them. There is also a special set of eyes for long shots rigged with electr ic lamps so that they will appear to glow an eerie red."

The costume consists of a very elaborate over·the·head mask and two gloves that extend to the actor's elbow. The mask is fitted with a zipper in the rear. so that it can slide down over the actor's head. The actor's chin fits into the exterior structu re of the mask so that when the actor opens his mouth , so does the alien.

"Masks:' believes Dods, "have an advantage over makeup. An actor can be costumed and fitted in just ten

Left: The Nlghtbeast on loe.dlan. Above: Sculptor Dod. check. detailing on Ute b.nd. B<l:low: Docl8 In hi •• tudlo with the fb .. ,1 rUghtb., ... t model.

minutes. Prosthetic makeup would take hours to apply. Of course. with mak~up there is more flexibility and more realistic 'skin' movement. The actor's expressions come through the makeup more easily, but for this pro· duct ion it is a great help to be ready to shoot a scene in only ten m inutes!"

Nigh/beas! is being produced by Don Dohler. Charlie Taylor and Ted A. Bohus. The director is Dave Geatty with specia l effects by Dan Taylor. Complet ion is expected in January of 1980. (J(

ClNEMAGIC" J 29

•

Building Beings, Creating Creatures , and Doing Dinosaurs

Building Beings. ere.Ung Creatures and Doing Dlno· saurs. By Mitch Ikuta and Lee Seiler. Cllffridgf! Publishing, Elk, Californla. 5'!;"" X 8'h:' 79pp.

Mr. Ikuta and Mr. Seiter have written an authoritative book on the methods of creating miniature stop-motion models. Any FX animator or model builder who aspires to building realistic stop· motion mini<'ltures can benefit from knowledge imparted by this col· laborative effort.

The book explains how to build your own aliens. monsters. dinOSllurs, et al in an illustrated step-by-step method. Different types of frames, joints, casting methods and other aspects of stop-mol ion model construction life expillined and illustrated in this handy guide book.

The book features behind·the·scenes

Handbook of SuperS Production M..tJI.K Io'JIIOLAS end GIJIoITHEll +tOOS

photos of some famous Hollywood productions. The serious amateur stop· motion model builder should find this book helpful and informative.

Mr. Ikuta and Mr. Seiler have col· laborated on true·to·life posters of dinosaurs, stop· motion animation films of dinosaurs and books for the amateur filmmaker.

The Anlm.Uon Book. By Kit Lay· bourne. Crown Publishers, N.Y., N.Y. alia" by 11:' 272 pp. $9.95

Kit Layboume's Animation Book should prove to be an indispensible source of knowledge and inspiration to all serious amateur animators. The book contains a wealth of information on all aspects of animated film produc· tion. More than 20 different animation techniques are discussed and explained

in easy·to·understand terms. There are hundreds of helpful illustra· tions and how·to diagrams that simplify the learning process and make the book a pleasure to read and flip through .

The book is designed as a workbook and there are many pages that provide simplified drawings which beg to be embellished by the reader's pencil. This is a creative and valuable ap· proach and it deserves to be praised. Mr. Laybourne works right along with the reader and allows him to grow at his own pace. Throughout the book Mr. Laybourne stresses that animation is primarily a medium of self· expression and he encourages the reader to experiment and discover new techniques.

The book is divided into four parts. Part One introduces the reader 10 the history of animation lind covers the basic skills which are necessary for thinking in visual terms and sucessful animation. Such historical pre'Ci!lmera animation machmes as Zoetropes and the like are described and illustrated. This should be fascinating to anyone who is an avid ran of the art of anima· tion. Fundamental tools of the art are introduced and ellplained in this se<:tion.

Part Two deals with numerous tech· niques which include stop' motion animation of objects, cut·outs, pup· pelS. paint on glass and many more. This section also ellplains storyboard· ing. working with sound, production planning and many other aspeclS of animated filmmaking that the amateur must understand if he is to gain the technical skills required for successful artistic expression in this medium.

Part Three explains in great detail all of the tools of the animators trade. Both Super·S and 16mm are discussed at length. The techniques of lighting, audio. editing and the like, which are vital to a "polished" production, are elaborated upon in easy·to·understand language. Many other aspects of film· making. too numerous to mention here, are discussed at length.

Finally, Part Four deals with references for further study and ways of distributing your finished film. Distributors, screening centers, festivals and the like are listed with complete addresses so that the film· maker can find an outlet for his fin· ished project.

,

The A nimation Book is a welcome addition to the growing list of reference books on the subject of animated filmmaking. Its intelligent style of writing and the wealth of useful information it contains should make it a valuable and inspirational addition to the amateur filmmaker's library.

Kit Layboume is a 35·year·old film· maker, teacher and television pro· ducer, who for the past seven years has taught animation and media design at the New School for Social Research in New York City.

Cinematographer's Field Guide, Published by Eastman Kodak Co" Second Edition , 33/ ." X 4 '%~ 98 pages, $3,9S.

This pocket·sized guide from Kodak contains many useful charts and tables for the professional and amateur film· maker. It supplies brief. but compre· hensive descriptions of the black·and· white and color mOlion.picture film stocks that are available from Kodak. This includes Super·S. l6mm and 35mm stocks. A section with rilter charts and color temperature informa· tion follows with a brief and general guide to color correction, balancing. color temperature. neutral density and black-and·white filter factors. ·"Tips and Techniques" gives hints on forced pre­cessing. supplies the addresses of Kodak processing laboratories, storage and care info and an invaluable checklist for location shoots. The for· mats and packaging section solves the mystery of those cryptic code numbers on the labels of Kodaks film cans. Finally, a technical information ad· dress guide lists the service and engineering departments of Kodak of· fices around the world. While this guide would probably be of little use to someone taking movies of Susie's birthday party, it is of immense value as a compact and quick reference for the short subject or feature filmmaker in the field.

Handbook of Supe.r·a Produc ­tion , By M ark M ikolas and Gunther H oos. Published by United Business Publications, Inc., Second edition. S'Iz" XI I :' 292 pages, $ 16 .00.

Comprehensive and accessible are the best words to describe this spiral· bound reference book by Gunther

Hoos and Mark Mikolas. It begins with the simplest of questions-what kind of camera should I use and how much does film cosO-and progresses to the more complicated questions of optical effects, double-system sound and videography. The authors advise that it is not a book to be read cover to cover, but should be used as a reference guide to help solve a particular prob. lem. The book is also spotted with brief essays by Super-S users concern· ing specific problems and applications of the medium. Even the little known area of budgeting and calculation of production expenses is detailed. Both of the authors have first-hand knowl · edge and experience in Super·S pro· duction. Me. Hoos is now president of Super·S Sound, Inc., and Mr. Mikolas is the National ~otion Picture Specialist for Bell £, HowelllMamiya Co. All in all. the Handbook appears to be one of the most practically useful books on Super·8 production.

Film Magic. Compiled and Edi~ed by Don Dohler. Published by Cinema Enterprises, Baltim ore, MD. 8 112" X II:' 118pages, $11.95 .

It's no secret to readers of this magazine that Dan Dahler is the per­son who originated CINEMAGIC magazine some years ago. This book selects the best articles from those ear· Iy issues and combines them into a single book as a basic guide to special· effects filmmaking. Breifly. the book discusses special makeup techniques for fantasy characters and effects, details the history and technique of that most popular art form. stop· motion animation, discusses optical and mechanical effects, and concludes with a discussion of set and costume construction techniques for full·size and miniature sets. The book is printed on slick. glossy paper, and is heavily iI· lustrated in both color and black and white. One of the most interesting ar· ticles details techniques of front projec. tion for low.budget filmmakers. The ar· ticle is by Ben Burtt and describes his method for combining model anima· tion and live·action in front projection'. John Dods' film Forest Story is discussed in detail from production art to finished film. No other book assembles so much useful information on special effects for the low·budget filmmaker. (If

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BATTLESTAR CALACTICA IRON-QN TRANSFER Book Decorate T-shirts with many of your favorite space heroes, rocketshlps and vfJIalns. ThIS Iroo-on transfer book con­tains 12 full·page, full-<:olor designs Of the Galactica starship, It. Starbuck, cap­tain Apollo, the friendly dagglt, plus many others! 54.95

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C/NEMAGIC"3 31

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GADGETS (continued (rom page 2 7) tant and 0.0 I inches thick. Available in a wide variety of colors, they can be used singly or in combinations to achieve striking effects. Used by com· mercial pho tographers for shooting products which require a special· effect treatment. they also lend themselves to displays, light shows. theatrical and unusual home lighting.

All of the Transparent Color Filters can be ordered by mail from Edmund

Scientific Co .. 7782 Edscorp Building, Barrington . NJ 08007. A book of 44 filters, each a different color. comes in three sizes: 8"1t 10" (stock no. 70.638) is priced at $39.00: 5"'1t8"' (stock no. 60,403) is S21.25 and 1"1t4" (stock no. 40,675) is just S2.50. Books of silt colors include red, green. blue. yellow. magenta and cyan

(the additive and subtractive colors) and are available in two sizes: 8"1t10" (stock no. 60,373) is priced at S9.50 and a 2"'1t2"' (stock no. 40.676) is S\.25. Color filter sheets measuring 20"x24"' and priced at S4.50 each also are available.

Rack-aod-Pinion Units Two low·cost rack·and.pinion units

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Designed especially for macro· photography. the units offer a smooth· running rack·and·pinion with a 2"1t4" sl iding platform for holding equip· ment requiring fine l inear movement. The platform contains a through hole for camera mounting.

A thumbscrew Is used to lock the platform in position by forcing a friction stop against the track. A tension plate located below the platform allows a positive lock.

For fi lmmakers' special purposes the tracks are sold separately and have holes for mounting a complete assembly. or the rack can be drilled and tapped for tripod use. Heavy-duty tracks and the platform are made of noncorrosive aluminum.

The delulte unit, which includes a 12"' .Iong track. is ideal for positioning cameras. parallalt correction and special camera effects (mattes. etc.). All of the rack·and ·pinion units can be ordered by mail. For further informa· tion. write Edmund Scientific Co .• 555 Edscorp Bldg. , Barrington, NJ 08007.

Slide platform only (with knob and pinion. thumbscrew lock arK:! tension plate). S14.75 Ppd. (stock no. 40.891): 12"· long track only, S17.50 Ppd . (stock no. 60.572): 24" ·long track only. S25.50 Ppd. (stock no. 60.573): Delulte unit. S59.95 Ppd. (stock no. 71.958).

Edmund Scientific'. new ... ck·.nd·plnlon unit .... e de.lgned for the fine line ... movement .. equlred In m.crophotog ... phy.

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T he cover story by John Cosentino of Paragon's Paragon will show you how to construct your own optical printer for Super·S titles and special effects.

Filmmaker Da .... id Renwick, first·prize winner in STARLOO's SF Short Film Search (l6mm HOfTorJFantasy) describes an easy and InexpensiW! method for constructing model animation armatures. Srlck Prk:e, model maker for Project· UFO and prop m&ker for Slar Trek-The MotIon Pidure, describes easy methods of constructing forced· perspective miniature sets-a space·saving method for special effects. Plus the regular departments and coverage of underground filmmaking!

CfNEMAQIC"J JJ

Making Miniature

Trees Photos from the

production of John Dods' Forest Story.

AboN: A 3O ... hlgh aubatructure I. created for the tr .. by twtat1ng aJ'1IUIture wire Into the de.1red .... pe aDd .tucklng It to ... • wooden base.

RI_IIt: Art.t..t'. water· ... clay la applied to the wire ·'.kaleton,'· The roote a ... fonned out of real fir tree branch ••• The bark texture I. ac:ulpt.ed Into the cia,. and amoothed over with ...... n paint bruah.

34 C/NEMAG/C"3

•

Far left.: DeUote ends of ...,.1 tree bunch~ are pushed Into the sUll· aoft ct.y. Bnmches are angled down to suggut the weight of ro.I foUage. The ct.y t. co-ted with Uquld t.tell: to prevent cucD from appearlng while the day dries.

Left.: The tree t. airbrushed brown. (It would take foreyer to paint hundreds of branches with a brush.) PlasUc foUage (from your neighborhood. Yarlety store) Is the finishing touch. The air· brush used here costs only about $15.

&Iow: The tree In place on the eet buUt for Forest Story. The tree la Ylalble on the left side 01 the photo. AU of the trees pictured were con· structed ulling the method described.

ClNEMAGIC-J J5

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