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PART III
A NIGHT IN THE GRAVEYARD: THE PROJECTION OF OPAQUE OBJECTS
OR THE PROJECTION OF MARIONETTES
AND OTHER 3 DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS
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mouse over tomb
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The other amazing property of the megascope
opaque projection
technique is it's surprisingly authentic
reproduction of the surface
of an object.
For this reason megascope projection
is much more realistic
than
slide projection. You get the impression
that you would be able to
"feel the
texture" of the original
material if you were to reach out and
touch the virtual screen, no matter
what the consistency: wood, stone,
bone, tissue, … or even a daguerreotype
or hologram!
The above fact suggests that changing
shadows and reflections,
caused by the manipulation of the object,
are equally realistic
on
the screen as when seen the
original directly. This manipulation
during projection heightens the illusion
of depth because it enables
us to see different angles and parts
of the object which are never
all visible at the same time. This effect
is similar to observing a
hologram,
visible from different angles by changing
your position.
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The
Fantascope is currently on display at the
Cinémathèque
Française
in the permanent exhibition
'Passion Cinema'.
The
Fantascope & accessories
was on display in
Lanterne
Magique et Film Peint
a temporally exhibition organized
by the Cinémathèque
Française and
Museo
Nazionale Del Cinema.
It
is interesting to note that projecting
a hologram using the Moisse Megascope is
possible!
Unfortunately, the real binocular depth information of the
hologram will disappear in the projected image. We see the
hologram as viewed by one eye. A direct life view of the
hologram has the advantage of binocular
depth perception, similar to a
stereoscopic photograph but with a multiplicity of
depth information.
This kind of depth perception is certainly not the case for
the projected image from the megascope. Nevertheless, the
latter technique is able to reproduce several other Illusions
on the screen that result in different but equally interesting
depth illusions.These Illusions are:
- View of different angles & parts of the object
caused by manipulation
- Limited depth of field creating a depht
illusion
- Overlapping of details, changing
position of different parts of the object.
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I believe in the importance
of the respective roles of these properties in creating the depth illusion.
This, however, can be achieved only with the help of the most important
property: The genuine features /
textures of the original reproduced on the
screen! This virtually experienced quality is not related to the technical
quality of the image on the screen which is - I confess with pleasure! -
mediocre, due to the use of an
optically inferior lens. Such a lens is
perfectly suitable because we deliberately do NOT want to create a
“high
definition ghost”.
The ultimate effect of all the above is a “perfect”
animated projected image with the described qualities of movement, colour,
and changing focal depth - in other words, cinema before cinema was
invented!
This experience is obtained
without the use of present-day filmmaking techniques because these were, of
course, still in the realm of the future. Be that as it may, such techniques
are superfluous for obtaining the most striking and convincing images. In
theory the megascope is even better than film apparatus (at twenty-four
images per second) for reproducing reality, because the number of sampled
images is not limited in such a way, but is infinite!
Hence, film enthusiasts will
be relieved to read that the projection of opaque objects has a
serious
limitations in subject matter and working scenarios. This makes the
interpretation of both a number one priority for any succesfull
presentation. Fortunately, we lanternists still have the
"magic" at our
disposal!
See more
Opaque Projection examples.
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A most intriguing and less
expected projection accessory is the above depicted animated marionette
representing a skeleton opening his tomb. A wooden
decor-adapter, see the first
page of Opaque Projection, is fixed inside the fantascope/megascope in order to
project such marionettes, backed.by a variety of different |
decors;
for example, a graveyard. The Moisse Fantascope
/ Megascope is equipped with a very similar decor
adapter.A special copper hook enabled the fantasmagore
(lanternist) to open and close the curtain in
front of the opaque scene in order to unveil the
decor without any light escaping from the apparatus.
Download
a bibliography for the Moisse Fantascope in PDF
format
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| Due to the rarity of the marionette, some further explanation is essential.
This intriguing projection puppet, still in mint condition, was previously
known only from prints in contemporary books and catalogues; for example
Molteni’s catalogue Appareilles et accessoires pour projection, and a book
by the same manufacturer, Instruction pratique sur l’emploi des appareils de
projection, lanterne magique, fantasmagorie, polyorama (1892 fourth
edition). The same illustrations where used by l’Abbé Moigno in his book L’Art de projection (1872). A comparable marionette, of the same subject but
of another
design/mechanism and origin, is in the collection at the Conservatoire
National des Art et Métiers in Paris,
together with several other curious fantasmagoria accessories. Furthermore,
a winged hourglass is painted on the tomb of the Moisse
skeleton tomb, exactly
as depicted in the illustrations used both by Molteni and l’Abbé Moigno for
their respective catalogues/books. |
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| This
fantasmagoric pictogram
simply shows that time is running fast. Combined with
the appearing skeleton, we understand that
"death is coming sooner than we
expect!" The tomb, initially closed, starts to
open slowly, pushed by a bony hand. A skull begins to
appear, wich turns towards the spectators and at the
same time opens and closes its mouth as if to speak to
the audience. Ventriloquists
performed this task in total darkness in between
the spectators. |
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A “lampe à moderateur”
(invented by Franchot in 1837), the original illuminant for the fantascope
found, in the Château de Moisse among the other accessories.
This type
of illuminant put oil under pressure in order to obtain a maximum light
output. The addition of a large concave mirror-reflector improves this
effect.
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For megascope projection, the
object, a skeleton, is hung upside down inside the lantern house and
strongly illuminated from both sides. To obtain the best result the
background behind the skeleton is painted matt black to ensure there are no
reflections, and hence no image on the screen without the presence of the
marionette. The handles for manipulation are also darkened using the same
paint.
All objects and decors appear in total darkness, and the virtual
image and screen become one. Extra weak illuminants can play a role in the
decor to obtain spectacular lighteffects. A small light projected directly
through the lens and out of focus will give the desired effect.
It also demonstrate that the
object's thickness is very
limited, but both, the skeleton wooden body and
ivory skull are 3-dimensional fine sculptures.
An almost identical projection
marionette was discovered, a few years, in a German collection. |
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This combination of indirect
(reflected object) and direct (weak illuminant) projection enables us to
create a real Gothic Horror scene. Thanks to these experiments I realised
that the use of a decor [such as a graveyard scene in wich a skeleton
(marionette) is digging with a scythe] in the megascope is an obvious
improvement to the effect. The presence of a decor
adapter in Molteni’s megascope confirms this conviction (see fig.74
of Molteni’s:
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“Instructions pratiquesur l’emploi des
appareils de projections"
The further presence of a similarly huge decor adapter
in the Moisse megascope eliminates any remaining doubts about
the use of suitable decors during the early part of the
nineteenth Century. Unfortunately, no original decors were
found accompanying the Moisse fantascope. They where probably
distroyed in the previously mentioned fire where the destroyed
daguerreotype was found, depicting a woman with a bonnet. |
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READ FURTHER:
BLACK & WHITE: |
THE PROJECTION OF WHITE SHADOWS
IN DARKNESS |
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