This is a very early version of film. It was invented by Joseph Plateau in 1851 and it consists of a disc with images and slits on it. Looking at it in a mirror while you rotate it will create an animation.

I have the template packet right here for you to download! Thanks for coming over from youtube. Bookmark this page and check back tomorrow for the tutorial.

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The finished scope with extra disc.

You use it with a mirror. You spin it and look through the slots. An animation will appear.

Note from Will about what is in the template packet: There are three spinning disks that are eight inches in diameter. To use these disks you make the smaller handle in the template. If you want to see the flying fairy animation that is a larger ten inch disk. There are two parts to that disk that you glue together onto poster board. And to use this larger disk make the larger handle in the template.

Note from Will: The Template and the tutorial are both absolutely free! But would you consider a donation of $1 to support my work? Paypal makes it very easy and safe. Click here to donate $1 - Every little bit helps Will to keep making great tutorials and templates. Thanks!

Let's Get started! Let's start with the easy disk. If you printed up my template you can cut out this disk. The bouncing ball is on page 6. I also have a spinning clock hand that is on page 7.

Glue or glue stick that disk to heavy paper, cardstock or something thin and firm. It has to stay reasonably stiff while you spin it. I am using poster board.

Cut out the slots in the disk. Try to make the slots nice and evenly cut and the same diameter.

Lay those sheets on foamboard. My foamboard for this is black.

Trace them, pressing down firmly. This creates an embossed line on the foamboard. Trace two of each.

Then you can remove the template and go over the lines with a pencil. Go ahead and cut those pieces out.

And glue them together.

Gluing the last piece on.

Now put the disk in there and pierce through everything with a toothpick. It acts as the spoke that the disk can spin on. Be sure to penetrate it right through the center of the spinning disk.

Test it to see if it spins smoothly. Make any needed adjustments.

I give you a blank eight inch disk in the template so you can draw out your own animation.

This is a fairy animation we have in the template. But don't make something too complex. For this fairy the only thing that moves is the wings.

And to keep everything but the wings exactly the same we used a light box. (I have a tutorial on how to make a cheap light box right here)

Here are our twelve drawings. We cut these out and pasted them to the circular disk.

Photo: Phenakistoscope-Pre Nipkow Disk-1833 To see the animation in action you can watch the video:

Watch the Video Tutorial

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