PInscreen Animation

Pinscreen animation is a technique that involves a white screen containing many pins that occupy small holes. A light is used on the side of the screen enabling different pin lengths to cast a shodow. The further the pins are pushed out the darker the screen becomes. This technique creates a sense of depth and texture difficult to render with traditional forms of animation. It is not a very popular technique because of how laborious and time consuming the process is.

Alexandre Alexïeff and his wife Claire Parker developed the pinscreen method in the 1930s. Over a time span of 50 years they created 6 films which include: Une Nuit sur le mont chauve (1933; A Night on Bald Mountain). La Belle au bois dormant (1934; Sleeping Beauty), Parade de chapeaux (1935; “Parade of Hats”), En passant (1943; Passing By), Le Nez (1963; The Nose) and Le Procès (1962; The Trial). Upon viewing the films Alexieff and Parker created one can see the time and effort alloted to each carefully crafted image. All of the films are truly works of art.
A few documentaries have been created detailing Alexieff and Parkers pinscreen animation methods : Alexeieff at the Pinboard (1960), Portrait of Alexeieff (1971) , Pin Screen (1972)

In today's digital society many computer programs have been created to simulate the images a traditional pinscreen is capable of creating.

Image from: http://cinecouch.com/top250_2.html
Info from: http://www.writer2001.com/lopes.htm
--Callie