PERSISTENCE OF VISION

by Stephen Herbert

"Virtually every ... account of the perception of movement in film texts [is] wrong. The impression of movement is not due to persistence of vision. The very persistence with which this 'explanation' has been recited says more about the hermetic and impressionistic world of some film scholarship than it does about the actual mechanisms involved. "
(Bill Nichols and Susan J. Lederman)

More than fifteen years ago, a number of writers pointed out, in detailed studies, that the long-quoted mechanism for motion perception in cinema, 'persistence of vision', an effect usually attributed to a 'defect' of the eye, (or in some accounts the 'eye-brain combination'), was an archaic concept long left behind by psychologists and physiologists specialising in perception. Most film writers were (and still are) unaware of, or unconvinced by, these writings, and continue to write of persistence of vision as being the mechanism by which we see motion pictures. They argue, when challenged, that the term is 'simple to understand', 'elegant' even 'poetic'. They are either unaware or unconcerned that it is incorrect.

BREAKING DOWN MOVEMENT IN PALAEOLITHIC ART

Palaeolithic artists have tried to give life to the animals that they represented on cave walls or other supports at their disposal and which have survived until the present (plaques, stone blocks, objects from daily life). There are many examples of a graphic representation of animals in motion, mainly the large herbivores. Often simple and unobtrusive, sometimes spectacular, these illustrations very often show precise observation of behaviour observed in nature (Azéma 2004b).

Certain figures appear frozen at first glance. This, however, is sometimes changed when they are observed from different angles or by varying the lighting: the artists probably played with the natural volumes of the caves to give life to their works. Even better, they managed to graphically express the fourth dimension, to wit Time, in breaking down movement by superimposition or juxtaposition of successive images (Azéma 1992). Among the thousands of animal figures in Palaeolithic art, spread over twenty thousand years, a small number (a few dozens) reflect such a desire, highly sophisticated in conceptual terms. Below is given a selection of these astonishing images.

Animaral proudly informs dear animators and critics of animation cinema that a list of avant-garde animator's animations and studios is classified, in a chronological order, according to names of the directors and studios and dates in which the films are produced, for the visit of our dear viewers. This list will be up to date every day.
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Welcome!

Animaral animation group has started his activities since 2003/1382, with producing animation films for Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). This group since 2005/1384, beside producing animations, has expanded his activities to other branches of animation and graphic.

And now, we proudly present our professional web site,"Animaral".

In addition to introducing works of this group, in fact Animaral is a professional magazine of animation and a source for those who are interested in animation.