Zoetrope Photobooth
The Zoetrope Photobooth is a new type of experience that blends the fun of a traditional photobooth with movement, crafting and history. The Zoetrope Photobooth uses a depth camera and custom software built into portable enclosure to take a sequence of images of a subject. The sequence is immediately printed out and handed to the guest so that they can make their own paper zoetrope to take with them. The zoetrope mechanism itself is made from an easily foldable paper template. The guest learns a little of the history and technology of animation and film from hands-on creation of the zoetrope.
In August of 2015 my partner, artist Alexis Macnab, produced a show called Light in the Dark in downtown Los Angeles for Chinatown Summer Nights that was a combination art show and science museum exploring the idea of the camera. The various artists involved each interpreted the theme in different ways. Alexis and I wanted to make an interactive exhibit that would draw people into the space and teach them about some aspect of camera technology through a hands-on experience. Mixing together inspiration from early animation mechanisms and the photographic work of Eadweard Muybridge with modern computer and imaging sensor technology, we designed and created the Zoetrope Photobooth.
During that first showing we were constantly busy teaching people about the zoetrope, helping them create image sequences and showing them how to put together their final zoetropes. Seeing the diversity of age and background in the participants and how excited they were to engage with the activity made us feel like we had created something special. Over the past few months I have been rewriting the software and changing the hardware platform to make the operation of the photobooth simpler, faster and more portable. The hope is that it will become feasible as an activity or special commemoration for various social events.
Showings:
Los Angeles China Town Summer Nights - August 2015
Harvard-Westlake School
San Diego Maker Faire - Museum of Photographic Arts - October 2016
