Fleischer Hoppity Multiplane

Fleischer Hoppity Multiplane:

- Last week we looked at the Fleischer multiplane camera. It’s a horizontal device that shot flat animation art (cels) standing in front of 3D background constructions. Little sets that were able to add a unique look to their cartoons.

In the two Fleischer animated features, there’s only one scene that uses this multiplane camera, and that’s in the opening titles of Hoppity Goes To Town. I felt we couldn’t leave the Fleischers without a focus on that scene. So that will be the subject of today’s post.

Dave Fleischer in front of the multiplane 3D camera on Hoppity Goes to Town

Picture borrowed from: Ryan & Stephanie’s Fleischer Gallery

The entire multiplane pan is blocked out, in part, by the film’s credits.

I’ve taken frame grabs trying to indicate the move

while trying to accomodate the credits.

1

The opening starts over flat art coming from a star

in outer space, down to earth to this LS cityscape.

2

The multiplane scene dissolves in here . . .

3

. . . and pans down toward the street level as

it moves toward screen right.

4

5

That’s the Brill Building in the screen’s center

nopt far from the studio of the Fleischers.

6

7

As we go down, the color mix gets less golden . . .

8

. . . and sits more in shadow.

9

10

11

Here is a transition point.

12

The background darkens to accomodate the

dissolve to a flat-art pan during a credit dissolve.

The pan of the 3D setup dissolves to this flat art

which pans down to the start of the film.

There are so many good examples of the Fleischer multiplane. I just chose two in the past couple two weeks, and I hope you’ll review some that you like. There are many on YouTube.