Schüfftan process
Cinematic special effect / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Schüfftan process?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The Schüfftan process is a special effect in filmmaking named after its inventor, German cinematographer Eugen Schüfftan (1893–1977). The technique consists of covering part of the camera's view with a mirror, allowing filmmakers to assemble an image from multiple parts. It was widely used in the first half of the 20th century before being almost completely replaced by the travelling matte and bluescreen effects.
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (October 2023) |
First popularized in the 1927 film Metropolis, this technique involved positioning a plate of glass at a 45-degree angle between the camera and the miniatures, outlining the area where actors would be inserted, and transferring this outline to a mirror. The process is similar to "Pepper's ghost", a 19th century stage technique. Despite its use in numerous films, including works by Alfred Hitchcock and Peter Jackson, the Schüfftan process has largely been replaced by matte shots and bluescreen effects.