Ethel & ErnestLearning Resource

Make a Thaumatrope

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Make a ThaumatropeEthel & Ernest

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Make a Thaumatrope

The story of Ethel & Ernest started life as a graphic novel featuring hundreds of drawings by Raymond Briggs. The animated film is made up of thousands images, when viewed they appear to be moving images. Learn about the persistence of vision and how still images appear to move by making a thaumatrope.

Resources needed:• Interview with Peter Dodd, Animation Director (in Video)

• Video on Storyboarding, Richard Fawdry, Storyboard Artist and Head of Additional Design

(in Video)

• Storyboard of Raymond running (in the Gallery)

• Character sheets (in the Gallery)

• Thaumatropes sheet (below)

• Pens and pencils

• Scissors

• Card, cereal boxes or similar

• Glue

• Lolly sticks or string

• Hole punch, if you are using string

Teacher instructions

1. Show learners the Storyboard of Raymond running. Explain that all filmmaking is the photography of still images, and when these are played quickly, our brain interprets them as moving pictures. This is called the persistence of vision.

2. Watch the Interview with Peter Dodd, Animation Director and the Video on Storyboarding. Before viewing the clips, ask learners to identify how a film like Ethel & Ernest in put together and the illustrations are brought to life.

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3. Explain that learners can demonstrate the persistence of vision using their own drawings, without the need to use a camera or any animation software. When the images on either side of the thaumatrope are spun around they appear to combine, as we do not see the two rapidly moving still images as separate stills.

4. Provide learners with a Thaumatropes sheet and the Character sheets, if appropriate. Else the learners can use the images of Ethel and Ernest provided to see how the effect works.

5. Explain that learners are going to draw two images that can combine. If you are working with Ethel & Ernest characters discuss which two images would work well, for example this could be Susi the cat running on one side and a mouse running on the other, or Ethel looking happy on one side and Ernest holding a big bunch of flowers on the other, or Raymond look grumpy in his new school uniform on one side and Ethel looking proud on the other. If you prefer, learners can draw simple images that combine well, for example a bird and a cage or a fish and a fish tank. For younger learners, you may wish to practice where to draw the images, thinking about the positioning and size of the images, before moving on to making the final thaumatrope.

6. Support learners to follow the instructions on the Make a Thaumatrope sheet.

7. To continue learning about the animation of still images, you may like to do the Make a Flick Book, Storyboarding or 2D Animation activity next.

Resources available on the Ethel & Ernest website: ethelandernestthemovie.com

ThaumatropeThaumatropes

Thaumatropes were very popular toys during the 19th century. These toys achieve their effect due to the persistence of vision (in the same way as stop motion animation film).

1. First cut out the two circles below, then make a hole in, or hole punch the shaded circles on the right and left of each image.

2. Stick the two circles of paper together, making sure to keep one image upside down and match the holes on both pieces so that they line up with each other.

3. Attach one piece of string to each of the two holes that you have made.

4. Finally, spin the string quickly in your fingers to see the optical illusion.

Make a ThaumatropeEthel & Ernest

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Thaumatropes

Try it yourself:

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3. It is not necessary to use a circle of card or paper, any shape will work as long as both pieces are exactly the same.

4. Make sure that you stick the paper together so that one of your drawings looks like it is upside down.

Top tips:

1. Use two pieces of paper in case the image that you draw bleeds through to both sides of paper. 2. Keep your drawings in roughly the same space on both pieces of paper.