An animated two-dimensional character defined by a fixed outline applied to a flat board and a plurality of movable character features positioned on top of the outline and movable with respect to it. Some of the features are mounted to a first bar that is loosely secured to the board and centered in an original position with respect to the outline while others of the features are mounted to a second member such as an independently movable second bar placed on top of the first bar and also centered with respect to the outline. The bars are substantially universally movable in the vicinity of the outline, the features thereon define portions of the character such as facial features, hands or pieces of clothing and some of the features can be further movable with respect to the mounting bars of the stationary operations of such features, say the closing or opening of the character's mouth or eyelids and, simultaneously therewith or independently thereof, for repositioning of the features with respect to the outline to change the overall appearance of the character and thereby cause animation of individual character features as well as of the overall character figure.
Animated caricature for television and the like including an elastic body outline and attached head outline with arms, legs and feet, the feet being adhered to an invisible stationary background and the head outline being attached at the top only to a movable invisible outline containing the representation of a face. By moving the movable background member relative to said stationary member various facial and body distortional movements can be portrayed. Additionally the arms are capable of separate articulation to provide additional distortional movements and expressions.
An improved cinematographic system and method for multiple compositing, within a virtual studio, of an image frame or image sequence of a real/action image of an action sequence of a puppet, with another image frame or image sequence of a real/action image of the same or another puppet, within a given virtual studio space. This system and method have application to the compositing of a master camera angle image and a close-up image of the same puppet character; and, to the compositing of a master camera angle image of one action puppet character with a second image from another camera angle of another puppet action character, so as to provide an interactive image sequence of each of the characters of each image within the same image frame.
