The Science Behind the Star Wars Scanimation Book

In a previous post I introduced you to a cool optical illusion style of art called Scanimation. Rufus Butler Seder created this magic to entertain and baffle.



Optical illusions intrigue the minds of most people. We will stare at an object for minutes trying to get our eyes to cooperate for that brief moment of glory!

The human eye's perceptual feed to the brain may be altered which leads us to wonder how many other things in life are only an illusion and not reality.

There are three types of optical illusions of which I am aware.

1. Literal Optical Illusions - These create images that vary from the object that causes them.
2. Physiological Optical Illusions - These are caused by the effects on the eyes or brain after excessive stimulation.
3. Cognitive Illusions - When we need to make sense of incoming data so our eyes and brain infer information that is not literally seen.

Which type of illusion does Scanimation fall under? There is much controversy if one can even consider any kind of animation an optical illusion. It appears to be the need for the brain to fill in gaps between still shots because of "persistence of vision."  Personally, that fits my idea of an optical illusion, though I am not quite certain if it fits the scientific definition.

In my next post we will discuss how to make your own scanimation! :)