Claire Parker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claire Parker
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Parker at the pinscreen
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| Born | August 30, 1906 |
| Died | October 3, 1981 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Engineering, Animation |
| Spouse(s) |
Alexandre Alexeieff
(m. 1940) |
Claire Parker (born August 31, 1906 – died October 3, 1981) was an American engineer and animator. She is best known for inventing the Pinscreen, a special device used to create unique animated films. She studied at the MIT, a famous engineering school.
Contents
What is the Pinscreen?
The Pinscreen is a large board with many tiny metal rods, like pins. There can be anywhere from 240,000 to 1 million pins! These pins can slide in and out.
How the Pinscreen Works
To make an image, an artist pushes the pins from behind. Some pins stick out more, creating shadows. Other pins are pushed in, making brighter areas. This creates a picture using light and shadow.
Creating Animation with Pinscreen
After the artist makes a picture, a camera takes a photo of it. Then, the artist changes the pins a little bit to make the next part of the movement. Another photo is taken. This process is repeated many times, frame by frame. When all the photos are played quickly, it looks like the picture is moving!
Pinscreen and Pixels
The Pinscreen was one of the first tools to make animation by changing many small parts of a picture. Today, we call these small parts "pixels." Think of it like making a picture with tiny dots, similar to how modern digital art is made. If a Pinscreen has enough pins, it can create very realistic images.
Claire Parker's Films
Claire Parker worked closely with her husband, Alexandre Alexeieff, who was a Russian animator. They directed many films together. Even though they worked as a team, Claire Parker was the only one named on the 1935 patent for the Pinscreen. This means she was officially recognized as its inventor.
Famous Pinscreen Films
Some of their most famous Pinscreen films include:
- Night on Bald Mountain (made in 1933)
- The Nose (made in 1963)
They also created the opening title sequence for the movie The Trial (1962), directed by Orson Welles.
Pinscreen Today
As of 2012, the last original Pinscreen still being used for animation was kept at the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal. This shows how special and lasting Claire Parker's invention was. In 2018, a second Pinscreen was built and put into use, continuing her legacy.
