Movie Flipbook you can make at the office (No drill or workshop tools needed)

Make a Flip Book from iHeartSwitch on Vimeo.

(REFERENCES: http://www.instructables.com/id/Handmade_Flipbook_2/ AND http://thecurio.us/blog/?p=14)

We had to make something for the Christmas exchange this year that was $10 and under. I looked to the cinema for inspiration, and found the flipbook. A flipbook is a stack of paper hinged at one side with "a series of pictures that vary gradually from one page to the next, so that when the pages are turned rapidly, the pictures appear to animate by simulating motion or some other change." (Wikipedia)

 

Many of the flipbooks from the early 1900's were promotional items or something cartoonists would make on their own or to sell. Today, you can still find these old flipbooks on eBay or at antique shops.
It's the perfect gift that blends old technologies with modern appliances. All you need is a video recorder**, a printer, and some leather and screws. You can see my flipbook video and learn how to make one yourself following the steps below. While my Flipbook was made for a Christmas present you can make one for any occasion.

Step 1 Materials and Tools

You will need the following:

• Video Editor Software. You can use a simple one like iMovie or QuickTime Pro or a more advanced one like Final Cut. Here, I used QuickTime Pro.
• Microsoft Word
• Your digital movie. (I used a Flip Cam to make mine)
• Color printer with lots of ink
• 3-hole punch
• #10, 1 1/4” Long Bolt and Nut
• Small scrap of leather
• Cardstock or cover weight paper
• X-Acto Knife & straight edge
• Download the SWITCH FLIPBOOK WORD TEMPLATE

Comments

[astro boy]

 if you look up flip book printer its a free app that dose all the computer work for you and try to use at least 15 frames per second otherwise it might not look like a moving picture.  

[SwitchGirl]

Ah ha, found the link to the flip book printer. Its for PC only, sorry MAC users.
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/FlipbookPrinter/index.html

[hellvig]

 There seems to exist apps for Mac, too (haven't tried it):

festival.inattendu.org/Flipbook-Tweaker-Mac-OSX

[ravenwing999]

 Uh....... aren't we supposed to be WORKING at the office??  Maybe this needs another title.

[vanbo]

Um, I hate to pry, but what exactly are you smoking, and where can I get some?

[SwitchGirl]

Make one for your boss or employees - when you want to introduce a new idea to them - sometimes it takes something totally different to catch their attention and this would do it.

[ravenwing999]

 In that case it makes sense, and is not unethical.

[SwitchGirl]

I saw another really nice tutorial online today for a flipbook and it has some great examples for animators. The tutorial is for Flash, inDesign, and Photoshop. It looks really good - they just need to add the brackets to hold it together well.  http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/2d__and__photoshop/make_a_flip_book

[thepelton]

Neat idea!  It would be good for a number of things, such as introducing a new baby to relatives.  I know my camera will make short video clips, I'm just not sure how.  I'll have to look in the instructions I have to find that.

[Mr. Thrak]

 If the flipbook's right edge is angled with a curve, (steepest at the beginning and flattest at the end) the book will flip more consistently

[belsey]

 When my son went to a very anti technology camp last summer (no TV, video games, phones, or even digital cameras allowed) I sent him a flip book to give him a moving image fix. Since he had complained that he couldn't remember my face I shot a movie of myself (with a digital still camera) as I said a few words. If he flipped though the stack he could read my lips and decipher the secret message. After exporting my movie as a JPEG image sequence I imported it and formatted it with filemaker, rather than word. This way I didn't need to resize the pictures and it was easier to adjust the layout. I also didn't bother with the hole punch binding, I just used an oversized cloth pin style paper clip -- I shouldn't have been so lazy though, because eventually the pictures did scatter and the message was lost. Maybe for the best. He'd gotten the message, and it was a secret....

[SwitchGirl]

Sounds sweet, and I am sure he remembers... just think of your flipbook as the "Mission Impossible" book - once the message is received, it self destructs and no one else can decipher it!

[MadBricoleur]

You know, if you have a guillotine cutter at the office, there's a better way: once you've cut out all the pics, and they can all be the same size (edges flush with each other when you lay them on top of each other), hold the stack in a way that will allow you to hold it firmly, diagonally slanted upward while you guillotine slice the edges to allow you to flip it easier (in other words, slice all the edges so that they aren't flush with each other anymore).

Sorry I didn't post a pic, but if you need a picture, just pm me or something and I'll find the time to make an example. I just can't right now.

I like the idea of importing the movie into individual pictures, though. That's pretty smart. :D

[SwitchGirl]

Yes, please throw up a picture. I didn't have a guillotine cutter - but I am sure many people do!

[lukaj2003]

Nice flipbook!
I always used to make doodle flipbooks using the corner of books :P

This is a great idea and I might make this some time.
Keep up the good work! 

[SwitchGirl]

Lukaj2003. Thank you!  You can make one in an afternoon. When you do, send me the final. I'd love to see it.