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Pete Kozachik and the Kozaflex special effects camera system The versatile (and legendary) KOZAFLEX robotic camera system at work on Corpse Bride.   Equally versatile and legendary, effects wizard Pete Kozachik puts it through it paces with a Kuper Jogbox controller.  The Kozaflex has performed admirably on several features starting with Nightmare Before Christmas and continuing on through James and the Giant Peach and others.  Pete has picked up quite a few Director of Photography credits and Oscar nominations over the years.

Corpse Bride is the first stop-motion feature film to be photographed using digital single-lens reflex cameras.  The camera here is suspended on a rod to better fit into puppet sets.  The various motorized axes above automatically adjust themselves so that the center of rotation appears to be inside the camera lens as the camera pans and tilts, when in fact all the axes of the boom system compensate and cooperate to "virtualize" the pan and tilt.  It's a very odd and somewhat spooky show to watch the huge amount of motion involved in a simple pan or tilt.

Thanks to Pete K. for this photo.  He didn't say I could use it, but he didn't say I couldn't, either.

 


A digital still camera with motorized motions such as pan, tilt, and focus.  A video camera is attached to the viewfinder so the animators can view their ongoing work on a video screen. An animator with my Kuper Controls screen at right, and a video prevue screen center. A fully motion controlled boom camera carries a digital still camera as it follows stop-motion animated characters walking down a staircase.

Photos courtesy Warner Bros. Entertainment

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