How to Create a Phenakistoscope. The phenakistoscope is a predecessor of the
flip book, but don’t worry: it’s easier to make than pronounce. You will need A piece of stiff paper 8-12"
on a side, such as a manila folder Drawing paper A drawing compass A protractor A pencil
A thumbtack A ruler Scissors Rubber cement and a wall mirror. Step 1. Plan out your animation with sketches. There should be 8 to 12 steps, each representing
a frame. The best animations for a phenakistoscope
are cyclical, like a horse galloping or a child jumping rope. Step 2. Anchor your compass point in the center of
the stiff paper and draw a circle that just touches the edges. Leave a small mark where the compass is anchored. If you’re using a manila folder, cut it
along the crease and use half of it as the stiff paper. Step 3. Use the ruler to draw a faint line that bisects
the circle. Step 4. Use the protractor to divide the circle into
equally-sized “wedges,” with each wedge representing a frame in your animation. To divide the circle into eight wedges, each
piece should be 45 degrees. For 9 wedges, 40 degrees; 10 wedges, 36 degrees;
11 wedges, 33 degrees; and 12 wedges, 30 degrees. Step 5. Cut out the whole circle. Step 6. Cut small rectangular slots about 1/8th inch
wide by 1 inch long along the separating lines of each wedge. Start at the very outside of the circle and
cut inward. Step 7. Poke a small hole through the center of the
wheel, or slightly widen the one that is already there. Step 8. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 on the drawing paper,
but make this circle 2 inches smaller in diameter. Step 9. On the drawing paper circle, create your animation
step-by-step, clockwise around the circle. This is your animation wheel. Step 10. With a small dabs of rubber cement on the
back, align the animation wheel so that it is centered on the thick paper wheel. Allow 10 minutes for the rubber cement to
dry. The smaller wheel should come about to the
slots you cut in Step 7. Step 11. Poke the thumbtack through the animation wheel
and the hole you created in the heavy paper… Step 12. Push the thumbtack into the side of the pencil
eraser. It should be in firmly enough to stick, but
still loose enough for you to be able to spin the wheel freely. Step 13. Face the mirror, then hold your phenakistoscope
up with the animated side pointed away from you. Step 14. Gently spin the phenakistoscope while looking
through the slits. The animation will appear in the mirror. Did you know The phenakistoscope was invented
in 1832 by the Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau.