Some purists maintain that software and inkjet printers can't match what Vari-Vue produced using its proprietary technology. Mark, whose Flipsigns.com makes lenticular software, acknowledges that many newcomers struggle to master techniques that Vari-Vue developed decades ago. "Victor Anderson was the innovator; he had a terrific technology for his time," Mark said. "So much of what he did was accomplished purely by his willpower."
But Mark argues that digital technology is welcome because it is introducing lenticular to a broader audience. "It's all about magic and illusions," Mark said. "It's the same thing as the magician who saws the woman in half. It's a wonderful illusion. And we want everyone to be able to be in the illusion business."
Brigham, who clearly relishes the digital magic that Hollywood uses to create illusions, ties lenticular's continuing appeal to an inherently interactive nature. "It's something you can hold in your hands, rather than in a computer disc. Even with the simplest flip--when an element appears and disappears--you wonder: How did it go from here to there?"
Instant Replay
To see a short video of a lenticular in action, go to
http://www.latimes.com/lenticular.
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Look Online
Google.com lists nearly 23,000 hits for "lenticular." Some of the sites:
* http://www.microlens.com (lens supplier)
* http://www.flipsigns.com (software manufacturer)
* http://www.didik.com (Vari-Vue information)
* http://www.depthography.com (lenticular, 3-D design firm)
* http://www.i3dx.com/perscameras.html (lenticular technology)
* http://www.stereoscopy.com/cameras (overall information)
* http://www.digitalatelier.com (Bonnie Lhotka's lenticular artwork)
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Simulating Motion
Lenticular prints, which show different pictures when turned at various angles, are gaining new uses in the computer age as more and more images can be morphed together into complex animated sequences. The new possibilities are attracting everyone from advertisers to artists. Here is how a simple lenticular is created:
