Len Lye "Free Radicals"

Animation film made by Len Lye in 1958.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[Redstar309Z]

This is one of THE MOST SEMINAL FILMIC WORKS for me. I cant think of any other media construction that has influeneced me more. AS a New Zealander I am proud to even attempt to follow in the foot steps Of Lyes greatness a visionary and the most next level artist of his time. VIVA LEN LYE

[Marc Evans]

Wow, couldn't disagree more with the last comment. This is a great film -- mesmerizing. He really captures the feeling of the drumming, and it's like watching a dance.

[Dan Bolser]

How was this made? Tomato seem totally lame after this!

[M3T4L8D]

I love responding to music with art, it's exactly what I did in my As art and what I'm doing with my A2 art, and Lye's work is so helpful in giving me inspiration and giving me an artist to work with.

[skeletor666satancore]

the first music video

[DorianDuVerger]

amazing stuff,having to painstaking scratch black 16mm film frame by frame,and if its 24fps thats around 5760 or so. Ive made a few 'Camera-less/Drawn on/animations' myself over the years on Super 8mm and I tell you it can take forever. (im not comparing myself to Len Lye in anyway,but I enjoy it and its fun :)

[sclapione]

Doesn't look like wire at all, something way more simple .....

[stonelenny]

One of my top ten movies in any length, technique or genre.

[MLangan]

Not exactly-- Since the forms are isolated, repeated images as opposed to vertical lines that wave around from left to right (a la McLaren's "Begone Dull Care"), my guess is that he used a saw with teeth positioned at the same intervals of the film frames, so that each tooth will fall at exactly the same position in each frame if you hold the saw perfectly straight. Then he'd wiggle the saw just enough to scratch a small design on the frames, which results in a morphing design

[rafael81629]

anyone knows who this 3d effect was done? looks like bent wire.

[TheAllergyPokemon]

when you say, 'scratching a design along the entire length of it', you must mean dragging the saw along the film, right? sorry, its just I'm doing a project at university about direct film animation and this piece is really inspirational; the 3D forms you talked about are a phenomenal to watch.

[MLangan]

So wonderful. From what I understand, there are a couple of techniques at work here. The 3D-looking forms are supposedly created by pressing a wide-toothed saw to the black film leader, then scratching a design along the entire length of it, creating a design that shifts position from beginning to end.