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The present invention pertains to methods of producing photoplays in which pictorial representations are employed, the resulting photoplays being generally referred to as animated cartoons. The invention is particularly directed to methods of creating an illusion of depth which is ordinarily not obtained by methods previously employed. […]

The present invention is directed toward methods of producing animated cartoon photoplays in a ready and facile manner and without the necessity of the laborious and unsatisfactory expedients which characterize the attempts of the prior art. It has been found that a remarkable effect of depth or third dimension can be obtained by depicting various planes at different distances between the camera and a background and by placing those transparencies, drawings or paintings which depict objects or characters in spaced planes between the camera and the back ground, such spaced planes corresponding approximately to the positions which would be assumed by such characters in the completed or composite scene. For example, foreground objects are depicted on transparencies which are then positioned in a plane closest to the camera. Middle distance objects or characters are depicted on transparencies which are positioned between such foreground plane and the background plane whereas the background plane occupies a position furthest removed from the camera.[…]