The
Making of an Automaton
Picture : St�phane Dev�
"Three months of work for two minutes of children's
laughter ..."
I - Design
Every year 6 months before Christmas, different preliminary
drafts were presented to the directors of the big stores. These took the form of
gouache paintings. Once the design was chosen and the movements decided on by
the designer, construction could begin. The signed order-form was received
during August, and delivery took three months' non-stop work, as each robot was
made individually.
II - Sculpting
Following the gouache indications, each figure is first
modelled in clay. The artist, who is always an employee of the firm, must
produce a model that reflects the original with absolute fidelity.
III - Moulding and Cardboarding
Once this model has been made, a plaster
mould, the negative, is cut into several parts in order to make removal from the
mould easier. Then the positive - i.e. the body of the robot - is moulded and
turned out. After that, several layers of thick blotting paper are placed on the
mould. This cardboarding is very solid and easily transformable. It is a similar
technique to papier-m�ch�, and is called "papinage."
IV - The Mechanism
Next comes the creation of the movement mechanism and
its positioning. This is the longest part of the fabrication, and consists of
three main stages :
- the creation of the movement plate
This
piece is situated inside the figure and holds the various parts used to create
movement - braces, rocker-arms and articulated parts.
- the creation of
the clockwork plate
This plate may be placed inside the robot or
underneath it, in the board supporting the scene. It consists of the motor
coupled to a speed reducer, cams calculated for each gesture (these are the
forerunners of programming) and levers used for reading each cam. The link
between the two plates is made by wires, called "drawing wires", attached to the
levers.
V - Decoration
When the moving parts have been put in place, the robot
is closed by a band of glued cloth. Then come the three stages of decoration :
- The visible parts of the robot are sanded down and coated. The coating
used makes it look smooth and polished.
- The colouring
Several
successive coats of oil or other paints are applied. - Giving the face its
features
The eyes and eyelashes are often animated. After the war, for
reasons of economy, they were usually painted.
VI - Costuming
This is the final stage of the manufacturer's work. All
the joints are first covered with percale, so as to protect them. Then comes the
actual costuming, and the clothes must be most precisely cut and fitted.
Trimmings, accessories and hair-dos give the final touch.
The creation of an animated scene involves the
collaboration of many different trades.