Walt Disney was granted U.S. patent 2,201,689 for his "art of animation" camera on May 1, 1940. The multiplane camera was used in the Walt Disney Studios during the thirties and forties to create countless animated pictures.
Multiplane Camera - Properties
The multiplane camera used stacked planes of glass each painted with different elements of a cell animation. The multiplane allowed the animator to re-use the same background, foreground, or any elements not in motion, saving hours of labor. The exposure differences for each plane of glass was calculated.
