I ran across this photo essay on Iraqi Kurdistan by Ed Kashi. I was intrigued because this is very similar to a technique we used to produce multi-projector slide shows prior to Powerpoint.
Some of our productions were 18 to 21 projectors and one included 16mm film. They were programmed and synced up to a soundtrack with music, narration, the whole bit.
We would shoot animated sequences, similar to what Kashi presents here, and then program the projectors to create the motion on the screen. Depending on the subject, we would lock down the camera on a tripod and the “jumpiness” due to the movement of the film going through the camera would be negligible. If we really wanted something to be smooth, we had a pin-registered Nikon that we could take out on location. As the camera fired, pins located in the back would lock down the film. You could not shoot as fast, but it was perfect for sunset type sequences that you could shoot over a longer period of time.
At first I wasn’t sure I liked the presentation. The animations were a distraction from the images at times, but taken as a whole – music, photographs and animation – I think it was a very effective piece.