multiplane

Multiplane is a term used to describe the use of multiple visual planes to create depth in images or animation. The most famous application is the multiplane camera, a device developed by Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s. It was first used in The Old Mill (1937) and later became a hallmark of early feature animation, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The camera records through a set of transparent planes, each holding different artwork or elements.

How it works: Several sheets or layers of artwork are mounted on separate planes at varying distances from the camera. The camera moves past or through these planes, and the elements on each plane can be lit, painted, and animated independently. Because the planes occupy different depths, foreground elements move more quickly than distant backgrounds, producing a parallax effect that gives the scene a convincing sense of space. Typical planes include background scenery, midground elements, and foreground action or characters.

In practice, multiplane setups required careful planning of composition, timing, and camera movement. Artists could animate on individual planes while keeping other planes static, enabling richer, more complex scenes with a painterly look. The technique also imposed manufacturing and lighting constraints, but it offered a notable improvement over flat animation.

Digital era: With computer graphics, the multiplane concept persists in modern form. Software can simulate multiple layers at different depths and apply parallax, depth of field, and camera moves to achieve a similar sense of three-dimensional space. The term is sometimes used to describe any multi-layer depth effect in 2D or 3D animation and compositing, even when no physical planes are used.