Émile Reynaud

Émile Reynaud was a French inventor who pioneered early animation. He adapted the principle of persistence of vision, where rapid succession of still images creates the illusion of movement. In 1876, Reynaud developed a projection system that allowed hand-painted animated sequences on celluloid ribbons to be shown to a theatrical audience. He is considered animation's first entrepreneur and the first artist to imbue animated characters with personality and warmth. While devices like the phenakistoscope and zoetrope existed, Reynaud's innovation allowed for projected animation, paving the way for future developments in the field.12