About

Today we celebrate the 117th birthday of the influential filmmaker and visual artist Oskar Fischinger. I first discovered Fischinger's work in a college class on visual music. His films, most of which were made from the 1920s to 1940s, left me awed and puzzled — how could he make such magic without computers? In the world of design, Fischinger is a towering figure, especially in the areas of motion graphics and animation. He is best known for his ability to combine impeccably synchronized abstract visuals with musical accompaniment, each frame carefully drawn or photographed by hand. A master of motion and color, Fischinger spent months — sometimes years — planning and handcrafting his animations. Although mostly known for his films, Fischinger was also a prolific painter, creating numerous works that capture the dramatic movement and feeling of his films within a single frame. Unsatisfied with traditional media, he also invented a contraption, the Lumigraph, for generating fantastic chromatic displays with hand movements — a sort of optical painting in motion and a precursor to the interactive media and multi-touch games of today. Even with the advanced technology that now exists, emulating Fischinger's work is an impossible task. His colors and motion are so carefully planned yet naturally playful, his timing so precise yet human. So today's Doodle aims to pay homage to him, while allowing you to compose your own visual music. I hope it inspires you to seek out the magic of Fischinger for yourself. — Leon Hong, Creative Lead