The Steeple-Chase

Using only two protagonists, one dressed in red and the other in blue, in The Steeple-Chase (1878), Émile Reynaud exploited optical illusion to create a veritable horse race. The rapid alternation of the jockeys evades the capacity of visual memory to imprint images, producing the mental illusion of multiple performers. On this occasion, the animator understood the potential of loop animation to create continuity rather than mere repetition. The viewpoint shifts from observing an individual performer to directing attention towards a fixed point through which the action continually changes. A month later, in 1878, Muybridge applied a similar principle by consistently relocating the viewpoint to photograph his horse in motion, contributing to the development of film as it is understood today.