Bees Honey Dance Apple Box
Date Of Production
circa 1957
Abstract
This film documents John Ott's construction of a time-lapse studio custom built to record an apple's growth for the production of Walt Disney's Secrets of Life (1956).
Ott recollects in his book, My Ivory Cellar, "It was hardly practical to move an apple tree down into the basement, so I built a complete time-lapse studio in miniature on a scaffold by the apple tree in the front yard. This was constructed so that there was a glass window or skylight in the top of a large box. It was equipped with shutters that would close to keep the sunlight out momentarily each time an individual frame was exposed on the moving picture film. It also contained the necessary timing equipment to operate three cameras, the overhead shutters, and photographic lights. Two automatic thermostats controlled an electric heater and ventilating fan to maintain the proper temperature in the box and prevent overheating in the direct sunlight."
Ott recollects in his book, My Ivory Cellar, "It was hardly practical to move an apple tree down into the basement, so I built a complete time-lapse studio in miniature on a scaffold by the apple tree in the front yard. This was constructed so that there was a glass window or skylight in the top of a large box. It was equipped with shutters that would close to keep the sunlight out momentarily each time an individual frame was exposed on the moving picture film. It also contained the necessary timing equipment to operate three cameras, the overhead shutters, and photographic lights. Two automatic thermostats controlled an electric heater and ventilating fan to maintain the proper temperature in the box and prevent overheating in the direct sunlight."
Description
The film begins with close-ups of honey bees performing their signature waggle dance to indicate a nearby source of blossoms to other bees in the hive. The scene transitions to Ott's front yard where he and his gardener, John Torkelson, work to assemble and construct an elevated, miniature time-lapse studio adjacent to an apple tree. A time-lapse sequence shows Ott and his son Henry while they use a pulley system to hoist the "apple box" up to the top of the scaffold, and then lift loads of film equipment using a tethered basket. Amidst the apple box construction, an impromptu wrestling match takes place on the front lawn between the Ott family's pet cat, George, and wiener dog, Gussie.
The film repeats certain shots of Ott's construction of the studio and his inspection of the interior equipment layout. Since Ott's initial attempt to photograph a ripe red apple failed, these duplicate shots are possibly intended to illustrate Ott's doubled efforts in which he built two scaffolds and accompanying apple boxes next to two other varieties of apple trees. However, the green color persisted in the apples being photographed in these time-lapse boxes.
Ott recollects in My Ivory Cellar, "Finally in desperation I removed the glass from the window over the apples and replaced it with the new plastic material that let more of all the sun's rays penetrate and particularly the ultraviolet and shorter wave lengths. These are the ones that ordinary glass will not transmit. Within two days the apples in the boxes were showing a nice red color, and for once I was real happy to see red. The picture was completed just in time to be included in Walt Disney's film...They also proved that the maturing and ripening process of an apple can be prevented by filtering certain wave lengths of energy from normal sunlight."
The film repeats certain shots of Ott's construction of the studio and his inspection of the interior equipment layout. Since Ott's initial attempt to photograph a ripe red apple failed, these duplicate shots are possibly intended to illustrate Ott's doubled efforts in which he built two scaffolds and accompanying apple boxes next to two other varieties of apple trees. However, the green color persisted in the apples being photographed in these time-lapse boxes.
Ott recollects in My Ivory Cellar, "Finally in desperation I removed the glass from the window over the apples and replaced it with the new plastic material that let more of all the sun's rays penetrate and particularly the ultraviolet and shorter wave lengths. These are the ones that ordinary glass will not transmit. Within two days the apples in the boxes were showing a nice red color, and for once I was real happy to see red. The picture was completed just in time to be included in Walt Disney's film...They also proved that the maturing and ripening process of an apple can be prevented by filtering certain wave lengths of energy from normal sunlight."
Run Time
6 min 49 sec
Format
16mm
Extent
184 feet
Color
Color
Sound
Silent
Reel/Tape Number
1/1
Has Been Digitized?
Yes
Genre
Subject
Related Collections
Related Places
Main Credits
Ott, John Nash Jr. (is filmmaker)
Participants And Performers
Ott, Henry (is participant)
Torkelson, John (is participant)
Ott, John Nash Jr. (is participant)
Do you know more about this item?
If you have more information about this item please contact us at info@chicagofilmarchives.com.