How to view your zoetrope vinyl

Zoetrope is essentially frame-by-frame animation, so to see the animation come to life we need to create 30 still snapshots per second, as the record spins. This can be achieved by filming it with a camera at 30fps (30 still images per second), or using a strobe light set to 30hz (30 flashes per seconds). In theory if you could blink 30 times per second it would work too!

Viewing through your camera/phone

1. Spin the vinyl at the speed specified for your design (33, 45, or 78 RPM) and video it at 30fps.

2. Use as much light as possible to sharpen the image (daylight is king, but bringing lamps over also works very well) .

3. If you can alter the shutter speed, then the higher the better until it gets too dark, then stop or alter the ISO to make it brighter again.

4. If your phone has ‘action mode’ turn this on. It is often represented as a little person running.

Tip: If you are struggling to get your camera to stick to 30fps, try downloading the ‘ilumiscope’ app (for iPhone). This works very well.

Viewing with the naked eye using a strobe light (or strobe light app)

Want to watch the animation with your own eyes? No problem! All you need is a strobe light or a strobe app.

1. Set your strobe light (or app) to 30Hz and spin the vinyl at the speed specified for your design (33, 45, or 78 RPM).

2. Shine the strobe at the spinning record to see the animation with your own eyes. Make the room as dark as possible for a clearer view.

Tip: If you don’t have a strobe, there are free apps you can use. We recommend ‘Strobe Light Tachometer’ (for iPhone) & Strobily (for android).

  • Good news – this one’s easy. Just head to the App Store and download Ilumiscope (it’s free!).

    It should work right out of the box, but for best results:

    • Open the app and set the shutter speed to the highest available setting.

    • This tends to make things darker, so adjust the brightness to compensate.

    And don’t forget: more light = better results. Natural daylight works best.

    Note: We haven’t tested all models, so please let us know if yours doesn’t work.

  • Open the Camera app, swipe over to More, and select Pro Video.

    At the top, choose your video quality and frame rate. You can pick HD, FHD, or UHD — just make sure it’s set to 30fps.

    Along the bottom you’ll see a range of manual controls: ISO, SPEED, EV, FOCUS, WB.

    Start by turning SPEED (shutter speed) up (by scrolling to the right) this brings the zoetrope into focus. A good starting point is around 1/1500, but in general, the higher the better.

    As you increase the shutter speed, the image will get darker. To balance that out, try increasing the ISO slightly — but don’t go too high or it might get grainy.

    And don’t forget: more light = better results. Natural daylight works best.

    Note: We haven't tested all models so let us know if this doesn't work for you.

  • Open the Camera app, switch to Video mode, and tap the settings icon. Make sure you’re set to 30fps.

    Start recording — this lets you adjust settings in real time and see the changes as you go.

    At this point (if you’re in a bright room) the zoetrope should start to work, though it might look a bit blurry at first.

    To sharpen it up:

    • While recording, tap the settings icon again (bottom right).

    • Select Exposure and turn it down slowly until it brings everything into focus.

    And don’t forget: more light = better results. Natural daylight works best.

    Note: We haven’t tested all models, so please let us know if yours doesn’t work.

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Don’t see your phone here?

Still having trouble? Drop us a message and we’ll help you get it working.
Once we’ve cracked it, we’ll add your phone to the list so others can benefit too.

We’re here to help make sure your zoetrope experience is as magical as the music itself!
So if you have any questions, just reach out to us.