The Ames Room Research Paper

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The Ames Room is a distorted room that creates an optical illusion. Greatly influenced by Hermann Helmholtz, it was invented by Ophthalmologist Ames jr. in 1934, and later constructed that following year. The Ames is created in all sizes including a handheld size to a full size room. Either way it is all viewed in the same manner by a small peephole in the center of the wall so that is is easier to avoid clues of its illusion. Construction is build so the front is appeared to look like a cubic-shaped room as it is originally thought of by the viewer, with two walls parallel to each other and perpendicular to the horizontally floor and ceiling. However, the trick to this is perspective while the true shape of the room is trapezoidal. The walls are also slanted and the ceiling and floor are inclined while the right corner is closer to the viewer than the left corner (or vice versa). In the beginning, the idea…show more content…
It helped pave the way for scientist to study the theory of perception and the eyes. We see many illusion such as the Ames Room. in big screen blockbusters such as “Alice in Wonderland”, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the cinematic trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings”. It was used in “The Lord of the Rings” by attempting to make the hobbits look smaller than their other castmates. The hobbits homes were created slanted and in trapezoidal shapes in attempt to create this illusion. They preferred the natural view of illusions other than digital cinema because of its authenticity. They believed that using special effects in the movie would not let viewers believe the hobbits size and comparison to their castmates would be legit. With help of the Ames room, it helped keep the authenticity of the film and have the movie viewers to believe that the hobbits were smaller than they appeared to be in comparison to their castmates because of the optical

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