Hey Curious Kids!
We are very excited to share that we are going to be at Hobby X from the 2nd-5th of May. This year’s theme is Retro Rewind and this simply means we’re taking it back to the 70s, 80s, and 90s. The Supernova team couldn’t hold back their excitement so we’ve created a few spins on the retro rewind theme and we’re here to share them with all of our cool Superkids!
Starting off with an almost forgotten classic – Umlabalaba. This legendary two-player game that was of great entertainment to our parents.
It is very popular in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Lesotho and Eswatini. The game has been passed on from generation to generation and is still being played to this day. We double dare you to ask you parents about this oldie and see the look of nostalgia grace their faces.
Umlabalaba can be loosely translated to “The Labyrinth” and is usually compared to the game Nine Men’s game. The people who play it fondly refer to it as Zulu chess. Did you know that the roots of this game go as far as Rome and most parts of Africa? It is widely known to be quite popular amongst the Zulu people.
Making films can definitely be considered a hobby, it is certainly one that we can all enjoy! Sit back and relax while you read some cool film history facts.
The Horse in Motion was the first film ever made. The film was compiled of 24 photographs of a horse galloping. A zoopraxiscope was used to create the idea of motion when projecting these images. This device would be considered the first movie projector to work successfully.
Louis Le Prince created the first narrative movie in 1888. This film was exactly 2.1 seconds long and it depicted people walking in the streets of Oakwood in Leeds, England. Le Prince was also credited for creating the first film camera.
Did you know that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is one of the most expensive movies ever made! The production costs of this movie were approximately 300 million.
All of these classics and cool activities have us feeling nostalgic and we can’t help but share a little retro rewind on the publishing industry. Printing is a vital part of the publishing industry so we need to tell all you Superkids all about its rich history.
In ancient China text and images were carved into wooden blocks, inked and then pressed into fabric. This was the first form of printing that can be traced. In 1040 CE the Northern Song Dynasty created movable type printing which used individual characters created from different materials i.e. clay or metal. This type of printing created more flexibility.
The invention of the Gutenberg Press in the mid 1400s created the first mechanical movable type printing press. This was done using metal type and innovative oil-based ink. Following a similar pattern the Intaglio Press in Italy used a process involving cutting images onto metal plates and then transferring the ink from the recesses onto paper.
The rotary press invention in the early 19th century allowed for much faster and more efficient printing through cylindrical plates. This changed the speed of production. Digital printing emerged in the late 20th century and revolutionised the industry. It allowed for quick and cost-effective production, and it eliminated the need for traditional printing plates.
There are a lot of cool activities and workshops at Hobby-X this May. Keep an eye out for our next blog post and we’ll tell you all about them! Have you gotten your tickets for Hobby-X yet? If not don’t miss out on all the fun this May and go grab yours now, before they’re all gone.
