In order to make Potatomation, you need to create a large matrix of uncooked potatoes. 1000 wide by 50 deep should be enough to provide some resolution to the animation, but bigger is better.

The potatoes each need to be carefully chosen to have a variety of surface marks and colour variations, so that they can be moved around to display their differences.

Each potato now becomes the equivalent of a pixel.

An existing short sequence of film is now transferred frame by frame to its equivalent in potatoes. For each frame a single static image is taken, and the potatoes are rotated and rearranged to make the next frame.

This is obviously a hideously protracted operation, (during which some potatoes may begin to rot and have to be replaced), but the results are a Potatomation sequence of subtley and deviant aesthetic value.
-- xenzag, Feb 23 2010

Oh. And I thought it would be stop action films made using Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads for actors.

Or potatoes ceaselessly whittled into new configurations.
-- normzone, Feb 23 2010


//may begin to rot and have to be replaced//or just left there to get black, white and green pixels.
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 23 2010


//and have to be replaced// No no no! The progressive distortion caused by rotting potatos would be so much more interesting. (Shorter version: What [FlyingToaster] said.)
-- mouseposture, Feb 23 2010


I'm thinking mashed.
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 24 2010


Well... hmm... Not an orrery then, huh? Well... It's pretty good though, Yes. Potatoes. Potatoes. Yes. Crazy good. +
-- Mustardface, Feb 24 2010


I've found that the trick is to eat *before* logging in.
-- FlyingToaster, Feb 24 2010


This may be bakeable in a computer version that takes in images or 3D models of potatoes to shuffle around... [similar idea to photomosaics].

Does anyone have a pointer to stock images of a large number of potatoes, or a potato simulator that will generate random (but realistic) potato images for me?

The rotting potato effect would have to be simulated!
-- cowtamer, Feb 25 2010


//a potato simulator that will generate random (but realistic) potato images//

Just had to repeat that line, sorry.
-- pocmloc, Feb 25 2010


NO NO NO - [cowtamer] I appreciate the input, but the whole essence of the idea is to translate the epitome of the digital world ie pixels, into that most basic of staple diets ie the humble potato. There must be NO shortcuts. If I had the space and time, I would make this idea a reality.
-- xenzag, Feb 26 2010


Yes, but why potatoes? Why not, oh, I dunno, croissants?
-- English Bob, Feb 26 2010


{I thought, at first, that this would be some kind of spud-based robot, or "potatomaton".}
-- Jinbish, Feb 26 2010



random, halfbakery