Schüfftan process

The Schüfftan process, named after its inventor Eugen Schüfftan (1893–1977), is a movie special effect widely used in the first half of the 20th century. It is the precursor of the travelling matte and bluescreen effects.

Schüfftan, a german cinematographer, used a combination of miniature models and mirrors to create the imagination of huge real sets in the 1927 movie Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang. The camera is aimed at a mirror whose reflective layer was scratched off to make the actors behind it visible. A small scale model or a painting is reflected by the mirror.

The Schüfftan process was used, among many others, by Alfred Hitchcock; for the first time in Blackmail. It was later replaced by matte shots.