Floating Head Hologram Effect (Any Advice Please)

6658 Views 22 Replies 16 Participants Last post by Sister Sinister, Aug 16, 2010

scare-m

Discussion Starter · Jul 30, 2007

I have an LCD projector at my disposal. I want to create a large floating head over :devil:my cemetary in mid air (like a hologram)

I have a dvd of a head that I can play via my laptop and use the projector on.

Heres my question.

Will an LCD projector display the head on a piece of plexiglass, like the peppers ghost effect? or would I need to use a piece of window screen.

I am trying to make an image similar to the large floating head in the Wizard of Oz so I need it to be somewhat transparent.

Any advice is appreciated

thanks

1 - 20 of 23 Posts

1031fan

· #2 · Jul 30, 2007

sounds like a cool project

as for the PG effect - its not really gonna be the same at all - first off for the PG effect - the viewers are only viwing the effect from a certain angle - like in a hallway or looking through a window - if its in a cemetary im guessing it wont be in an enclosed area - thats another thing the PG effect uses - the ability to change lights from the one image/scene to the next - and finally - in the effect, the image isn't projected onto the glass it is reflected by it - making it into a mirror

im prolly not the best to answer this - but i think you should give the screen a try and just see what happens - keeping in mind it should be towards the back so that people are viewing it generally at the same angle no matter where they are standing

also, i might try projecting it onto a haze of fog - i know there was talk on the old methods forum about a hallway that had fine particles dropped or water molecules sprayed and an image was projected on it - when the water/particles was stopped the image would disappear - maybe something like this using fog would work - since you already have the head image, id just play with it as much as you can

good luck and keep us updated - riley

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Revenant

· #3 · Jul 30, 2007

for a transparent, spectral effect I'd say use some lightweight gauzy fabric like tulle or whatever that stuff is called that sheer curtains are made of. If the background beyond the scene is trees or shadows you could blotch-dye it sort of like camo-pattern and the part that doesn't have image projected on it won't show up as much. You could even put a little fan below to make it ripple if you like it shimmery.

GOT

· #4 · Jul 31, 2007

I think the plexiglass will work fine, as long as it is a distance shot. You could try a large sheet of clear cellophane, as long as it isn't too windy. The ripples might have a nice dynamic effect.

Sickie Ickie

· #5 · Jul 31, 2007

http://www.io2technology.com/videos and then click on "person video".

For only a mere $19,000, you could own one too.

RookieSpooker

· #6 · Jul 31, 2007

Wal mart has those "area coolers" that are simply a black plastic hose with a bunch of atomizers that make a water vapor curtain. I think this might work better than anything flat because you can give it the same curve as the face you are projecting. Not perfect, but you might be able to see it from the sides a little better.

Dr Morbius

· #7 · Jul 31, 2007

If you try to project light directly on to glass, it will pass right through and reflect on the bushes behind it. If you project it on something else, rhen angle the glass right, it will reflect that image. A scrim would be the best bet, adjusting the light behind it so you can see thru it, then project your image on it.

scare-m

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 1, 2007

Just wanted to drop everyone a sincere note of thanks for the great suggestions. I will post my results

scare-m

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 1, 2007

The idea of projecting the head image on mist never occurred to me. Has anyone had any luck projecting an LCD projector onto an outdoor mist cooling system.

I saw a cheapo mist kit online ($24)that consists of a flexible tubing with a couple mist units on it. I dont know know if this would do the trick but if it does I think it might be a really

ominous effect

Any feedback is appreciated

The_Caretaker

· #10 · Aug 1, 2007

The are a number of companies that produce water screens with flowing water or mist

Brckee1

· #11 · Aug 2, 2007

You cannot project an image onto glass. Projecting on mist or fog is extremely complex. It might be possible indoors but not outdoors. I would use a scrim or window screen. Simple and effective, my two favorite words.

scare-m

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 2, 2007

Jim
Thanks for the feedback. You're right.. The more I thought about it the more my head would ache...Is there any specific fabric or store to get a scrim? I have heard the term several times but am not sure exactly where I might find this

1031fan

· #13 · Aug 2, 2007

your two favorite words huh jim?? well what a coincedence - mine are extreme and complex

haha - jp in with ya - the screen would no douubt be easier - slightly off topic - but do you remeber the mist image projection we were all talkin about back in the hay days of methods? if i remeber correctly, it was for a hallway - and the mist maker went perpendicular to the hallway right under the ceiling - and it rested on a track that went parallel - so that as the guests were walking down the hall, the image was projected on the mist, and it slowly moved along the track and got up to their face and eventually went over them - giving them a cooling sensation as if a ghost went through them - - is that the way it was or did i just make half that up? its prolly the way it was - too cool of an idea for me to come up with myself - haha - anyway - good luck scare-m! post lots of progress pics

frstvamp1r

· #14 · Aug 2, 2007

Scare-m, alright, so I'm sure by now you are dead set on using scrim as a projection screen, and people were saying not to use plexi or glass because the image would go right through it, correct...there IS a type of lexan that has a special coating so that an image CAN be projected onto it and no pass through it too much and yet still remain transparent. I saw it on an episode of "Pimp My Ride" (don't ask my why I was watching that), and they used a 10"x12" piece of the material to project video onto it, though I would imagine scrim would be ALOT more on the cheap end than say a $200 piece of lexan that would only be 10"x12", but just thought I'd toss in my two cents worth.

scream1973

· #15 · Feb 8, 2008

Yes scrim would be alot cheaper I would imagine I think it goes for approximately $45 a yard in a 16 foot width so depending on how much you needed.

And Scrim would store easier than a 10x12 sheet of lexan

Drake

· #16 · Feb 14, 2008

1031fan said:
slightly off topic - but do you remeber the mist image projection we were all talkin about back in the hay days of methods? if i remeber correctly, it was for a hallway - and the mist maker went perpendicular to the hallway right under the ceiling - and it rested on a track that went parallel - so that as the guests were walking down the hall, the image was projected on the mist, and it slowly moved along the track and got up to their face and eventually went over them - giving them a cooling sensation as if a ghost went through them - - is that the way it was or did i just make half that up? its prolly the way it was - too cool of an idea for me to come up with myself - haha - anyway - good luck scare-m! post lots of progress pics

Wow what a fantastic idea!

beelce

· #17 · Feb 15, 2008

Why couldn't you project the image on fog...I seems that you could focus your projector on a certain spot then have a large fogger lay out a clouds of fog every 3 min or so and the face would come and go as the fog was thick enough to hold the image.

The effect I want to try is to project a talking head into a fire. My thought would be to project the image on a large silk flame in the middle of a faux fire. I'm think of using a really large fan (36") that I use in my shop. With multiple layers of silk flames and red /amber LED lighting to give it a fire color.

Drake

· #18 · Feb 17, 2008

1031fan: This mister you were talking about, does it have it's own reservoir, or would it have to be hooked up to a water source? Also how would you get the rack to move along the hall? This sounds like a wonderful idea for a hallway, but I'm not that mechanically inclined.

Brckee1

· #19 · Feb 17, 2008

beelce said:
Why couldn't you project the image on fog...I seems that you could focus your projector on a certain spot then have a large fogger lay out a clouds of fog every 3 min or so and the face would come and go as the fog was thick enough to hold the image.

To project onto fog, you need to make a flat fog screen somehow. Shining a projector onto a cloud of fog will not produce a recognizable image. Focusing on one spot doesn't help because the light still bounces off the fog in front of that spot. It would just look like a light.

beelce

· #20 · Feb 21, 2008

Wow a flat fog screen...hmmmm that one really gets my brain working...Do you think the image could be seen on a silk fire?

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