The holographic performances by Tupac, Janelle Monae, MIA, and others are based on an 1860s parlor trick called Pepper’s Ghost. It’s a simple trick that was used extensively at Victorian fairs, plays, and parties. You’ve seen it in action at Disney’s Haunted Mansion if you’ve ever been to Disneyland. The Pepper’s Ghost trick is literal smoke and mirrors (well, minus the smoke). A reflective pane of glass is set on a stage and angled down toward a hidden booth. When the hidden booth is illuminated, it reflects an image onto the pane of glass, which then reflects the image toward the audience. At eye level, this image would look squished (remember, the glass is angled). But because the audience looks up at the stage, the image looks “correct,” with a ghostly, translucent quality.Īnd that’s all there is to it-kind of. There also needs to be a source video for these projections. Ideally, the source video is completely still, creating the illusion that a performer is on the stage. Problems with TechĪside from obvious ethical dilemmas, Musion Eyeliner has a lot of technological shortcomings and vulnerabilities: This can be done by recording a performance with a still camera, or by creating an expensive 3D model and then rigging it to sing and dance (the Tupac, Jackson, and Roy Orbison holograms are 3D models).Phase Issues: The most elaborate Musion Eyeliner holograms use multiple projectors to make an image as wide and detailed as possible.But these projectors need to work perfectly with one another. If one falls out of phase, it ruins the image.Wavy Screens: Musion Eyeliner holograms rely on a thin mylar screen, which “waves” like a flag when hit by a good gust of wind.This is very easy to observe in the Michael Jackson hologram video, where the entire stage looks like it’s underwater.Viewing Angle: Again, the audience’s viewing angle determines whether a Musion Eyeliner hologram looks “correct” or “squished.” When viewed from the side, these projections can look flat, like paper.Illumination: Musion Eyeliner projections work best in dark or dim environments.The problem is, they always create bright images, which isn’t a big deal on its own. However, holograms in dark environments can look ridiculously bright and flat-especially when real people wander on stage (as shown in the Tupac performance).Cost: It doesn’t cost much to set up a Musion Eyeliner hologram.But re-creating famous people in 3D costs a ton of money (the Tupac 3D model cost about $400 k). Even with a sold-out auditorium, it’s hard to recoup that kind of expense. You probably shouldn’t pass judgment on Musion Eyeliner holograms for their technical shortcomings. But the fact that wind can ruin these projections is a sign of just how young this technology is. From Instagram filters and Pokemon Go to creepy undead musicians, we’re inching closer and closer to the inevitable: genuine 3D holograms." A film for a generation growing up without fairy tales." ―George Lucas Right now, most of your favorite electronics corporations are spending oodles of money on augmented reality. Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first part of the Star Wars original trilogy and the first Star Wars film released. The film is set 19 years after the formation of the Galactic Empire and the events of Revenge of the Sith construction has finished on the Death Star, a weapon capable of destroying a planet. After Princess Leia Organa, a leader of the Rebel Alliance, receives the weapon's plans in the hope of finding a weakness, she is kidnapped and taken to the Death Star. Meanwhile, a young farmer named Luke Skywalker meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived in seclusion for years on the desert planet of Tatooine. When Luke's home is burned and his aunt and uncle killed, Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as they-along with Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and R2-D2 attempt to rescue the princess from the Empire.
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