Need help with a talking Ghost and Flying Objects

[MusicFestival]

I am on the committee of a music festival, and I am trying to come up with ideas for attractions, something people could do when bands aren’t playing. The festival takes place downtown and there are stages on the side streets as well as inside the restaurants downtown. I do not know the budget for my ideas, but assume it’s probably no more then $2,000 for one attraction idea. I want to tell you all my ideas, tell you how I’ve figured out how to do it, and since you all are theater guys, you can tell me if there is a better way of doing things.

In one of my ideas I want to have a meet and greet with a ghost. The ghost is going to be a famous recording artist that is from our area that passed away sometime back.


The area this will take place will probably be in a small tent that’s just room enough for the 3-4 fans to walk into the tent, walk up to the screen, and then have their picture taken. Height wise would probably need around 9 feet.


# 1) Of course, I want the ghost to be see through. I thought of having a scrim screen to get that effect. I need the screen to be big enough for the ghost to have room to be in the air, and also want him to be the same height he was in real life. He was probably 6’1” when he was living. Width wise, I probably need it to be big enough to fit the ghost along with the 3-4 people that are standing at the screen. Since people will be taking pictures with the ghost, I need a backdrop, or some sort of set design for them to take the picture in front of.

Here is my solution:
I was thinking if I have a painted scrim, or a picture backdrop behind the scrim. However, with doing that would the ghost just look like he’s on a plain movie screen? I want him in mid-air, I don’t want it looking like he’s just on a regular movie screen. Would doing a set design behind the scrim be better?

What is your solution?

#2) I would like fans to be able to come up to the ghost like 3-4 people at a time, and have them talk to the ghost, and have the ghost talk back (like Turtle Talk with Crush at EPCOT). I also want the fans to be able to take a picture with the ghost.

Here is my solution:
I was going to use the program CrazyTalk for Skype, and have 2 computers logged into Skype at the same time. CrazyTalk for Skype basically lets you upload a picture and set the mouth points for the picture, so that when you are talking into a microphone then the picture on the mouth moves. The problem with using CrazyTalk is that I can’t get any movement from the characters. CrazyTalk only allows you to move the mouth, and I want the ghost to move his arms, and hands on the screen too.

#3)I would like the ghost to be able to sign autographs. I was thinking that the fans would reach up to his hand, and hand him a piece of paper and a pen for him to sign. While the ghost is signing the paper, I want the paper and pen to be floating in mid air as if the ghost if holding the paper, and signing it.

Also, since he is signing the autograph, I need his signature to appear on the paper so that when the fan looks at the paper again, then they see the autograph of the ghost. (I would prefer that the fans be able to use their own piece of paper, but I realize that may not be possible if there needs to be some sort of motor inside of the piece of paper.)

My solution:
I have no idea how to do this

What is your solution?

#4)I would like a guitar stand to be sitting in front of the scrim screen, with a guitar sitting on the stand. I would like the ghost to be able to pick up the guitar and start playing it. Since he is a ghost, the guitar needs to be flying in mid air. It needs to come off the stand vertically, and then turn horizontally when the guitar reaches the ghost’s chest. While the ghost is playing, the guitar needs to stay in mid air. After the ghost is finished playing, the guitar needs to float back down and sit in the guitar stand again.

This one also poses a problem with projecting the image because the ghost needs to have his arm in front of the guitar, and his other hand on the neck of the guitar. I don’t want his entire body to be showing through the guitar.

My solution:
Again, I don’t know how to make objects fly in mid air, or how to do the projection so that his entire body isn’t showing through the guitar. I suppose maybe have a rear projector for his main body, and a front projector for his arm and hand may work.

What is your solution?

 

[MNBallet]

Ah, I got a good chuckle out of reading that. Really? you really think it is going to be hard for a ghost to sign an autograph? Peice of cake, all you have to do is ask one. Just watch out for all the ghost union rules and the special needs (thousand brown M&M's and such). Those ghost actors can be such divas.

I think since you want such interaction with the crowd your best bet would to hire an actor. If you really need to go the ghost route, put the actor in a dark lit room, with special lighting to help the ghost look. Then video feed it to the meet and greet with a projector on a fog screen. A constant fog screen is going to be tough or expensive (Mist, chemical fog, Dry Ice from above.....) Get a good projector and a sound system with some type of reverb effect and you have a ghost that can interact with your guests that sounds from "beyond the grave." You would need to have a camera in the meet and greet so that your actor can see and hear the guests in order to interact with them.

Kenneth Pogin
Production / Tour Manager
Minnesota Ballet

 

[GreyWyvern]

Right.... You know, if you can figure out how to make it work like you envision, I am sure Walt Disney Imagineering would love to have you on staff to tell them how to do everything they have been trying to figure out for decades.

Or you would at least be a shoo-in for an internship.
Disney Professional Internships – Walt Disney Imagineering

 

[ruinexplorer]

I second the idea of an actor in another room and having the dual video feed. However, I would recommend doing a version of Pepper's Ghost which is a classic vaudeville trick also used in the Haunted Mansion at the Disney amusement parks. Since you are talking about doing this in a tent, light control will already be difficult, but to also control air flow that you would need for a fog screen will be nearly impossible.

As for the guitar, I'd have that with the actor. The autograph, I'd have the people put it in a container or something that was covered and had a false back, then have the actor go over and apparently take it out and sign it, then return it for the guest to remove. Also, I wouldn't let the guests take the pictures but have one of your volunteers. That way you would be in control of lighting with flashes so that it doesn't ruin your effect.

 

[gpforet]

Pepper's Ghost!

 

[CrisCole]

Pepper's Ghost would be okay, but there is a modern version I saw at a Haunted Attraction that was great.


They had an actor in a chroma key outfit, up against a chroma key background (if you don't know what chroma key is, google it).

Only his head was uncovered. The camera then was fed live through a computer program which edited out all the green screen (like a weather man). The result was a floating head. This was then hooked to a projector.

They had everyone enter a large room with a big bonfire (and a chimney setup, but you could do it outside).

Once everyone entered the room, an actress did a mock ceremony 'calling forth the dead' and they then set off a flash pot, and increased the fire (it was gas fed). The projector then projected the live feed of the floating head onto the fire.

It was a really neat effect, and worked really well. The crowd could interact with the 'floating head' asking questions and such. (Of course, they also had an audio system.)

I don't know if something like this is plausible for you, but a similar set up might work.

Just hook a camera up to a projector, and project it on the fire. It looked really neat (think Harry Potter and Flu Powder).

I don't know if it'd be possible, but it'd be neat.

 

[CrisCole]

My solution:
I have no idea how to do this

What is your solution?


My solution:
Again, I don’t know how to make objects fly in mid air, or how to do the projection so that his entire body isn’t showing through the guitar. I suppose maybe have a rear projector for his main body, and a front projector for his arm and hand may work.

What is your solution?

Flying objects are cake.

Rig it up a a puppet.

If you project the ghost on a scrim, rear project it.

Cut two slits in the scrim, but not all the way (make sure it is taut)

Then attach a rod to the back of the wide part of the guitar, and one to the back of the handle part.
Stick the rods through the slits (very taut, so they aren't noticeable) and manuver it. Obviously, paint the rods black.