Peppers Ghost, never heard of that one, I will have to think about that one. I had thought about the split screen, I have seen on tv several times but they have green screens and the studio audience never sees it like we do at home.
I do have access to several projectors, and thought that if I project from the front, than do a creative cross to a rear project with a nifty effect for the pad, he steps through the split with and presto, Capt. W. has arrived....I have a talented photoshop guy that could replicate the look of the Room.
BTW--sorry if I sound a little grumbly with my 'instant idiot' comment--12hr
load in today for a weekend show which should only have taken 4-6hrs to
load in...and I'm a
bit tired and grumpy.
Well if you have access to projectors you can possibly combine the ideas and don't worry about greenscreen
IMO. About a decade ago I worked on a show and the lead character would make his entrance
thru a split tension fabric similar to described--a good portion of the show was projection onto white tension fabric screens which also acted as
backdrop and the projections were the scenes--the front which the audience saw was front projected on for the opening and in the middle of the fabric 'wall' was the split area...thinking back it was two layers thick of fabirc in wide strips overlapped and offset..framed from behind.. Anyway--the video
intro had an animated cartoon character walk towards the center from bigger than life and he got smaller and smaller to about a normal persons height til he came to a 'door' and the video character opened it and went
thru the door and at the same time the real actor stepped
thru the fabric exactly at that time as if stepping out of the video...and the video faded out and lights came up at that area....it was a good live
effect. Since you have a photoshop guru--make up a transporting scene--project it on a tension fabric
screen of sorts and have the guy step
thru at the right moment. Not sayin this is the only way to do it or its cheapest or best--just tossing out ideas to help...and you can bet others will have good and better ideas to help you with too..
Best of luck on the trick however you do it...and if it turns out really well--film it or at least post back here to tell how you met the challenge so others can learn. Thats what
Controlbooth is all about...
-w