sasaki@harvard.UUCP (Marty Sasaki) (11/23/85)
I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but the "holograms" in the Haunted
Mansion ride at Disneland (Disneyworld may be different) are not
holograms. On one of the Disney shows they showed how they did the
effects. The talking (and singing) heads are frosted plastic heads
with a magic optical system which projects the features onto the
inside of the sculpted heads. The ghosts which join you are just
reflections from carefully placed puppets.
The show was a while ago, so they might have replaced the effects with
holograms, but why would they bother? The effects were startling and
wouldn't gain much by being holograms.
--
----------------
Marty Sasaki net: sasaki@harvard.{arpa,uucp}
Havard University Science Center phone: 617-495-1270
One Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) (11/27/85)
In article <520@harvard.UUCP> sasaki@harvard.UUCP (Marty sasaki) writes: >I hate to burst anyone's bubble, but the "holograms" in the Haunted >Mansion ride at Disneland (Disneyworld may be different) are not >holograms... The talking (and singing) heads are frosted plastic heads >with a magic optical system which projects the features onto the >inside of the sculpted heads. The ghosts which join you are just >reflections from carefully placed puppets. Disney World and Disneyland are essentially the same in the props they use in their rides, I believe. (I haven't experienced Disneyland; I only know from what I saw on TV that it is very similar to DW.) You are right, of course, about the plastic heads and the puppets. However, at least at Disney World's version of the Haunted Castle, there is a segment of the haunted ride where you are taken by a large picture window, through which you can see a bunch of ghostly figures dancing around a gothic banquet hall. This has to be done by holograms; I can't see any other way they could have gotten those 3-D images. Also the fact that you have to see it through a tinted-looking window suggests that this is a hologram. Another scene that might be done with holograms is the scene where you are looking down an infinite haunted hallway, and a candlestick moves about from room to room across the hall. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Kirby ( ...!ihnp4!akgub!cylixd!dave) (The views expressed herein are not real; they were simulated by mirrors and holograms. Dave Kirby is also not real, though nobody has ever attempted to simulate him.)
gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) (11/29/85)
> However, at least at Disney World's version of the Haunted Castle, there > is a segment of the haunted ride where you are taken by a large > picture window, through which you can see a bunch of ghostly figures > dancing around a gothic banquet hall. This has to be done by holograms; > I can't see any other way they could have gotten those 3-D images. Also > the fact that you have to see it through a tinted-looking window > suggests that this is a hologram. Actually, to me it suggests that a beam splitter is being used. The (National?) Museum of Holography in New York City is rumored to have the best exhibits. I saw some when they were on loan at the NGS in DC; some of the holograms were pretty spiffy. There is also a shop in Baltimore's HarborPlace where one can buy holographic art; I imagine several other cities have similar shops. If you haven't seen modern holograms, you ought to look into them (terrible pun not intended).
davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel) (11/30/85)
In article <160@brl-tgr.ARPA> gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) writes: >> However, at least at Disney World's version of the Haunted Castle, there >> is a segment of the haunted ride where you are taken by a large >> picture window, through which you can see a bunch of ghostly figures >> dancing around a gothic banquet hall. This has to be done by holograms; How this is done is quite obvious. You see the scene from very high up and must look down. Underneath you is a setup of all the 'ghosts' in a black room moving about. What you see is merely their reflection upon a semi-mirrored surface in front of the entire 'live' room you see that is really in front of you. As for the faces which sing the 'ghost' song and stare at you while you pass - I studied them very carefully the first day the haunted mansion opened at Disney World. They were fascinating. They are actually featureless 'heads' with white reflective coating. The faces are actually a film projected from behind and above. Very good illusion. The 'infinite' candlestick reflections would seem to be a simple use of parallel mirrors. However, here I am conjecturing. Time after time I have stared at it while riding by and I haven't seen any clues to indicate otherwise. -- Dave Trissel {ihnp4,seismo}!ut-sally!oakhill!davet
bob@altos86.UUCP (Bob Hutson) (12/01/85)
The Disneyland/world effects could be implemented in the following manner:
DANCING GHOSTS ON BALLROOM (side view)
[U] [U] = you
========= / | #-# = dancing ghosts
/ | / = glass (semi-reflective)
#-# #-# / ballroom |
============================|
The ghosts could be fullsize (internally or externally) illuminated models
running on tracks.
FLOATING CANDLESTICK IN INFINITE HALLWAY
(top view) (side view)
================= ================= <--- mirror
| | | |
[ ] |(ceiling) |(floor)
| | | |
+---------------+ +---------------+ <-+- semi-reflecting mirror
| | | \ |
[ ] | \ <-----| [C] <---
| | | \ |
+---------------+ +---------------+ |
physical or projected
candlestick
Now, can anyone explain the lady in the glass bowl? At first I thought
it was Disney's Video-Animatronics (i.e., Lincoln), however, there is
a constant very bright light seemingly from the center of the bowl
that implies a projection of some sort. Any takers?
~ bobmsc@saber.UUCP (Mark Callow) (12/03/85)
> there is a segment of the haunted ride where you are taken by a large > picture window, through which you can see a bunch of ghostly figures > dancing around a gothic banquet hall. This has to be done by holograms; > I can't see any other way they could have gotten those 3-D images. Also > the fact that you have to see it through a tinted-looking window > suggests that this is a hologram. It sounds to me more like the very old "pepper's ghost" illusion which was described by somebody else in a recent article (though he didn't refer to it by that name). This has been used for years by stage magicians. Since what you are seeing is the reflection of a person (animated models in Disney's case), it is three-dimensional. The "tinted looking window" merely helps to hide the important piece of glass doing the reflecting. You don't have to have high-tech to produce amazing results. -- From the TARDIS of Mark Callow msc@saber.uucp, sun!saber!msc@decwrl.dec.com ...{ihnp4,sun}!saber!msc "Boards are long and hard and made of wood"
davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel) (12/03/85)
In article <173@altos86.UUCP> bob@gateway.UUCP (Bob Hutson) writes: <After two good explanations of special effects at Disney Land/World> > > >Now, can anyone explain the lady in the glass bowl? At first I thought >it was Disney's Video-Animatronics (i.e., Lincoln), however, there is >a constant very bright light seemingly from the center of the bowl >that implies a projection of some sort. Any takers? > The second time on the ride I figured this one out. It is a projection system. This is much like the 'singing ghost faces' except that there is more than one projector (probably two.) Inside the globe is a head with wig and a face of just reflective white surface. The projectors hone in from two directions and are synched. A couple years later I was on the ride again and it was quite obvious because the film was so old it was full of scratches and the projectors were not in synch. The white light you mention is quite mysterious. It appears at Disneyland but not at Disneyworld (at least the times I have been at both places.) I would presume it is a defect of some sort at Disneyland but that is only a guess. -- Dave Trissel {seismo,ihnp4}!ut-sally!oakhill!davet
chuq@sun.uucp (Chuq Von Rospach) (12/04/85)
> In article <160@brl-tgr.ARPA> gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) writes: > >> However, at least at Disney World's version of the Haunted Castle, there > >> is a segment of the haunted ride where you are taken by a large > >> picture window, through which you can see a bunch of ghostly figures > >> dancing around a gothic banquet hall. This has to be done by holograms; No it doesn't. Remember that when the Haunted Mansion was designed, lasers and Holography were still laboratory phenomenon. > How this is done is quite obvious. You see the scene from very high up and > must look down. Underneath you is a setup of all the 'ghosts' in a black room > moving about. What you see is merely their reflection upon a semi-mirrored > surface in front of the entire 'live' room you see that is really in front of > you. Close. They didn't even bother with semi-mirrored glass. At Disneyland (where I worked with those machines for over four years...) the dinner party room is fronted by three pieces of flawless plate (about 50x50 foot each, so you can imagine the cost). The room behind the glass is empty. Below you and above you are the rooms where the mannequins are placed, and they are lit by bright green lamps. The reflections of the mannequins on the glass are carefully placed to make it seem like they are in the room, and that glass is kept very clean to minimize things that would break the illusion. > As for the faces which sing the 'ghost' song and stare at you while you pass - > I studied them very carefully the first day the haunted mansion opened at > Disney World. They were fascinating. They are actually featureless 'heads' > with white reflective coating. The faces are actually a film projected from > behind and above. Very good illusion. Yep. Same with the fortune teller in the crystal ball. > The 'infinite' candlestick reflections would seem to be a simple use of > parallel mirrors. However, here I am conjecturing. Time after time I have > stared at it while riding by and I haven't seen any clues to indicate > otherwise. Correct again. Probably the best illusion in the ride, if you don't understand the technology behind it. The one effect I haven't heard mentioned yet is the hitchhiking ghosts. For those that didn't figure it out, the mirrors you are seeing are only semi-reflective, and the ghosts are lit on the far side and show through. For those that have never seen backstage at Disneyland, the technology is truly fascinating.... You'd never believe how much they've been able to do with a little hydraulic fluid... chuq -- :From catacombs of Castle Tarot: Chuq Von Rospach sun!chuq@decwrl.DEC.COM {hplabs,ihnp4,nsc,pyramid}!sun!chuq Let us now take the sacred oath. As of now, he is no longer an elephant!