Thread: Cheaper Pepper's Ghost

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I have a suggestion for all the (would-be) Pepper's Ghost illusion builders out there.

I've used glass in my illusions, which works wonderfully but also is truly a bulky, heavy and expensive proposition. And you have to have a place to store that pane of glass. In a word, you have to be commited to overcome those impositions.

However, last year a friend of mine used that plastic that seals windows from drafts during the winter months here in the north. He purchased a single sheet of that 3M product for a large window, put it over a wooden frame, and then used a hair dryer to shrink it to it's fully-taut condition. IT WORKED WONDERFULLY!

The only downside is that the image is not quite as sharp as if glass were used. But hey: it's light weight, cheap and disposable! It's no contest in my book: use shrinkable plastic!

Hey that's a great idea!

I think the not-quite-in-focus look will actually work to your advantage! I tend to prefer ghost images to be a little fuzzy. In fact, I believe a lot of "movie ghosts" are edited in the computer to be more whispy and soft looking! Just food for thought!

While using shrinkable window plastic for a Peppers Ghost is a wonderful idea, it isn't new. It was first published in Popular Mechanics magazine back in the early 90's or late 80's I believe. I tried it about 5 years ago and it was a little disappointed, but it was probably my fault for not lighting it correctly. In the article, metal electrical conduit was used for the frame then painted black. It holds up better to the tension of the plastic and you can disassemble it easlily enough for storage. PVC might work, but it can also bend under the tension. Sometimes the creases in the square fold it comes in won't fully vanish when shrunk, but it's a small price to pay for the convenience of it.

Thanks for replying with a reference to the Popular Mechanics article and further ideas. I was not aware it was previously suggested anywhere.

And yes, the subtley defocused effect can be used as a benefit, rather than a detriment. As you said, lighting is a key element with illusions, which can seriously affect the outcome.