Thread: Disney's Trick Walls?

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I just took the family on vacation down to disney world. 7 days is way to much for dragging around a 2 year old, and I was not very impressed by the quality of the resorts compared to the cost. I think we will not stay on site next time. None the less, I am a big fan of the parks and have been to them on 6 different occasions.

While hitting the rides, I noticed an effect that seems to be used a descent amount. In short a wall or ceiling, under what must be certain lighting becomes transparent to view what is behind it. It is used in the Country Bear Jamboree, Muppet Vision 3D, and probably the one we can all relate to is the Haunted Mansion. Where in the elevator, there is a lightning affect that gives away to a transparent ceiling to show the ghost host hanging from the rafters.

So the question is. How is this pulled off? Is it a fairly cheap? And has anyone tried to do it?

Seems like a quick flash of a scary face behind a trick wall like this could be a really cool addition.

I believe they use scrim fabric. If you google it, you should find a lot of resources, its not cheap however.

I would also guess scrim it's based on the lighting if lit it's see though and less or no lighting looks solid.

Scrims are really just the right fabric and lighting.

If you go to any fabric store (take a flashlight) and go through the fabrics to find one that is not see-through when the fabric is lit from the front, and then move the light behind and it becomes transparent, it is good to use. Your only restriction would be the width of the bolt of fabric, as you wouldn't want to stitch together as that would be detectable with the lighting.

You have to make sure the fabric is completely wrinkle-free and stretched flat (like a canvas) and then as long as it's lit from the front it will look solid, fade the front lighting and bring up the lights behind and the fabric would disappear and your prop or whatever behind would "materialize" mysteriously....

Bubbels, as you had noticed, it's all in the lighting.
When the lighting is on your side of the scrim, and it's dark behind it, it seems opaque.
When the lighting is behind the scrim, and dark on your side, it seems translucent to transparent.

Depending on the size of the application, even black tights stretched on a frame would be a good scrim (you had mentioned a face in a fake wall).

A real bright light on the object behind the scrim will allow you more leeway in the fabric you use - something like a strobe would be great.

Frankie's Girl made a good suggestion with the flashlight at the fabric store. Will allow you to check just how translucent a fabric is firsthand.

Depending on lighting, scrims can work even when painted - a "wood" wall (scrim) with an actor behind, a quick switch of lighting (from on in the room/dark behind the scrim to dark in the room/lighted behind the scrim), and it's a great scare.
Just as you saw in the Haunted Mansion - the "stretching room"s ceiling.

Thanks for the tips guys! I did a little digging, and it sounds like even a cheap solution like mosquito netting could be used.

So how would one go about painting this fabric? I suppose going black on a black area, eliminates this issue, but painted just sounds like it would add so much more to the effect.

Originally Posted by Bubbels

So how would one go about painting this fabric? I suppose going black on a black area, eliminates this issue, but painted just sounds like it would add so much more to the effect.

Airbrushing would be a good choice - it would put paint on the fabric, and not apply so much that it would stretch to cover the spaces between the threads (the blowing air would just blow the excess paint through).
Spray paint should work the same way.

I think the effect should be in a spot that folks won't be closely examining the surface - close scrutiny would easily detect that it's fabric, compared to a solid surface.

Maybe something like striped wall paper - the pattern might make it blend in more.
In fact, run a length of chair-rail along the front of it, and suspend a picture in front as well (both of them just barely touching the scrim), and people will completely buy into the fact it's a real wall...
Then the lights go out, and a couple of zombie actors light up behind the scrim...lurching about.

Or whatever your application is...that's just what came to my mind.

You can do this effect with the carnival mirrors also. All you see is refection until you light something behind it. A UV gives you a great ghost effect.

Originally Posted by brushe

You can do this effect with the carnival mirrors also. All you see is refection until you light something behind it. A UV gives you a great ghost effect.

Yup. Here is a good effect using the two-way mirror uv film that you can get at the home improvement stores...

The Mirror

Sort of the same concept as using a scrim fabric, but with the lighting changing a mirror into a scary image...

Scrims can also be painted with a very dry brush, but it takes a while. I've used them to make a changing sign - worked great!

Sorry you didn't enjoy your stay a a DW hotel. I've noticed on my last few visits that the quality at the value resorts (All Stars & Pop Century) was somewhat lacking, but the moderates were quite good. (I have to fight with the wife to stay anywhere but the values, but her handling of the money makes the trips possible so I can't complain too loudly!)