Thread: Calling all CGI / Flash experts... Singing Busts?

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Resizing the image prior to using crazytalk would help a lot to get it to project correctly onto the bust. Any photo editing software should be able to do that and you could also make the background all black.

Update - Never did get this going for 2009 but I'm looking forward to 2010! I was going through all kinds of protraits thru a google "images" search of gentlemen in the 1800's. Realized Edgar Allen Poe would be a great face for a singing bust. Also perhaps Mark Twain?

Hi Mr Grimsley.
Please let me know if you have any luck with your crazytalk video projection. I'm not crazy about the video I have for my busts and might want to give crazytalk a try ? I want to do singing pirate busts next.
GGG Bust projection

Originally Posted by Mr Grimsley

Update - Never did get this going for 2009 but I'm looking forward to 2010! I was going through all kinds of protraits thru a google "images" search of gentlemen in the 1800's. Realized Edgar Allen Poe would be a great face for a singing bust. Also perhaps Mark Twain?

I have the (copies) original film of three of the busts, and a few other DHM characters, that I put together about 10 years ago. It’s been rendered mpg and fully sync’d to the original soundtrack. I used them when I was doing holographic projections for my decorating and one year I used them. What I used to make the size and effect for rendering the film was Pinnacle.

CrazyTalk is OK if you are going full cartoonish effect. I have gone as far as using Poser, but that takes decades of patience. If you are looking for a realistic animation for something like this; I recommend first getting a good editor such as Pinnacle. Using a camcorder, a dark room, black sheet backdrop and a blacklight film “your” head. Babypowder your face. It will not show up in the black light but will contrast your face more to counter the ‘tan’ look under blacklight giving a more grainy appearance. Then render that film to black and white and adjust the contrast to get the level of brightness you want. At any point you can adjust the hue to get any ‘color’ effect you may want. By wearing a black shirt and/or scarf while filming this; your head appears to float in space.

Pinnacle comes in handy because when you project a flat surface object onto a curved medium you will get distortion. During your rendering you can for example perform a cylindrical stretch effect so as to adjust for said curved media.

How I displayed the singing busts was to have ‘no busts’. The pillars were there and the busts would ‘appear’ in space.

Against my better judgement I got a YouTube account. Anyway per request and being the smallest rendering is 14Mb, largest 40Mb and email won't allow it -


use KeepVid to snag any of these to your HD...


YouTube- gggbust.mpg

YouTube- hostess4.mpg

YouTube- madame leona 2.mpg



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Phineas, Rollo and Uncle Theo individual cuts with no sound.
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YouTube- Bust-Phineas.mpg

YouTube- Bust-Rollo.mpg

YouTube- Bust-UncleTheo.mpg

Cool, thanks !

Originally Posted by CatSkynr

Against my better judgement I got a YouTube account. Anyway per request and being the smallest rendering is 14Mb, largest 40Mb and email won't allow it -


use KeepVid to snag any of these to your HD...


YouTube- gggbust.mpg

YouTube- hostess4.mpg

YouTube- madame leona 2.mpg



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phineas, Rollo and Uncle Theo individual cuts with no sound.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YouTube- Bust-Phineas.mpg

YouTube- Bust-Rollo.mpg

YouTube- Bust-UncleTheo.mpg

OK... so just an update. I have finally acquired a full version of Crazytalk Pro 6. I am now actively looking for high quality images of the singing busts OR... if anyone has the knack for CGI and can create still images of the 4 busts, then I'd be willing to animate them to Grim Grinning Ghosts and other songs (ie. This is Halloween, The Headless Horseman, etc.) and make them avail to others on the forum at no cost.

One thought was to find images of people who look like the busts (ie. Leslie Neilson looks like one of the newer busts) and use those.

I liked your idea about using Poe and Twian etc.

another factor to consider in pulling off this effect. Is making sure you have a bust to match your character. It might be easier to find busts of poe and twain.

Hmmmm... good point. Although, I believe most people here have been making their own busts to match the images but it's something to keep in mind. :O)

OK, so I've found some images that may work for the singing busts. I managed to find (off the internet) images from a "lifecast" company that I think will work great because they are already "statues" of sorts.



The 3rd bust over (Ned Nub) has his head cut off to allow for projection onto a bust wearing a bowler hat as in the real Haunted Mansion.

For reference, this is the most detailed image of the busts at WDW & DL I've found on the net taken by Tom Bricker (Flickr: Tom Bricker (WDWFigment)'s Photostream).


Now... in case you have this funny sense that the faces actually look like Clark Gable, Anthony Hopkins, Basil Rathbone and Willam Shatner... uhm... er... think nothing of it! LOL! Seriously, that is in fact who these life masks are really of. I got them into photoshop and darkened the hair and increased the contrast to help the faces show up better in projection.

Incidently, Crazytalk only allows for 4 seperate animated characters in one project/video so hence the omission of the fifth bust (1 less bust to make and animate... makes it easier).

Now... As I've mentioned before, If anyone was able to create really good looking CGI versions of the REAL DL singing busts, that would be quite preferable.

Will try to keep everyone posted.