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atmosphere fx

2846 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  JCO, 
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Im looking to try atmosphere fx next year wanted to know if anyone recommends any projectors Im new at this also for the screen does everyone use a white shower curtain?
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victor-eyd
I'd wait till next summer before getting a new (or used ) projector. By then the popular no-name chinese projectors that are selling at the prices now (around $90 or so on amazon) will feature higher resolution panels so the picture quality will be better.

I can't recommend which atmosfear fx since i don't really know what room or what motif you're going with. They have both whimsy and scary projection videos. Also, we use shower curtains (white, not frosted, is preferred imo) as its cheap to buy and available everywhere. You could also use white vinyl tablecloth or even chiffon fabric. again, it depends on the application and whether you want to see the material or not.

victor
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EdgarWhelp
Check out this thread for a huge amount of info, on cheap and expensive projection options.

http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/144093-window-projector-reality-check.html

I have an ancient Benq projector the size of a small bus that works fine for a small window projection using a shower curtain, and my most recent purchase is a 2100 lumen HD projector I'm planning on using in our big front windows next year - haven't decided what to project on to yet though.

I have the haunted portraits and the creepy crawlies DVDs from AtmosFX and they're both good, it just depends on what your theme is, how scary toy want it to be etc. Check around your local Halloween shops because you can usually pick them up for a LOT less than the Atmos website.

Good luck!
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GodOfThunder
I bought an Epson projector and will return it (I know, hoser move, but needed one and couldn't borrow one from anyone), but this is what mine looked like.

This is projected on a frosted shower curtain.

Frankly, it's almost TOO bright I thought, but man, the trick or treaters LOVED it.

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thanks guys
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Oak Lane Cemetery
Don't NOT waste money on a brand new projector that will either be cheap and not bright enough, or a brand name one that will cost a small fortune and need replacement bulbs that are in the $100-$200 range. Get on craigslist and ebay and find a good one with some bulb life left in the $50 range. Compare the models you look at to their manufacturer's specs online to make sure you are getting a good deal on a model that's a few years old. I got mine for $45 and it originally listed for $600-$800! By buying a used one cheaply you can afford to use it for a few seasons, then when the bulb burns out you can get another instead of spending $100 on a new bulb. As far as the screen goes - ever discussion of it starts with the frosted shower curtain, goes through an assortment of materials like chiffon, bridal veil, tulle, ect, ect and winds right back up with the $4 frosted shower curtain. Start with that and if it's not what you want you should be able to figure out a material that will eliminate whatever it is you don't like about the frosted curtain.
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D
ebay, 200 lumens will do nicely.... got 3 for ~$50 each, need more for next year...
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chaoscat
I've been buying older used office projectors off ebay. Have had very good luck so far . Projectors have cost me about $80. The main drawback is they come without remotes and have limited input options. I bought a cheap ebay remote, and then have kept buying the same type of projector. I don't claim that the image quality is great, at least not for dark scenes, but otherwise they have been fine. Here's a short shot of my singing pumpkins this year. I also made a shower curtain screen running the atmosfear witch video. Forgot to record that.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/davidm9999/media/File Nov 02 2 28 35 PM_zpsbathleav.mp4.html
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JCO
eBay is the place for cheap projectors. I've found projectors that go for $600 new for less than a hundred. Look for no more than 1000 lamp hours used and make sure it has connections that mate with whatever your video source is.

I prefer solid white shower curtains over frosted because of the lack of hot-spotting (being able to see the bright light coming from the lens of the projector through the screen). I also put a piece of black chiffon in front of the shower curtain to enhance black levels and conceal the curtain if it's not full dark outside.

Using gray chiffon (or something similar) by itself is for hologram projections - the room behind is illuminated, there is not simply a black background, you can see THROUGH the projected character into the room beyond. It's a great illusion but the conditions are much more restrictive and challenging than using an opaque screen like a shower curtain.
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I
Is gray scale material or white material works best with window projection and i have a 4000lumens Epson projector which produces super clear HD picture but bright. I adjusted the following: aspect is THROUGH, color mode THEATER, ratio 4:3, default brightness though i can reduce it but i did not. I used a gray vinyl fabric from Carl's. But I can see the frame of the video clips because it did not cover my whole window due to shorter distance between my window and the projector. If only i have that specific lens for short throw but is very expensive, not worth buying. So i made some modification with a cardboard with a rectangle cut in the middle which helps reduce the visible edges of the video clips. But i wonder really if the full white projection material is better than gray. Any suggestion do you think? Thanks
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JCO
What video are you projecting?
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thanks JCO sent you a pm also does it matter where you place the projector for holograms wouldn't you see the light and the projector since its see through?
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JCO
slash said:
thanks JCO sent you a pm also does it matter where you place the projector for holograms wouldn't you see the light and the projector since its see through?
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Yes, you would. You need to place the projector in a location that the spectator can't see it; off to the side, on the floor, on the ceiling, each situation is different. You also need to keep bleed-through from being seen (an after-image that will appear on any surface beyond the mesh fabric). Perhaps arrange it so the bleed-through image hits no surface (over the head of the spectator and into the sky or across a large open area like a yard or cornfield) or maybe it hits the back of another yard prop that will never be seen from behind. My YouTube channel (below) has a tutorial on hologram projections that covers all this.
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