This DIY ghost effect is so creepy, we almost can’t even look
Some people have way, way too much time on their hands. Like this guy who created the most intense DIY ghost effect you’ve probably ever seen, using just a projector and some fog. Well, it’s a little more than a simple “ghost” effect. It’s closer to something out of Minority Report, which artist Joanie Lemercier says inspired him, along with the hologram of Princess Leia in Star Wars. By tinkering around with projections, water, and sensors, he actually nailed it. It’s actually more complicated than it looks, so don’t worry about your annoying little brother trying to trick you anytime soon.
Lemercier calls them “no-lograms” since they’re different from the two-dimensional illusions we call holograms, which he says are often just “cheap tricks,” like that crazy Michael Jackson “appearance” at the Billboard Music Awards or the time that Tupac showed up Coachella.
Lemercier’s illusions are way more intense and realistic, since they’re three dimensional. First, the artist made a screen that creates a mist with droplets of water. Then, he uses depth sensors and a video feed to track a user’s movements, so that someone standing in one of the no-lograms could actually move objects around without touching them.
The effect is out of control.
Lemercier writes on his site that this is just the beginning:
"I am now exploring these ideas further with an interactive installation that I’m planning to show in festivals, and hoping to do a permanent installation in public space, this should work very nicely in gardens and parks."
His work is a mix of art and science and illusions.
"My works explores geometric patterns, repetitive shapes in nature, and the similarities we can witness when looking at the structure of the universe at various scales. The volumetric projections are also a great medium to question the nature of reality, and how technology can modify our perception of the world we live in."
The lighting effects are super cool, but the full body “no-logram” is where it’s at. We have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of Lemercier and his work very soon.
