Hologram

Kacfan

Well-Known Member
Does anyone here understand the hologram technology enough to be able to explain whether a Karen in concert hologram can ever be produced ?
 
The technology is still relatively primitive and for many in the industry it is just not upto scratch ... yet. But, one day, maybe in 10 years plus it is highly likely holograms will become a large part of live performance.

I suspect Richard would find the idea hideous, but who knows what the future brings :)
 
This subject really fascinates me and I’ve researched it quite a bit and kept an eye on emerging holographic technology in recent years. Theoretically of course, it’s possible. In some cases, the technology comprises footage of the original artist - in Karen’s case for example, it could be taken from the London Theatre video material. Where original footage is limited, it is usually interspersed with digital film of a body double with an animated head (yes, you read that right).

If you don’t know how the effect is created, it originally began as an illusionary trick in the 19th Century called Pepper’s Ghost. Due to the reflective properties of glass (and later specially designed plastic planes), images are projected onto the glass from a place invisible to the audience, usually in front of the stage in the orchestra pit (out of sight of the audience) and “refracted” onto the stage to appear in the field of vision of the viewers.

It’s clever stuff if you can get it right but looks awful if you don’t. I saw a hologram of President Reagan at his presidential museum in Simi Valley and it featured the original audio recording of his speech, but the hologram was, from head to toe, clearly an imposter miming to the audio of Reagan’s voice. The Whitney Houston one used at some award ceremony a few years ago was really bad - another case of it being a complete imposter (albeit a decent lookalike) when you got a close look.

The latest development is the ABBAtars, which are being developed for use on a virtual ABBA tour. The four original members of the group had to stand in a booth with reference points marked all over their bodies and filmed moving naturally by 30-40 digital cameras from every angle. This will help the new generation of the technology to mimic their natural movements on stage. When the tour launches, you will not see them as they look now, but digitally recreated as their 1979 equivalents, and the ABBAtars will mime to audio of the original 1979 concert recordings in London.

Anyway, I digress. I suspect Richard will be long gone before this technology is ever perfected enough to be to his level of satisfaction - enough to bring Karen back to life anyway.
 
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The four original members of the group had to stand in a booth with reference points marked all over their bodies and filmed moving naturally by 30-40 digital cameras from every angle. This will help the new generation of the technology to mimic their natural movements on stage. When the tour launches, you will not see them as they look now, but digitally recreated as their 1979 equivalents, and the ABBAtars will mime to audio of the original 1979 concert recordings in London.

Anyway, I digress. I suspect Richard will be long gone before this technology is ever perfected enough to be to his level of satisfaction - enough to bring Karen back to life anyway.

Richard better get his rear-end into one of those booths while he still can! He's 72 and might not be around in 10 years when this technology really takes off!
 
Interesting side note: this is the tech used at Disneyland to make ghosts and ghouls in the Haunted Mansion and other dark rides. They used projectors and glass, basically, as well as light and shade and sound to create an amazing illusion.
 
It would be cool to have a hologram of karen from the early 1970s but do you all think Richard would consider such an idea. I think he wouldn't but here's hoping.
 
He already did a project like this.



The Hologram technology is improving. The RPO album is an opportunity to put visuals like that together.
It'd be at the 2020 grammy's if anything and marking the 50th anniversary of Close to You I suppose.
There's no reason Richard would want a Hologram tour. It'd have to be a special event.
 
This isn’t hologram technology though. Richard was refilmed and stitched back over the original video footage with clever photoshop techniques.

I know but the idea is similar in having the illusion of an older Richard performing with younger Karen.

If anything the Hologram of The Carpenters wouldn't appear for a number of years, yet (to have the two of them playing as avatars).
 
Interesting video below about Hologram technology.

The C's seem like they'd be fit to get this treatment, but who knows if there'd be enough interest to generate money from it.
The company that makes them is currently experimenting.
All in all it's rather tacky, imo. And I'd rather see an act like MJ where there's movement incorporated into the show rather than watching static performances with the record playing.

 
He already did a project like this.



The Hologram technology is improving. The RPO album is an opportunity to put visuals like that together.
It'd be at the 2020 grammy's if anything and marking the 50th anniversary of Close to You I suppose.
There's no reason Richard would want a Hologram tour. It'd have to be a special event.

I think they used a body double, a new set for Richard that looked like the original, and cut Karen out of the original video and digitally inserted her into the new video.
 
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