# Projecting through haze



## PhantomD (Jan 19, 2007)

Would it work?

If we had a projector setup backstage (like we do) and hazed the stage, would the audience be able to see the output of the projector via the haze? Like a scrolling welcome to our production of x while there is a lightshow and music going on at the same time?

We could perhaps get some kind of great effect where the text becomes 3-D via the haze!

 

And also...I'm hoping to start off our show this year with this really great JUST lights light-show...anybody done that and got tips for must-do effects? Probably be gelled statics and 2-4 MLs mainly.


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## Footer (Jan 19, 2007)

You will not be able to read it unless there is something solid (or VERY smokey that has a hard line) for it to hit on. You cant tell what a gobo in and aerial is when you are hazing, you will not be able to read anything. Projection look good in the air, but unless you are actually shooting it on something you will not be able to read it.


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## SHARYNF (Jan 19, 2007)

the problem is you don't have a single flat surface to project on to, so unless you could get the haze to form a flat side on a surface it will not be readible. You can of course project images and they will be distorted but in some cases that can be the effect you are looking for

If you wanted the combined haze/smoke effect and readibility, you might be able to use a scrim rear project keep you haze and smoke out front and have the projected words be viewed thru the smoke

Sharyn


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## Van (Jan 19, 2007)

Have you ever seen that TV show *Seaquest DSV ? *They had a video system that you might take a cue from. I'm attaching a still I found that shows the effect
< I'm addressing this from a " It's Possible" standpoint rather than an " It's Practicle" one.> 
You could, in theory, project, either rear or front, an image onto a "fog Curtain". This would be accomplished by using nitrogen fog from a suspended "fog pipe" so that the fog is constantly falling to the stage floor. This would probably give you the desired projection surface, however the image would tend to blur and morph as the fog moved with the breeze. Optionally you could construct a water curtain which would have much the same effect. Mind you both of these options are prohibitivly expensive, but well within the realm of possible.


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## Footer (Jan 19, 2007)

Van said:


> Have you ever seen that TV show *Seaquest DSV ? *They had a video system that you might take a cue from. I'm attaching a still I found that shows the effect
> < I'm addressing this from a " It's Possible" standpoint rather than an " It's Practicle" one.>
> You could, in theory, project, either rear or front, an image onto a "fog Curtain". This would be accomplished by using nitrogen fog from a suspended "fog pipe" so that the fog is constantly falling to the stage floor. This would probably give you the desired projection surface, however the image would tend to blur and morph as the fog moved with the breeze. Optionally you could construct a water curtain which would have much the same effect. Mind you both of these options are prohibitivly expensive, but well within the realm of possible.




Best Show Ever. (untill the later seasons and they had to introduce aliens...)


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## Peter (Jan 19, 2007)

You can certainly do VERY cool things with a projector fireing through haze / fog. There are several programs out there that do visualizations (like the ones in Windows Media Player and many other media players) based on the signal coming in on a mic input. I have used systems like this in the past to acheieve REALLY cool effects, but actually trying to project text will not be readable until it hits something flat, either a smoke screen as mentioned or a wall.


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## jonhirsh (Jan 20, 2007)

http://www.fogscreen.com/


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## Schniapereli (Jan 20, 2007)

*Re: Projecting through haze.*

I have no idea what I am talking about... but here it is anyways.

Disney's Fantasmic does some cool projections on sprayed water. I imagine something similar could be constructed with smoke. 

It might work if the smoke were downstage, with a nozzle, (or something else) to spread it out evenly on the front (like a fan shape).

I don't know if that will work for smoke. Might not be enough pressure.


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## SHARYNF (Jan 21, 2007)

Could you explain your thinking re rear projection and fog?

the problem is the unless you are using a fog curtain or water or something that creates a reasonably flat surface you will have great difficulty getting stable focus

Sharyn


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