PRO TIP: In-Camera Ghost Effect

Here's a quick, cheap way to create a ghost effect, in-camera, without any VFX! Also known as "Pepper's Ghost", this effect has been around for ages, and is still used today. Disneyland's "Haunted Mansion" and the Hogwarts Express at Universal Studios both use this effect, and a modified version is still used in modern tele-prompters.
Materials Needed:
A dark, low-light scene
Large pane of glass (or plexiglass) held up by a stand or clamps
Black blankets or fabric to hang behind your ghost
Camera
In front of the camera, angle your sheet of glass so that your ghost behind the camera is reflected in the glass directly into the frame. (The black sheet behind your ghost-actor keeps anything else except the ghost from reflecting!)
Experiment with the glass placement and angle, but usually having the glass equally distant between your two subjects helps with the size of the effect, as well as the focus. It will take some adjustments until it's just right!
Make sure to light your ghost to get the effect you want. Top-down lighting can create dark shadows under the eyes, but under-lighting them could also make them look creepy and hellish!
Light your "live" subject separately. Make sure there aren't too many white/bright backgrounds in your frame, because they will cause your ghost to not show up as clearly.
Experiment with timing and interactions, dimming your ghost's light up and down (which can cause them to appear and disappear) and have fun!
Questions about how we did it? Ask Lauren directly here:
discuss.rocketjump.com/t/pro-...
Special thanks to RØDE Microphones! Check them out here:
www.rode.com
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[@PogieJoe]

Oh cool! Kicking it old school. I was expecting the digital version.

[@HelpfulPlez]

+PogieJoe Calling an effect "In-Camera", as in the title of this video, means it's done without any digital work. As in the effect is done in reality in some way so that you capture the effect in camera versus creating it later.

[@donalkennedy6393]

You guys deserve thousands more views. Please keep making amazing videos!

[@ooshbloosh9815]

Simple, yet highly effective

[@WhenYouFlying]

nice tutorial. Saw this trick somewehre before. I think it was Filmriot

[@whoopwhoopification]

I saw this at Filmriot's channel.... still cool

[@nintendo3dsfan01]

+whoopwhoopification same

[@oliverjune1529]

This is how those "Real" ghost videos work

[@phxJohn2010]

That's awesome, thanks!

[@TheUnholyPosole]

True story, I've seen a ghost, and it totally looked just like that.

[@tony5444]

I luv this tutorial! I'll definitely be using it in the future! I've got a question though - would you guys happen to know how to do a "ghost effect" on multiple people but shooting the scene in outside environment? Any assistance on this would be great helpful and appreciated. Thank you

[@darthyvardyreal]

Thats pretty kewl

[@OverlayFox]

I love to look toutorials espacialy yours :-D

[@MrDukeSilverr]

As you can see in the Lord of the rings, it works with fire too

[@norbanvs]

+ThesafilmsLP I saw that "making of" too. Nice!

[@TheWhitePianoKeyProductions]

+Norbanvs is there a link to what you are talking about? :D

[@norbanvs]

+The White Piano Key Productions I did a search here, but i didn't find it. But i know that the "ghost-effect" was done in the Denethor death scene.

[@TheWhitePianoKeyProductions]

***** okay, thanks for looking!

[@SpeedStrengthJames]

Oh yes I remember that in the behind the scenes DVD's

[@CZsWorld]

Let's face it. It's easier to just lower the opacity.

[@JonesCrimson]

+CZsWorld You would have the background overlapping the opaque shot. You could cut most of the low opacity shot out, but the actor couldn't move into the area where the effect is applied during this time. Above all else you would need multiple takes and actors would need to pretend to communicate instead of actually communicate. It's not easier, at all.

[@ChrisD__]

+Jones Crimson But it's crazy cheaper.

[@JonesCrimson]

Chris D Won't save you any time.

[@ChrisD__]

Jones Crimson It's still pretty much free if you do it right.

[@lizbertran6464]

Cool. Love the Ghost Effect! How do you do a solid black ghost effect? I hope to see one for real someday so I can compare RocketJump's tutorial. But for now, this was awesome! Thanks RocketJump.

[@MeatSim9]

I learned this trick from Magic School Bus. Arnold's cousin, Janet (Bitch), used it to scare the class with her advanced knowledge of light.

[@Jasonificatiation]

nice

[@kurtlindner]

Good, but for those who didn't already know this, they'd probably want a little more in-depth explanation.

[@JagaJonez]

im working on a project where we are dealing with clones... in a similar way to that film "legend" with tom hardy... i was hoping you could show us to go about shooting it and having the clones touch each other...

[@2NerdsOnaCouch]

is this what I'd do to get the princess leia star wars hologram effect?

[@christopherfarese8939]

What camera is this?

[@shiznuts]

Yeah, I was just thinking... 'ah, they grabbed a clean slate then dropped the opacity with a mask on Joey'. But nope.

[@SwithinFeely]

i saw this in film riot

[@MockingL]

wth that's how they do that effect -12-4-

[@TheJacobReview]

I am the forth to comment... That is all.

[@AdrianG13]

+The Jacob Review Fourth*

[@TheJacobReview]

That too.

[@SandroGarcia96]

Or just... After Effects.

[@RaketenKuhGewehr]

+Sandro Garcia There's some advantages to doing it in camera, as she explained in the video.

[@AustinThomasFilms]

+Sandro Garcia I dunno... this is a really cool practical solution

[@TheEplestugas]

Setting up the Greenscreen. Light it. Get the Timing right. Import the Fottoge. Key the Green out. Set the Blendungsmode to screen... jea soo easy

[@sil3ntking]

Can you guys do a PRO TIP video on doing the replicant eye effect in Blade Runner? I've always been fascinated by the effect, but could never wrap my head around it when it was being explained. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4izqoWJireMfLM