Customer Showcase 2013, Part II

Jeff Baird took a literary route to his haunt this year.  He used Ghost of Prudence Primm, appropriately, in his library scene and Restless Spirit is not far behind.  You can find them starting at about 1:30 in the video.

At Horseman's Hollow in Sleepy Hollow, NY, Daisy the Ghost Bride made an appearance, thanks to Dark Tech Effects.  This is a great pro haunt, and worth a look.

Thomas Wall, AKA User fortinbras79 on HalloweenForum.com, did a lovely Pepper's Ghost with Daisy the Ghost Bride.  You can find information about his St. Louis yard haunt HERE.

In Chicago on Halloween, Kenton Avenue Graveyard was in full swing.  They used both Accursed Helmsman and Lost at Sea.  You can see the fantastic sail he built for his Helmsman at around 0:55 and 0:50 (respectively) of the following videos.

You can see his very effective use of Lost at Sea, too:

Ryan in Santa Clarita, CA used Daisy projected on a cutout in his yard.  You can see her starting at about 1:25.  Looks like she played a big part in spooking at lot of Trick-or-Treaters!

Last, but certainly not least is Daisy the Ghost Bride, projected on a cutout in an upstairs bedroom, brought to us from Julie Chambers in Ontario.

Thank you to everyone who sent us pictures and videos!  We hope everyone had the spookiest haunt on their block, and can't wait to see what everyone does next year!

Happy Haunting!

Customer Showcase 2013, Part I

We hope everyone has had a successful Halloween!  Many of you have sent us pictures and video of your Spectral Illusions in action, so we want to show them off to everyone.

First up is user MudbuginTX from Houston, TX who sent us these rear projected gems:

 

User LittleBlueBMW used a similar rear projection technique.  They really have a great window for Phantom Wraith.

Revenant Manor, a home haunt in Orlando, Florida used both Restless Spirit (in a Pepper's Ghost configuration) and The Haunted Tombstone (projected onto a form).  You can see them starting around 0:53 in the video, but the whole haunt is very well done.

Dark Lane Haunted Attraction in Childersburg, AL used Ghostly Hearse.  The haunt even made the local news.  The attention to detail at this haunt is fantastic.

The Haunting of Nuevo is a fundraiser for the Nuview Elementary School in Nuevo, CA.  They used The Ghost of Prudence Primm as well as the Ghostly Hearse.  Let's hope Prudence didn't scare the kids away from the library forever!

We will have quite a few more haunts to feature in Part II.  If you would like to be added to the list, send us pictures and/or video via email spectralillusions @ gmail.com (remove the spaces) and we will show off your hard work!  Thanks to everyone who has already sent theirs in!

Happy Haunting!

House at Haunted Hill

The big day is nearly here. There is one more haunt we would really like to tell you all about. It's one we've been involved in since before Spectral Illusions existed. It is really an amazing show that you will remember for a long, long time. If you are in the Woodland Hills, CA area, you should absolutely see The House At Haunted Hill. Most of our work with this haunt is custom work, from the exterior mood of the house to Snapper Bixby, the gadfly paparazzo. It is open October 30 (Tonight!)-November 3, 7-midnight on Friday and Saturday, 7-10 all other nights. Go see it! Happy Haunting!

Halloween Approaches!

Usually, leaving your Halloween decorations to the last minute means slapping up some cobwebs and carving a pumpkin.  A noble effort, to be sure.  But what if, somehow, you could add some real production value right now?

Spectral Illusions are the perfect way to do that.  All of our effects are 1920x1080 HD video files with surround sound.  Just download and go.

So, since time is short, you can get 15% off your purchase if you use this code at checkout: 221C546R Don't wait too long!  The sale ends Sunday October 27, 2013 at Midnight EDT!

Happy Haunting!

There is a haunt in Chino, CA called Nightmare on Hickory Lane. They are running this weekend 10/25-31, with 3 shows a night at 7, 7:30 and 8PM. Check them out if you can. Oh! And keep your eyes peeled for a Spectral Illusion!

Kenton Avenue Graveyard

I'm sure you are all well into setup by now! If you are in the Chicago area and are looking for a haunt to check out on Halloween, you should go see Kenton Avenue Graveyard. It is pirate themed and kid friendly, so go see it! Oh, and you'll see a Spectral Illusion there as well!

Dark Lane Haunted Attraction

On Halloween, Dark Lane Haunted Attraction will be hosting a yard haunt, complete with a Spectral Illusion,  in Childersburg, AL! If you can't make it on the big day, you can make an appointment to check it out for the week before and the week after Halloween. Find more information on their website!

Two School Haunts:

The Ecole Primaires des Boutons d'or in Sainte Julienne, QC will be putting on a haunt on Halloween and using a Spectral Illusion! If you are in the area, you should check it out and support the kids!

The Nuview Haunted House at Nuview Elementary School in Nuevo, CA will be using several Spectral Illusions. It's a fundraiser for the school, so check it out and support the kids:Haunting of Nuevo Happy Haunting!

Rotten Apple 907

Halloween is fast approaching! I'm sure you all are deep in your preparations for this year.

As are the folks at the next Haunt we want to tell you about: Rotten Apple 907 Haunt. (http://www.rottenapple907.com/)  Located in Burbank, CA, they do an amazing haunt every year. It is really a great haunt, and we got to check it out last year. We turned a corner only to run into Restless Spirit. Go check them out starting October 25!

LA Live Steamers Ghost Train

This year, we are going to be promoting some of the haunts who are using our Spectral Illusions.  If you would like to be featured, please email us the name of your haunt and where you are located so we can send some people your way!

First up is the Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum Ghost Train in Griffith Park. They are using 7 of our effects this year (including a custom effect), and it should be a great haunt. Check it out weekends starting October 12. See their website for dates and times! 

Happy Haunting!

Projection Surfaces: Scrim and Rear Projection Screens

There are many options for projection material.  Scrim is a woven fabric that can be front or rear projected.  When the scene behind it is lit, the fabric appears translucent or even transparent, but the projection will still be visible. It comes in a variety of widths and is an excellent professional looking material. 

A less expensive option is tulle, which can be found at your local fabric store.  It also can be front or rear projected, but has a more open weave than scrim.  It also is not available in large widths.  It comes in a large variety of colors.  We recommend using a color that blends well with the surrounding area.  White, black or grey usually work very well.

For rear projection, there is specific screen material designed for this purpose.  We have also found that a frosted shower curtain liner is an excellent surface.  It is a smooth, consistent, translucent distribution, reasonable size, and inexpensive.  Sheet plastic can work, but it often has variations in the translucency.

Spectral Illusions at ScareLA

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of exhibiting at ScareLA in downtown Los Angeles.  It was a great experience, and so nice to meet so many of you.  For those who couldn't make it, we have a short video of our booth.  Enjoy!

Two New Ghosts Materialize!

Two new ghosts have materialized to join the lineup of new Spectral Illusions effects for 2013!

Ghost of Prudence Primm
Keep quiet and don't anger this bookish school marm, her temper can be quite shocking. This effect is designed for use with a projector and is great for projecting onto a scrim or screen or for use in a Pepper's Ghost setup.

Revenant
Awakened from her ancient slumber, this lost spirit arises from her tomb to reveal the true face of death. This effect is designed for use with a projector and is great for projecting onto a scrim or screen or for use in a Pepper's Ghost setup.

We are also going to be exhibiting at Scare LA this weekend. Stop by and say hello if you're in the area!

Thank you for a wonderful first year!

Just one year ago today, we released our first collection of effects.  In just that short amount of time, we have had quite the wild ride and are very excited about the future of Spectral Illusions.  We want to thank all of our customers and fans for your support over the last year and for making it such a success.  In honor of that, we are offering 15% off your entire cart today only!  Use code  2524B425 at checkout.  Happy Haunting!

New Effects from Spectral Illusions!

Spectral Illusions is proud to announce the release of four new effects!

The Phantom Wraith: A mysterious hooded figure approaches, revealing the emptiness of death.  This effect is designed for use with a projector and is great for projecting onto a scrim or screen or for use in a Pepper’s Ghost setup.

Accursed Helmsman: The cursed ghost of a long dead pirate still battles the storm from beyond his watery grave.  This effect is designed for use with a projector and is great for projecting onto a scrim or screen or for use in a Pepper’s Ghost setup.

Waking the Dead: A crotchety old skeleton awakens from his grave and is not amused.  This effect is designed for use with a projector or monitor and is great for projecting onto a scrim or screen or for use in a Pepper’s Ghost setup.

Forces Beyond:  Blood appears on a wall which is then inhaled into an evil vortex.  Or was it your imagination?  This effect is designed for use with a projector and is great for projecting directly onto a wall.

 All of our effects now come bundled with both HD (1920x1080) and DVD (720x480) versions and are Quicktime movies with stereo sound for use with projectors, monitors and TVs to create a variety of ghostly effects.

We will also be exhibiting at Scare LA (www.scarela.com) August 10-11, 2013 in Downtown Los Angeles.  Come see us in our booth.

Visit our website www.spectralillusions.com for more information and to purchase your Spectral Illusions.

Spectral Illusions Completes Work on Hobs Pit

It's been quite a while since our last blog post.  We've been working very hard on a series of projects and our new collection of effects, to be released next month!

The largest project we've been working on has been for Pleasurewood Hills Theme Park in Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK.  We were contacted late last year to do some concept and design work for their newest attraction, Hobs Pit, and ultimately, most of the video and projection effects for the ride.

We started with a previsualization ride-through for reference, using their existing ride track and structure as a guide along with the concept and script provided by the park.

Once the previs was done, we were on to the work of creating the effects.  We shot live action footage for 2 of the effects.

In addition to the the live action shots, there were also 7 fully digital shots including 4 of Hob, the ride's star and resident Evil Miner.  We also assisted in the build of the projected face of Hob for the ride's finale.

It was a great project to be involved with, and the reviews that have been coming in have been glowing, to say the least.  We wish Pleasurewood and Hobs Pit the best of luck, and, if you're in the area, you should check it out, too!

Here is some of the press and reviews of the ride:

A piece on BBC's Look East about the opening of Hobs Pit

Los Angeles Times
Scare Tour UK
TPark
Theme Park Tourist
Unofficial Pleasurewood
Coaster Force
Theme UK