Hologram Projection with Pepper's Ghost and Holographic Fans

A product that hangs in the air. A presenter who appears on stage out of nowhere. A logo turning slowly in empty space. Hologram-style effects stop people mid-stride because the eye can’t work out where the image lives.

We build these illusions for brands at trade shows, on stages and in venues. If you want something to appear out of thin air, tell us what it is.

Let's be straight about the word. The effects people call holograms at events are illusions, not true holograms: they use glass or film, light and projection to make a flat image read as an object floating in space. Holograms of this kind simulate 3D objects in the air, often using mirrors, projection and lighting, and we use systems like Pepper's Ghost and advanced projection to simulate depth.

Done well, the illusion holds. Holographic visuals appear to float in mid-air and can respond to attendee motion, which is what makes them so effective on a show floor or a stage.

Pepper's Ghost. The oldest trick is still one of the best. It works by reflecting an image off a sheet of plexiglass set at a 45 degree angle in front of the audience. At that angle, the background remains clearly visible while the glass also partially reflects the image, so the reflection seems to sit inside the scene. The source of the image is located off to the side, out of direct view, which is why the build has to hide it from every seat. The effect has been a staple of theaters and haunted houses since John Pepper popularized it in the 1800s.

Holographic fans. Fan displays put the image in open air rather than behind glass, and they can be built into custom display enclosures.

Projection on transparent and open surfaces. We can also project onto custom-built scrims, sheer surfaces set in front of a stage or set. Walk-through mist screens and fountain screens have their own pages on fog and mist screen projection and water screen projection.

• Choosing the method. Glass, fan or projection depends on the size of the image, how close guests stand and how much space the build can take up.
• Structure and enclosures. We design and fabricate the frame, the angled surface or the display enclosure, and hide the source from the audience.
• Light control. The illusion depends on a darker stage area and a bright source, so we plan light around it.
• Content made to float. Our animation and visual storytelling team builds content on a black background, so only the subject appears.
• Interaction. Hologram displays can respond to motion. The sensor side is covered on interactive projection mapping.

BITMAIN is our one published hologram project.

• BITMAIN at WDMS. Our team integrated six holographic fans into custom-fabricated display enclosures, producing striking 3D visuals that appeared to float in space.

See all our projects.

For stage illusions inside a production, see theater and stage projection. Products mapped directly, without the floating effect, are covered by object projection mapping, and full booth builds by trade show technologies.

Tell us what should appear, where the audience will stand, the space you have and your dates. We will come back with the method, the structure and the content plan. To see everything we do, visit our projection mapping services page, or talk to our team.