# Projector Haunting?



## Newt (Oct 8, 2004)

So how many projectors would you need and how would this be set up? Awsome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIez-vboMaM&mode=related&search=


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## SouthernBelle (Aug 30, 2004)

I have no idea but holy crap! That is soooo cool!!!!


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## dacostasr (Jul 6, 2006)

WOW!!! 

Is this the same house as the Dancing lights Christmas show??

I would love to do just the ghost part...flying all around.

WOW!!!!

Dennis...


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## Dr Morbius (Jan 12, 2006)

Ther must be a how-to somewhere on that.


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## JohnnyL (Nov 6, 2005)

Very cool indeed. I think I may work with a bit of projecting next year for my cemetery. Run some screening through it and project onto that.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2006)

This is probably the one I heard about the guy projecting the images from a house across the street....... It to cool

It woud have to be projected from a second story or roof. It looks like computer graphics but i cant imagine what they used for a projector/s or lenses in the them. 

a few years ago i put up a sheet across the garage door opening and used a notebook pc and a digial projector to rear-project animated gifs on the screen. the distance between the projector and the screen was about 12 feet and it filled the garage opening....no way would it have projected a decent image from across the street....


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2006)

Anyone know what song the singing pumpkins is and where ti get it?


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## SouthernBelle (Aug 30, 2004)

Too many questions ... not enough answers. Grrrrrrr..........


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## BATFLY (Oct 2, 2004)

projectors can be fitted with a swappable short, mid, and long "throw" lenses. i fyou use a short throw it's easier to get bigger images from not so far away. if you need to fill a small area but can only shoot from a far off postion, you'd use a long throw lens so you don't over shoot the screen.


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## Haunted Plainfield (Mar 18, 2005)

Well I made contact with the creator, lets see if he/she responds and chooses to share some input.

Would love to hear how this was done.

Awesome Display and the pumpkin song rocks.


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

*I'm flattered*

Thanks for all your nice comments. It is not nearly as tricky as you would think. I wish it was really fancy so I could make some money off it . 

Surprisingly it is just a single 800x600 1200 Lumens Sharp NoteVision projector in a box 12' off the ground with no modifications what-so-ever. I was surprised too when I first carried a video projector across the street to try this out for Halloween 2002.

My slow, quick and dirty website is hosted at my house, so I hesitate to post it here, but here goes... http://haunts.batesbunch.com. If you would like more info, email me. Please don't post this website at youtube .

The song is mine, and you can download it from there.

I'm also on the Haunt L list and a member of the Rocky Mountain Gathering group. 

Good luck and have fun this year!


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## BFI6603 (Sep 20, 2006)

That was awesome...very novel idea...planning to do something like this on a smaller scale...my house is on a wooded lot and plan to put up an 8 ft square screen consisting of a king size bedsheet....did this last summer to show outdoor movies by my pool....I noticed i could put the projector behind the screen and the video could be seen thru the sheet....this will be good for safety reasons...The plan is to show excerpts from old horror films ...with a fog generator neaby to give an eerie atmosphere....should work out pretty good...wish me luck!


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## ampaen (Jul 22, 2006)

datbates...I noticed from your 1998 haunt you used a TV disembodied head set-up. isn't that the same concept Big Scream TV is based on?


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## Haunted Plainfield (Mar 18, 2005)

There ya go, told you I would get him here.



Thanks for coming and posting!!!


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

*Big Scream...*



ampaen said:


> datbates...I noticed from your 1998 haunt you used a TV disembodied head set-up. isn't that the same concept Big Scream TV is based on?


Yes. I actually got the idea from the old centapede video game... Anyway it is much more fun when it is interactive... =) Kudos for them for figuring out a way to market it... Hear it's not going too well though. Ideas like this just don't market well.


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## ampaen (Jul 22, 2006)

lol...your right!


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## mdawson8931 (Sep 20, 2005)

datbates, you in Utah? I'm in Layton.


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## Redsand187 (Oct 28, 2004)

Wow, this is amazing. How did you work out the placement? I mean, how did you edit your video so everything actually lined up. I'm sure you were able to position the pumpkins and crypt to work. Was it very difficult to get you "zones" set?


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

mdawson8931 said:


> datbates, you in Utah? I'm in Layton.


Yes. Are you a member of the Rocky Mountain Gathering group? They are our local haunter's guild. If not, you should be. 

http://www.halloweenpropmaster.com/haunters_gatherings.htm


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

Redsand187 said:


> Wow, this is amazing. How did you work out the placement? I mean, how did you edit your video so everything actually lined up. I'm sure you were able to position the pumpkins and crypt to work. Was it very difficult to get you "zones" set?


That was the trickiest part, but I've finally worked out what I think is the ideal way to do it. I've tried numerous things. The first was to project a grid on my house and map that to an image taken from the same angle. That worked ok, but was not right on. Last year I got fed up with trial and error, and sat up on a ladder by the projector for like an hour and traced my house in Photoshop. That has worked much better


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## ksshane (Sep 6, 2006)

You did an excellent job. Wow!


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## Redsand187 (Oct 28, 2004)

So did you shoot everything yourself, or did you use ssome stock footage? You've got me very interested in trying this. hehe


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

Redsand187 said:


> So did you shoot everything yourself, or did you use ssome stock footage? You've got me very interested in trying this. hehe


Everything is original. My teeth, my eye, my family as ghosts, my face as the pumpkins... It's just the easiest way . (the grizzly footprints I found on the web actually). It is all black light/high contrast photography with keying.


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## haunted house noob (Sep 14, 2004)

so lemme get this right. you only used One projector, and it coverd your whole house?


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## mdawson8931 (Sep 20, 2005)

datbates said:


> Yes. Are you a member of the Rocky Mountain Gathering group? They are our local haunter's guild. If not, you should be.
> 
> http://www.halloweenpropmaster.com/haunters_gatherings.htm


Must be something wrong with the site. Its kicking me to a ISP company in Japan.


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

mdawson8931 said:


> Must be something wrong with the site. Its kicking me to a ISP company in Japan.


Works for me, I don't know what's going on... Try again i guess.


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## mdawson8931 (Sep 20, 2005)

No go for me. When I click on the link its kicking me to http://www.akira.ne.jp/. I'll try from home later today.


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## ksshane (Sep 6, 2006)

Just FYI ... the link works for me also


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## Lilly (Sep 26, 2006)

I would love to do this. I am technologically challenged however. But someone tell me, what could I do to get a similar look by using what I have and DO know how to use, a video camera, a slide projector, and we also have an old 8mm projector that was my parents. I absolutely love the singing pumpkins, but I do not own a computer projector. Thanks!
Lilly


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## mdawson8931 (Sep 20, 2005)

Odd, the link works for me today. On another note, this thread have me an idea. I setup my projector to display my countdown sign. It is projecting from the back onto a white sheet hung over an upstairs window. I then whipped together a couple of powerpoint slides on a continuous loop. Thanks datbates!


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

Lilly said:


> I would love to do this. I am technologically challenged however. But someone tell me, what could I do to get a similar look by using what I have and DO know how to use, a video camera, a slide projector, and we also have an old 8mm projector that was my parents. I absolutely love the singing pumpkins, but I do not own a computer projector. Thanks!
> Lilly


I have wanted to do the pumpkins forever (used to do a pro haunted house in 88), but sound film was always way too expensive to produce. The video projector fixed all that finally!! Anyway, slide projectors are cool, as are super 8 ones, just no synched sound (easily). You really should consider buying a video projector. My wife was easily sold on the home theater aspects of it so it wasn't that big of a leap.... You can get good ones for $799 now days. Mine was only $899 when I bought it at costco.


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## Zombie_boy (Aug 29, 2006)

datbates - What is the ambient outside lighting like? It looks pretty dark on video. 1200 ansi lumens is not the most powerful, so I would assume it's very dark. Great work!


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## daredevilred (Sep 28, 2006)

I have a projector as well but pretty much a novice on a computer what kind of software did you use to create the ghosts and footsteps?


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## Moon Dog (Oct 3, 2006)

datbates, what program did you use to create your effect in?

Do you run it off of the computer for the effect or do you burn
it to DVD and use a player?


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## hexler (Sep 20, 2005)

datbates said:


> My slow, quick and dirty website is hosted at my house, so I hesitate to post it here, but here goes... http://haunts.batesbunch.com. If you would like more info, email me. Please don't post this website at youtube .
> 
> The song is mine, and you can download it from there.


*Hi Datbates. Hate to add to the flood of questions and all but did your site crash? I can't get to it. Is there anywhere else we can download your great pumpkin song?

Thanks for logging on here and sharing your skills.  *


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

the site keeps timing out on me...


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## ebayjoe6969 (Aug 29, 2005)

datbates what software did you use to do the video? And how many different videos is it? How did you make the ghosts fly? I am very interested in this. I have many questions please email me directly!


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## Voodoo (Oct 15, 2004)

I am envious! Great job!


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## deveds2 (Nov 3, 2006)

Wow, that is exactly what I want to do. I've been shopping for LCD projectors for some time now.

I wan to mount two above pointing down to project rippling water and then use one to project ghosts flying around.


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## darkness (Sep 1, 2005)

that was soo awesome but i'm sure it is way too technical for me


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## daredevilred (Sep 28, 2006)

deveds2 said:


> Wow, that is exactly what I want to do. I've been shopping for LCD projectors for some time now.
> 
> I wan to mount two above pointing down to project rippling water and then use one to project ghosts flying around.



Man I would love to see this when you are done I am not the greatest on a computer and would like to see yours and a good run through on how its done.


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## djm902 (Nov 30, 2006)

whats the exact name and model?


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## wilbret (Oct 8, 2004)

*Bump*

since there have been a few posts regarding projectors.


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## MikesTooLz (Jul 30, 2007)

The hard part it getting the video to project on what ever you want.


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## daredevilred (Sep 28, 2006)

I have a NEC projector and even on econ-mode it shows up extremely bright I projected the heads from Big Scream TV on the trees across from my home last year they ended up being about 30x20 (est). I tried using my fog machines to try and project on them and the effect looked awesome but not very practical due to the fact I had to have a high concentrate of fog and you had to be in direct sight to see the image.

What I have decided to do this year with my projector is take the doors off of my shed and create a giant pepper's ghost using swink wrap for windows.


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## MikesTooLz (Jul 30, 2007)

Anyone got any tips for securing a projector outside. Last year I had it in a window of my house projecting out on the yard.

This year I'm planning on placing it in the front yard and dont want someone to walk off with it while im not looking.


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## wilbret (Oct 8, 2004)

Waterproof box, locked. Dog chains anchored into the ground, locked to box. 

Obviously, they can get those things out of the ground if they want to, but it will slow them down.

Or, cable it to a tree or something. 

They do have devices used for securing computer at work. You use this super duper glue to attach a loop, and you can route cable thru it. This is available at Staples, etc.


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## daredevilred (Sep 28, 2006)

MikesTooLz said:


> Anyone got any tips for securing a projector outside. Last year I had it in a window of my house projecting out on the yard.
> 
> This year I'm planning on placing it in the front yard and dont want someone to walk off with it while im not looking.



I never have left my projector outside on Halloween night but if I was going to the only way I would do it is to build a large encasement around it to protect it from theives and the elements, then either put really heavy wieghts in the encasement or secure it down using a metal fence post. For the encasement it really depends on your theme for instance:

Graveyard - Coffin
Pirates - Wooden Barrel
Circus - Wooden Crate 


If I were you I would build it using decent lumber, with a lock on the encasements and plastic lining on the top incase of rain but be sure to allow enough airflow to not over heat.


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## William (Aug 4, 2007)

One projector from across the street.


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## otherworldly (Sep 28, 2004)

I stand in absolute awe! Bravo!


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## halloweenking (Aug 6, 2007)

Tottaly Awesome! Love it.


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## 22ndStHorror (Oct 24, 2006)

That is too cool! I Love it!


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## datbates (Sep 24, 2006)

datbates said:


> Yes. Are you a member of the Rocky Mountain Gathering group? They are our local haunter's guild. If not, you should be.
> 
> Haunt Gatherings


I already am. Thanks! I presented at last year's gathering. This year I was on a trip...


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## Trader Sam (Aug 10, 2008)

I LOVE _Late on Halloween Night_! I'm building a "haunted" gramophone that will play several songs, and that song would be a perfect addition. I say the gramophone is "haunted," because the record will not turn as the music plays.


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## Thorn Kill Creek (Oct 9, 2008)

mdawson8931 said:


> Odd, the link works for me today. On another note, this thread have me an idea. I setup my projector to display my countdown sign. It is projecting from the back onto a white sheet hung over an upstairs window. I then whipped together a couple of powerpoint slides on a continuous loop. Thanks datbates!


What a great idea. I've worked with a few powerpoints for church VBS. Never thought to turn the idea to the darkside.LOL


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