DIY Hacks & How To’s: Pepper’s Ghost Illusion

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Pepper’s Ghost is a special effects technique for creating transparent ghostly images. This technique has been a staple of theaters and haunted houses since John Pepper popularized it in the 1800’s. It works by reflecting an image of the ghost off of a sheet of plexiglass. The plexiglass is set at a 45 degree angle in front of the audience. At this angle the background remains clearly visible, but it also reflects a partial image of the ghost that is located off to one side.make_halloweenbadgeV2 (1)

This special effect is especially impressive because it can be performed live and it does require any computers or special equipment. All you need to incorporate this effect into your Halloween setup is a large sheet of plexiglass. I’ll this video I’ll show show you how to make your own.

Check out the full project on Make: Projects and see the full series here.

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My name is Jason Poel Smith. I have an undergraduate degree in Engineering that is 50% Mechanical Engineering and 50% Electrical Engineering. I have worked in a variety of industries from hydraulic aerial lifts to aircraft tooling. I currently spend most of my time chasing around my new baby. In my spare time I make the how-to series "DIY Hacks and How Tos."

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