It takes neither Jedi abilities nor millions of dollars to make Leia’s hologram from the original “Star Wars,” but there are other methods of effectively bringing this illusion to life besides projecting onto fog for fans who are down for a good challenge.
Amateur scientist Steven Dufresne (RimstarOrg) used the Pepper’s ghost technique. First, he created a four-sided pyramid out of overhead transparency sheets, carefully measuring, cutting, and taping the sides together, leaving a small square space on the top so that it could sit upside down. Then, using the free software Blender, he created an animation of Leia from four different viewpoints, which can be downloaded from his website, rimstar.org. With the animation looping, he laid his computer monitor down face up so that the pyramid could sit in the middle and display it.
ASMR YouTuber Josh Hill (JHR Reviews) presented a more low-tech option that requires some crafty work. This setup involves a small piece of scrap wood with two dowels screwed in on either side and a notch cut out that allows for a thin piece of glass to sit at a specific angle. Simply queue up the scene on a phone and place it on top of the dowels and glass, off of which the clip will reflect, to achieve the hologram effect.
