A 3D moving image of the late singer Whitney Houston is being developed by a US entertainment firm.<\/p>\n
It is working with the Houston estate and hopes to tour the product in 2016.<\/p>\n
Hologram USA has patented what it calls a “high-tech version” of a 16th century illusion called Pepper’s Ghost.<\/p>\n
It can cost “millions of dollars” to develop an image of a deceased star. The company told the BBC that members of the public often enquire about being turned into a 3D moving image too.<\/p>\n
“I’m not sure if any have pursued it… for most people the cost is forbidding,” said head of marketing Owen Phillips.<\/p>\n
The traditional Pepper’s Ghost illusion involves foil and glass, to which Hologram USA has added a patented blend of computer generated images (CGI), moving parts and audio material.<\/p>\n
In its stable of so-called “holograms” are classic acts such as Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra and Liberace.<\/p>\n
‘Stars with stories’<\/strong><\/p>\n However boring celebrities need not apply.<\/p>\n “We look for stars with great stories,” said Mr Phillips. “There needs to be a strong narrative around the shows.”<\/p>\n The firm does also work with living subjects occasionally.<\/p>\n It was behind a projection of Julian Assange beamed into a US conference from his confinement in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, and a performance by rapper Chief Keef beamed into a festival in Chicago where the artist is banned in person.<\/p>\n “For a live hologram, like for a chief executive to beam into a meeting, you just need a camera and a green screen,” said Mr Phillips.<\/p>\n “It’s expensive for the presentation process but there’s no development expense.”<\/p>\n However if the person is deceased the team needs access to a lot of past material.<\/p>\n “The participation of the estate is crucial – not only to do with their approval but also to provide access to material that may never have been seen before, perhaps because it may not be presentable from a quality standpoint on its own,” Mr Phillips said.<\/p>\n The Houston family is supporting the digital reincarnation of the late singer.<\/p>\n Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister and president of the her estate, said: “It’s a great opportunity for her fans to see a reinvention of one the most celebrated female artists in history and to continue a legacy of performances that will not be forgotten in years to come.<\/p>\n “I look forward to the partnership.”<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A 3D moving image of the late singer Whitney Houston is being developed by a US entertainment firm. It is working with the Houston estate and hopes to tour the product in 2016. Hologram USA has patented what it calls a “high-tech version” of a 16th century illusion called Pepper’s Ghost. It can cost “millions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":151920,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[6],"yoast_head":"\n