While the York hologram had
the advantage of not having to be
synched while a viewer matches it
(voice over), the holograms needed to
be viewable in sync in real time (live).
In the early 197Os a methodology was developed for producing
3-D holograms from motion picture
footage. These holograms were referred
to as integrals or holographic stereograms (see figs. 1 & 2). The images
revealed in these holograms were not
only three dimensional but also allowed
the viewing of a motion picture sequence (typically 15-45 seconds of
action), stereoscopically without glasses
and without any moving parts! This led
holographer Will WaIter, working at Polaroid research at that time, to refer to
them as "solid state movies". The possibilities in this format also include the
transfer of time lapse or slow motion
footage as well.
In 1975 Holografix Incorporated was formed to research and apply
the art and science of holography to the
"real" world outside the laser laboratory. Our company produces holographic
displays in a variety of formats including the moving integral type (referred to
above). Since then my associates and I
have had the pleasure of working on
some outstanding projects within this
medium. We have holographed every
thing from lO,OOO year old skulls to
15OO lb Holsteins, to 36O degree
cumulo/nimbus cloud studies in 3-D and
time-lapse!
In March of 1982 Holografix
Inc. was approached to produce two
holographic portraits that were to speak
in Arabic for Sheik Mohammed Al Fassi.
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These holograms were to be
mounted in his Star Island mansion near
Miami Beach, Florida.
After assuring the client that "anything" is possible, I
was left to juggle potential methods
around on paper. After creating some
preliminary sketches I called in Rodd
Finlay of Finlay Designs to help make
the sketches an electro mechanical reality.
One of the inherent problems in
creating a speaking holographic image
in the integral format is that the information regarding the subject's
appearance in space and time is spread
laterally across the holographic film (approximately 4O holograms to the inch).
This made it necessary to fix the
viewer's angle and vantage point in
order to assure that the sound would be
heard in lip synchronous appearance
with the subject's mouth.
Alif of D.L.S.
working on the
microprocessor
controller for the
talking hologram.
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