CNN "Hologram"

[Windup]

During the Jessica Yellin segment on CNN last night, did anybody besides me expect her to say, "Help me Wolf Blitzer, you're the only one who can!" Then wink out in a burst of static?   

[Bdoomed]

HOLY CRAP that's awesome... and pretty useless for what they used it for
howd i miss that one, i was watchin cnn!

i expected R2 to show up projecting her

[Russell Nash]

The use of technology without intelligence is a scary thing.

[Windup]

i expected R2 to show up projecting her

I think it was actually a camera coming out of Anderson Cooper's forehead, but you don't see it on that clip. 

And I agree, Russel, it's a nominee for some sort of "worst use of new projection techniques" award.

[stePH]

"A real hologram! Well, not a real hologram, but almost a real hologram."
--
Frank Zappa, sometime during the '80s

[eytanz]

And I agree, Russel, it's a nominee for some sort of "worst use of new projection techniques" award.

I think you mean "worst use of old technology whilst pretending it is new technology" awards. I'm pretty sure this wasn't a holographic projection, it was just state-of-the-art bluescreening. The only new tech here is the one that lets them to superimpose several images live rather than edit in later.

[jrderego]

This was cooler, and a couple of years older.

Gorillaz: Feel Good Inc. Live at MTV Video Musics Awards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of72cc9EsW8

[Bdoomed]

talking to my friend about this, he said supposedly they couldnt see the hologram in the studio, that it was just on tv that anyone could see it... anyone know if this is true or not?

[eytanz]

talking to my friend about this, he said supposedly they couldnt see the hologram in the studio, that it was just on tv that anyone could see it... anyone know if this is true or not?

That's what's being reported. Here are some technical details on how it was done, by the company CNN hired to do it: http://www.vizrt.com/news/press_releases/article3918.ece

In other words, this is just real-time composition of video feeds, not a hologram in any real sense.

[Bdoomed]

real-time 3D composition of video feeds.
impressive, not amazing, but impressive

[wintermute]

It was basically a green-screen with some clever camera work. Fancy, but hardly worth the folderol that CNN imbued it with.

[DKT]

I did think it was funny when Anderson Cooper outgeeked will.i.am, though.  will.i.am said something like, "Here I am, being beamed to you like in Star Wars."

Cooper replied, "Yeah, you're standing there like you've just been beamed in on Star Trek."

(Paraphrased from memory.)

[wintermute]

Actually, I'd side with will.i.am on that one. Star Wars has holograms, where people could beam their image from place to place (but only in monochrome NTSC resolution). Star Trek relied on teleporting actual physical bodies, which is not what they were pretending had happened.

[DKT]

I agree with you on content/concept, I guess.  I just never thought of it as being "beamed" before.  Beamed always makes me think of "Beam me up, Scotty."

[Heradel]

In some of the shots you could see the edge of whatever big screen TV they'd put horizontal to provide a reference point for the anchors.

Real Holograms wouldn't stand up to the studio lights.

[stePH]

I agree with you on content/concept, I guess.  I just never thought of it as being "beamed" before.  Beamed always makes me think of "Beam me up, Scotty."

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

[Windup]

Real Holograms wouldn't stand up to the studio lights.

I bet they do if they originate in "The Real America."