This illusion was created by magician Howard Pepper around 1858 and was made popular by Howard Thurston, who referred to it as the "Blue Room". It doesn't involve any video trickery (which didn't exist in that day), and most versions don't involve what is commonly known as a "mirror". Thurston's illusion differed slightly from Pepper's.
The video is from Lance Burton's "Secrets of Magic," and Mr. Burton follows Pepper's version faithfully. Unfortunately, the lighting work is very sloppy.
@TomBarrister The illusion was invented in 1862 by Henry Dircks, but he was unable to sell the idea to theatres. John Pepper later watched the illusion and came up with his own, more practical way to perform it. Because Pepper made the illusion popular, his name is attached to it, although he tried many times to give the credit to Dircks.
I am fortunate to know how this is done. For those who insist that this is accomplished by video or camera tricks... it is not! This is a theatre effect that can be and has been performed entirely live. If you are unable to figure out how it is done, that does not mean it is impossible.
:)
If you are dying to know the secret, you might try researching back issues of Magic Magazine from the mid 90's.
i reacon they say its mirror imagine to hide the fact these people are probly shapeshifting reptilians...anyone remember the quote of a certain film..."vampires pretending to be human, pretending to be vampires"? interview with a vampire
I feel I have ti use caps here, it seems to be the only way that certain individuals pick up on things... IT'S NOT CAMERA TRICKERY...
It does however involve mirrors and extreme choreography. The host explains this more or less at the begining.
This is onbe of my all time fave magic/trick shows. I love the romance behind the story. Did she die? Did she want to? Who knows... enjoy the art for waht it is people... smile while your heart wonders :)
I feel I have ti use caps here, it seems to be the only way that certain individuals pick up on things... IT'S NOT CAMERA TRICKERY...
It does however involve mirrors and extreme choreography. The host explains this more or less at the begining.
This is onbe of my all time fave magic/trick shows. I love the romance behind the story. Did she die? Did she want to? Who knows... enjoy the art for waht it is people... smile while your heart wonders :)
The Blue Room is similar to Pepper's Ghost, but it uses a sliding mirror to reveal the hidden room. The room is painted blue and lit dimly in order to prevent changes in the shadow angles from giving the game away.
Eh hem... You seem to value letting people know things over their magical experience or years of other peoples work. Share your secrets only with those who truly love knowing them for their arts sake and your confidants and audiences will love and respect you all the more.
Where did you get this clip from? I've been looking for the complete special that it came from and have been unable to find it. Any help would be appreciated.
hallo, i just tried to send u a PM but since we are no "friends" i can´t. so i try it like this:
Hallo,
my name is Bruno, I am a puppeteer from Berlin and I am building a mini-pepper-ghost-theater for my new show and now I saw your The Blue Room illusion -video , what makes me think again how i construct my little theater.
I would really like to contact u and ask you some more questions, because I know the technique of the effect and many other illusions quite good, but still can´t figure out exactly how it´s done there.
it would be very nice if you could contact me via mail nervmich(+the thing for mails)gmail(little round+comercialthing:) ,
Have a nice day, and thank you for your inspiration!
I would really like to contact u and ask you some more questions, because I know the technique of the effect and many other illusions quite good, but still can´t figure out exactly how it´s done there.
it would be very nice if you could contact me via mail nervmich(+the thing for mails)gmail(little round+comercialthing:) ,
Have a nice day, and thank you for your inspiration!
Ditto, MaxWonder2008, this is a very touching piece of magical theatre. Thanks to MavisRileyJunior for posting it. Kudos as well to PriceBurton for the historical clarification. This is a haunting illusion, and an enchanting piece of video (narrated by Robert Urich, I think?). Many writers have attributed the effects to the "Pepper's Ghost," technique, however that doesn't adequately explain all of the illusions. A remarkable piece. I'd love to know how they staged it.
The illusion was invented by Walker and Pepper, and was originally called "Metempsychosis." Kellar presented it in the U.S. as "The Blue Room." Even though Pepper was one of the inventors, the method is NOT related to Pepper's Ghost.
I also know how part of this illusion is done and I just think it is amazin! I love it! And the ending was very cool to. Very creative. I wish they had done it with a better choice of music, but that would have been a plus. 5 start rating for this video is the minimum I would give.
What you are seeing here in THE BLUE ROOM is both similar and dissimilar to the standard Pepper's Ghost illusion. There are other things that come into play for this particular illusion other than your standard pane of glass tilted at a 45-degree angle. If you knew the actual operation, set-up, and the amount of practice it takes to pull this effect off, you would know why traveling shows don't feature it other than perhaps a "Gorilla Girl" transformation at carnivals and haunted attractions.
If you want to prove to yourself that this works, go into a room with a window looking out on a nighttime scene, with objects visible. Bring a flashlight with you, and turn out all the lights in the room. Stand facing the window, then shine the flashlight on your face. You'll discover that the brighter the flashlight, the less transparent the reflection of your face seems to be. This is the balancing act required to make the effect look natural - or should we say supernatural.
To see this performed so well is priceless.. And although I suspect it has been edited or the POV adjusted (Tina Lennart coming out of Tina Lennart), I also believe and respect the fact that no trick photography was used at any time. This ranks in my top 10 favorite magic viewing experiences of all time.
Thank you!!! i saw this some time ago and have been looking for it since. I have a strong innterest in magic particularly older forms as i also have an interest in the time period this was invented in, ie turn of the last cerntury. Its incredible how effective something as simple as The Ghost can be if done correctly.
It is no Camera trick. It is based off of Phantasmagoria or Peppers Ghost. That is the base part of it, but there is more to it than that and all without camera tricks. Maybe some sensitive angles, but no camera tricks!
very true, I've known one of the creators who helped recreate this very same illusion on t.v. The illusion does use a technique know as peper's ghost, (the same effect in Disney's Haunted Mansion) sadley, the video that you've posted uses the aid of camera tricks in some parts of the illusion. So technically it uses a little bit of both.
Just look up Pepper's Ghost on Wikipedia: you'll see how this is done without any video trickery. The only problem with this version is that the way it's filmed makes it look as if there could be camera tricks involved, although that's not the case. It would be lovely to see this done live.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
sorry but i cant believe you,you give me zero reasons to believe you.its not enough for me that u r saying to me"it isnt fake." so and i tell you "its fake".and then what?give me arguments.
Its based on Peppers Ghost as someone else has written.You don't believe me,sorry.Just becasue you don't know how it's done doesn't mean it has to be fake.
@mOntaLex That's a ridiculous statement. the fact that you can't just leave something as a piece of entertainment, you have to give it reason at all repulses me. This is why magic is no longer in the modern world. People insist on reasons, then when they get them they're not impressed anymore, and when they get no answers they assume it's fake. Ridiculous.
This illusion is a good 100 years old and was created by Harry Keller. It's related to Pepper's Ghost and the ballroom in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
It's SO well done, that I can't get it out of my head that it isn't a camera trick! It looks too much like a scene from a movie, maybe an audience would have made it more realistic.
i don't know how it is done, but i think MavisRileyJunior is right. Notice the light/darkness-setting and the restricted range of sight in the illusion-chamber, combined with the dark room-color (for example, remember, often you can't decide if a jacket is black or dark blue).
Maybe i'm completely on the wrong track, but this was my idea when i saw the arm with the flowers coming out of the wall.
Well, I apologize for underestimating your word. I gather you yourself are a bit of an illusionist, per chance? BTW forgive me for my earlier behaviour for I feel it is most intolerable than any swamp gas. :-)
And you know this because......a)YOU were there? b)YOU were told it wasn't? or c)Magic is REAL if we believe? Yeah, this isn't a camera trick much like Shrek ISN'T really an Ogre. He's a mildly offense oaf who has trumpets for ears and smells intolerably of swamp gas.
Only through the illusion of cameras is it possible. Remember when Cris Angel WOWS his specs with HIS illusions? They're IN on it! When the blade rotated to cut him in half? It was spinning in the wrong direction!
In a time when some magicians are too busy using lasers, a lot of smoke and siliconed dancers, it's nice to see something so simple in concept and far more magical.
this is tottally the peppers ghost effect....
agentcole1 6 months ago
I love this illusion! :O)
Julie101670 8 months ago
A very hold trick!!! In modern key presentation.
ASSO74 9 months ago
Wonderful rendition of a Victorian stage illusion. It probably looks even better with today's lighting and other technical advances. WOW !!!
thewhisperingeagle 9 months ago
This illusion was created by magician Howard Pepper around 1858 and was made popular by Howard Thurston, who referred to it as the "Blue Room". It doesn't involve any video trickery (which didn't exist in that day), and most versions don't involve what is commonly known as a "mirror". Thurston's illusion differed slightly from Pepper's.
The video is from Lance Burton's "Secrets of Magic," and Mr. Burton follows Pepper's version faithfully. Unfortunately, the lighting work is very sloppy.
TomBarrister 11 months ago
@TomBarrister The illusion was invented in 1862 by Henry Dircks, but he was unable to sell the idea to theatres. John Pepper later watched the illusion and came up with his own, more practical way to perform it. Because Pepper made the illusion popular, his name is attached to it, although he tried many times to give the credit to Dircks.
Trumagmur 10 months ago
There's no illusion to cover up this bad acting though.
confettistar 1 year ago
I am fortunate to know how this is done. For those who insist that this is accomplished by video or camera tricks... it is not! This is a theatre effect that can be and has been performed entirely live. If you are unable to figure out how it is done, that does not mean it is impossible.
:)
If you are dying to know the secret, you might try researching back issues of Magic Magazine from the mid 90's.
jssherrard 1 year ago
i reacon they say its mirror imagine to hide the fact these people are probly shapeshifting reptilians...anyone remember the quote of a certain film..."vampires pretending to be human, pretending to be vampires"? interview with a vampire
shiftas2 2 years ago
seen this once on tv years ago, just found it again after searching,
thanks for sharing a wounderful routine
has to be one of my favorite magical performances.
MrMattblak01 2 years ago
COOL as FUCK!!!!
Nidgeynoo 2 years ago
Maybe you can spot the Dead NASA dude.
MavisRileyJunior 2 years ago
Comment removed
TheLastHero14 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I feel I have ti use caps here, it seems to be the only way that certain individuals pick up on things... IT'S NOT CAMERA TRICKERY...
It does however involve mirrors and extreme choreography. The host explains this more or less at the begining.
This is onbe of my all time fave magic/trick shows. I love the romance behind the story. Did she die? Did she want to? Who knows... enjoy the art for waht it is people... smile while your heart wonders :)
GigglingJester 2 years ago
I feel I have ti use caps here, it seems to be the only way that certain individuals pick up on things... IT'S NOT CAMERA TRICKERY...
It does however involve mirrors and extreme choreography. The host explains this more or less at the begining.
This is onbe of my all time fave magic/trick shows. I love the romance behind the story. Did she die? Did she want to? Who knows... enjoy the art for waht it is people... smile while your heart wonders :)
GigglingJester 2 years ago 6
This has been flagged as spam show
ITS DEFINETLY CAMERA TRICKS! hahha
lego398 2 years ago
does any one know the name of the harp song or the background music
Lordvivi 2 years ago
My kind of magic!...
haxanthrobo 2 years ago
i dont get it
justinjt100 2 years ago
neither do i
155chipmunkz 2 years ago
i love the music from this video! the guy talking kills the mood in the beginning o well :-D
LUNCHBOX762X39 2 years ago 5
The Blue Room is similar to Pepper's Ghost, but it uses a sliding mirror to reveal the hidden room. The room is painted blue and lit dimly in order to prevent changes in the shadow angles from giving the game away.
ianmacm 3 years ago
Eh hem... You seem to value letting people know things over their magical experience or years of other peoples work. Share your secrets only with those who truly love knowing them for their arts sake and your confidants and audiences will love and respect you all the more.
bobspamming 2 years ago
Um... if you didn't want to know how it was done why did you come look for it here?
egamer25 2 years ago
Where did you get this clip from? I've been looking for the complete special that it came from and have been unable to find it. Any help would be appreciated.
fur4scott 3 years ago
Secrets Of Magic DVD with Lance Burton.
MavisRileyJunior 3 years ago 4
i bought it on amazon
justinlaw77 2 years ago
@fur4scott now on hulu.com too.
MrPisster 1 year ago
How the hell......??
somewhatmagic 3 years ago
It's a variation of Pepper's Ghost. Beautiful rendition!
magicfreak123 3 years ago
wow thats pretty cool
fat21s 3 years ago
Such a beautiful illusion. I've always wanted to do it, but it's sooooo impractical...
kelleymagic 3 years ago
I've been looking for this video for a while! Not only is it a great show of a very old illusion, but the "story" told is so touching.
CassieJo2 3 years ago
I don't get it...
Max058028tingle 3 years ago 2
I really enjoy watching this illusion. Does anyone know the name of the piece(s) of music that is used?
magicstreet 3 years ago
This is quite a classic, I saw it on the special hosted by Robert Urich about 10 years ago. The effect is pretty convincing.
seanmhome 3 years ago
hallo, i just tried to send u a PM but since we are no "friends" i can´t. so i try it like this:
Hallo,
my name is Bruno, I am a puppeteer from Berlin and I am building a mini-pepper-ghost-theater for my new show and now I saw your The Blue Room illusion -video , what makes me think again how i construct my little theater.
zuzzurulloni 3 years ago
I would really like to contact u and ask you some more questions, because I know the technique of the effect and many other illusions quite good, but still can´t figure out exactly how it´s done there.
it would be very nice if you could contact me via mail nervmich(+the thing for mails)gmail(little round+comercialthing:) ,
Have a nice day, and thank you for your inspiration!
Bruno
zuzzurulloni 3 years ago
I would really like to contact u and ask you some more questions, because I know the technique of the effect and many other illusions quite good, but still can´t figure out exactly how it´s done there.
it would be very nice if you could contact me via mail nervmich(+the thing for mails)gmail(little round+comercialthing:) ,
Have a nice day, and thank you for your inspiration!
Bruno
zuzzurulloni 3 years ago
The music was perfectly suited and i really enjoyed watching it.
Comedymania181 3 years ago
Ditto, MaxWonder2008, this is a very touching piece of magical theatre. Thanks to MavisRileyJunior for posting it. Kudos as well to PriceBurton for the historical clarification. This is a haunting illusion, and an enchanting piece of video (narrated by Robert Urich, I think?). Many writers have attributed the effects to the "Pepper's Ghost," technique, however that doesn't adequately explain all of the illusions. A remarkable piece. I'd love to know how they staged it.
terrosus 3 years ago
I just want to say,this is the first piece of magic that made me CRIED.I hope I can performant it in the future.
MaxWonder2008 3 years ago 2
The illusion was invented by Walker and Pepper, and was originally called "Metempsychosis." Kellar presented it in the U.S. as "The Blue Room." Even though Pepper was one of the inventors, the method is NOT related to Pepper's Ghost.
PriceBurton 3 years ago 3
I also know how part of this illusion is done and I just think it is amazin! I love it! And the ending was very cool to. Very creative. I wish they had done it with a better choice of music, but that would have been a plus. 5 start rating for this video is the minimum I would give.
mercurio0000 3 years ago
What you are seeing here in THE BLUE ROOM is both similar and dissimilar to the standard Pepper's Ghost illusion. There are other things that come into play for this particular illusion other than your standard pane of glass tilted at a 45-degree angle. If you knew the actual operation, set-up, and the amount of practice it takes to pull this effect off, you would know why traveling shows don't feature it other than perhaps a "Gorilla Girl" transformation at carnivals and haunted attractions.
HauntedVenturesFX 3 years ago 2
OMG SHE DIED
ci39 3 years ago 3
If you want to prove to yourself that this works, go into a room with a window looking out on a nighttime scene, with objects visible. Bring a flashlight with you, and turn out all the lights in the room. Stand facing the window, then shine the flashlight on your face. You'll discover that the brighter the flashlight, the less transparent the reflection of your face seems to be. This is the balancing act required to make the effect look natural - or should we say supernatural.
moonsyne 3 years ago
Yes, just Wiki Pepper's Ghost.
moonsyne 3 years ago
i have this on tape this came out in 94
LUNCHBOX762X39 4 years ago
Where else could I find this actual...skit? what is it officially? I recreated this in gradeschool.
trombone667 4 years ago
To see this performed so well is priceless.. And although I suspect it has been edited or the POV adjusted (Tina Lennart coming out of Tina Lennart), I also believe and respect the fact that no trick photography was used at any time. This ranks in my top 10 favorite magic viewing experiences of all time.
VimisiDigitalMedia 4 years ago
Thank you!!! i saw this some time ago and have been looking for it since. I have a strong innterest in magic particularly older forms as i also have an interest in the time period this was invented in, ie turn of the last cerntury. Its incredible how effective something as simple as The Ghost can be if done correctly.
Jourell1 4 years ago
It is no Camera trick. It is based off of Phantasmagoria or Peppers Ghost. That is the base part of it, but there is more to it than that and all without camera tricks. Maybe some sensitive angles, but no camera tricks!
Pisacha 4 years ago
very true, I've known one of the creators who helped recreate this very same illusion on t.v. The illusion does use a technique know as peper's ghost, (the same effect in Disney's Haunted Mansion) sadley, the video that you've posted uses the aid of camera tricks in some parts of the illusion. So technically it uses a little bit of both.
jkmtennispro 4 years ago
Just look up Pepper's Ghost on Wikipedia: you'll see how this is done without any video trickery. The only problem with this version is that the way it's filmed makes it look as if there could be camera tricks involved, although that's not the case. It would be lovely to see this done live.
coolaun 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
fake bur reaaaaaally nice video...
mOntaLex 4 years ago
It isn't fake.
MavisRileyJunior 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
sorry but i cant believe you,you give me zero reasons to believe you.its not enough for me that u r saying to me"it isnt fake." so and i tell you "its fake".and then what?give me arguments.
mOntaLex 4 years ago
Its based on Peppers Ghost as someone else has written.You don't believe me,sorry.Just becasue you don't know how it's done doesn't mean it has to be fake.
MavisRileyJunior 4 years ago 6
@mOntaLex That's a ridiculous statement. the fact that you can't just leave something as a piece of entertainment, you have to give it reason at all repulses me. This is why magic is no longer in the modern world. People insist on reasons, then when they get them they're not impressed anymore, and when they get no answers they assume it's fake. Ridiculous.
richifie 1 year ago
This illusion is a good 100 years old and was created by Harry Keller. It's related to Pepper's Ghost and the ballroom in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.
NewMJ 4 years ago 3
It's SO well done, that I can't get it out of my head that it isn't a camera trick! It looks too much like a scene from a movie, maybe an audience would have made it more realistic.
That woman appearing was amazing!
daevillittleman 4 years ago
I promise you it isn't a camera trick.
MavisRileyJunior 4 years ago
i don't know how it is done, but i think MavisRileyJunior is right. Notice the light/darkness-setting and the restricted range of sight in the illusion-chamber, combined with the dark room-color (for example, remember, often you can't decide if a jacket is black or dark blue).
Maybe i'm completely on the wrong track, but this was my idea when i saw the arm with the flowers coming out of the wall.
Sic7777 4 years ago
Well, I apologize for underestimating your word. I gather you yourself are a bit of an illusionist, per chance? BTW forgive me for my earlier behaviour for I feel it is most intolerable than any swamp gas. :-)
stone412 4 years ago
And you know this because......a)YOU were there? b)YOU were told it wasn't? or c)Magic is REAL if we believe? Yeah, this isn't a camera trick much like Shrek ISN'T really an Ogre. He's a mildly offense oaf who has trumpets for ears and smells intolerably of swamp gas.
stone412 4 years ago
I know this because I know how the illusion is done.Simple.
MavisRileyJunior 4 years ago
Only through the illusion of cameras is it possible. Remember when Cris Angel WOWS his specs with HIS illusions? They're IN on it! When the blade rotated to cut him in half? It was spinning in the wrong direction!
stone412 4 years ago
This isn't a camera trick.
MavisRileyJunior 4 years ago
In a time when some magicians are too busy using lasers, a lot of smoke and siliconed dancers, it's nice to see something so simple in concept and far more magical.
therealmagicone 4 years ago
It's called an illusion, and yes it's possible
bondjames628 4 years ago
It is T.V., I mean that can't be possible.
westsidebakehouse 4 years ago
Remember the ghosts in haunted mansion? - same theory only... well... more magical.
ItsBinary 4 years ago 2
bloody hell! cant believe it, its crazy! no camera tricks nothing, jesus, bloody good illusion.
docg281 4 years ago
no camera tricks ??? wow its really hard to believe
awimagic 4 years ago
Thanks for posting this! I remember seeing this special many years ago and thinking it was the greatest illusion I had ever seen.
silky7483 5 years ago