Uncle Timmy Zombie's How-Tos

Talking Head Inside a Crystal Ball

My good friend Larry Bounds, of Knoxville, TN, first brought me into the light, so to speak, about this incredible illusion. He helped create one for the 'Museum of Witchcraft and Magic,' in Gatlinburg, TN. This was more of a museum than a haunted house, but featured this and the Pepper's Ghost Illusion. I thought this was wonderful to see a disembodied head talking inside a crystal ball.

To produce this illusion, A wax face needs to be created, either by carving it out of clay and casting it or an actor's face in plaster and molding a wax face by pouring the hot wax into the plaster cast. If you do the latter, coat the mold with a good coat of vaseline. Now this face should be to scale with a human face. A row, or fringe of wild looking hair should be attached to the edge of the head, leaving the back open. You will also need a round glass terrarium, available from a floral shop or pottery outlet. This should be about 1 1/2 feet in diameter. The head goes in here.

Next you need to get the old video camera out, and film the subject that is supplying the dialogue for the face of the head. They will need to be giving the rules of the Haunted House or whatever information you want the head to say. The face will need to be masked off so that the picture doesn't spill out beyond the face. To mask off the face, cover a 2 foot square piece of plywood cardboard with black felt and cut a hole the size and shape of the actor's face. The actor sticks their face in the hole, and is filmed very close-up.

The projector is aimed into the back of the wax head. The wax head should be thick enough to contain the projection. If you are unable to create a wax head, a blank white, or translucent mask, or even a circle of white paper affixed to the inside of the globe will substitute.

There are small relatively inexpensive video projectors on the market. You could also use a 8mm film camera, but it is difficult to deal with the film. The movie must be put on a continuous loop for this to work, unless you want to rewind it after each performance. You might also experiment with front projecting it onto the front surface of the head. If you do this, you will need to hide the projector either overhead of the group, or experiment by reflecting it from a mirror under the table. This is not an effect you want to try to do at the last minute.

We found this a very effective illusion, but due to the fact video projectors weren't readily available at the time, we had to use regular movie film. We had it looped in a maze of rollers up and down from the ceiling to the floor. It was a major headache. I wish you good luck. Check out the platters that movie theaters use to run their films for ideas on how to make a continuous loop.

You can also use this method to project a scene onto a painting on the wall. A little bit of special effects in your house can make it memorable for your customers. They will come back and bring your friends to see these things. It can also propel you above any competing houses in your area. These effects will give your place a look of professionalism.

The above "How-To" is an excerpt from Tim Harkleroad's "The Complete Haunted House Book" for more information about this and other great haunted house reference books go to MoonLighting Publication's website "Haunted House Books On-Line" at www.hauntedhousebooks.com. You can e-mail Tim at moonpub@aol.com