Application (pre-grant publication)
SPECIAL EFFECTS SYSTEM FOR GENERATING A MIDAIR LASER BLAST ILLUSION
- Number
- 20180180258
- Published
- 2018-06-28
- Filed
- 2016-12-27
- Assignee
- DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
- Inventors
- JOSEPH; DANIEL M.; DE JESUS; GUILLERMO FOK; PETRONGLO; JUSTIN C.; KAPLAN; SAMANTHA L.
- CPC
- F21V14/08; F21V11/18; F21S10/00
- Verdict
- High Hardware
- Source
- Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline
The keeper's note
Midair laser-blast illusion special-effects system.
Abstract
A special effects apparatus for generating an illusion of a moving beam of light in midair. The apparatus includes a light source, such as a laser light source outputting colored light, generating a beam of light that is aimed along a linear light travel path. The apparatus further includes a dynamic light receiving assembly, and this assembly includes: an elongated support rod; a light receiving element attached to a first end of the support rod; and a driver coupled to a second end of the support rod opposite the first end of the support rod. The driver rotates the support rod about the second end at a high rotation rate, and the light receiving element moves along an arcuate travel path that intersects the linear light travel path of the beam of light. The arcuate travel path of the light receiving element and the linear light travel path are coplanar.
Background
BACKGROUND1. Field of the Description
The present description relates, in general, to theatrical and other visual special effect devices used to provide lighting-based illusions or displays and, more particularly, to a special effects system (or light-based display system) adapted to provide linear streaks, bolts, or elongated balls light, e.g., an illusion that a theatrical prop such as a futuristic laser-based weapon has fired a laser blast or the like, and the output of the special effects system is 360-degree viewable.2. Relevant Background
In the entertainment industry, there are many settings or venues where it is desirable to recreate scenes from popular movies often with live actors performing a scene from a movie. An often used lighting effect in movies is a streak or flash of light from various sources. For example, many futuristic movies include battles where the actors operate laser-based props, e.g., blaster gun props, which produce laser blasts. The laser blast beams in the movie travel through the air and may have the appearance of a volumetric ball or slug of light, which may be red, green, blue, or another color, that travels from the actor's weapon prop through the air in a line to its target.
To create such a scene in a movie, post-production computer graphics and other techniques are used to easily achieve the laser-blast effect inserting streaks of light after filming is completed. However, it has been problematic to create a similar eff