Practical Effects Classics | Pepper’s Ghost Effect | How To Do Peppers Ghost

Peppers Ghost is a famous practical way to film and display for a live audience a ghost effect. This effect has amazed audiences as far back as the 16th century, Giambattista della Porta a scientist, inventor and scholar describe this technique in one of his journals (Magia Naturalis which means Natural Magic). And although it was re-invented in 1862 by inventor Henry Dircks, it was made popular when Henry helped John Pepper used the technique in a the live theater play Charles Dickens’s “The Haunted Man“. From then on this special effects technique has been known as Pepper’s Ghost.

The Good News, Unlike in 1862…You Have Home Depot!

You can build your own Peppers Ghost Effect with a piece of see through but reflective Glass, a white sheet with two holes in it(optional), and a few lights.

How The Illusion Works!

The illusion works by having your viewer being able to look straight into the room you want your peppers ghost effect to take place. However you will have a hidden room like the picture above where you audience cannot see. Your ghost talent will be at an approximate 45 degree angle to a piece of mildly reflective but is see through clear glass(green box above) and this will reflect your talents image on the glass as a ghostly permission. The edge of the glass can be hidden by a matching pattern on the floor, or by darkening the area with black sheets to hide and darken the edges of the glass.

The hidden room typically is a mirror image of the adjacent room to match the mirror’s reflected image. By turning on and off the light in the hidden room, you can make your ghost appear and disappear at will!

Another way to do this is to paint or dress up the hidden room all black, and just light your subject (dressed in white to make it easier) this way you don’t have to duplicate the furniture in the other adjacent room.

This is how Disney’s Haunted Mansion create ghosts right in front of you!

Peppers Ghost Doll House Project!