orangele
Grip
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2013
- Messages
- 21
- Real Name
- Timothy
So let me preface that I actually am NOT wanting to install fiber optic stars in my ceiling, but I am attempting to create a special effect which I am calling "Fade into infinity." This involves placing fiberoptic stars in matte black foamboard around, above, and on the floor in front of a portrait mode OLED monitor. The black foamboard and TV itself completely encompasses the field of view as well as some additional buffer area if viewers try to peek inside the theater. This effect is being created as part of my multi-year recreation of the Disney Tower of Terror ride experience without the 199ft drop tower. There is a Tower of Terror Boiler room set which sits outside of my home theater. Here is a link if you are interested in seeing the project.
Getting back to the question, the OLED TV is mounted about 3 ft inside the entrance to the home theater, with the original sliding glass doors converted to a reproduction of the Tower of Terror elevator doors that are motorized. As part of the multimedia show created for this project, a custom deepfake was created of Rod Serling who appears twice inside the theater when the motorized doors open. At the end of his second appearance (at 7:11 in the video linked above), he will gradually fade to blackness (OLED critical for this), while fiberoptic stars will gradually appear, thus I call this planned effect; "fade into infinity." I will edit in images of the fiberoptic stars into the video file so that when Serling fades, star will appear in the TV screen matching the brightness and density that appears in the foamboard surrounding the TV. The goal is for the stars to be as realistic as possible. In pursuit of this goal, my thoughts were firstly to eliminate all light inside the theater, and having mounted the black matte foamboard, and placed the black foamboard on all reflective surfaces, I am happy with the black level. Additionally during the multimedia show in the boiler room set, the light level is going up and down, and thus the times when Serling appears, viewers eyes will not have time to really accomodate the complete darkness inside the theater. I would like input from others as I feel like having different fiber diameters certainly is more realistic than one or two. I am planning at this point using 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 0.75mm, 1mm, and perhaps one or two 2mm fibers. From my research also, a density of maybe 4 fibers/sq ft is good; as too many I think does not look realistic. At 4 stars per cubic feet this would mean about 400-500 stars in the foamboard; this hopefull should not be too labor-intensive. Lastly, are there any tools, or tricks for placing the fibers?; I figure the small diameter fibers may be more difficult. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Getting back to the question, the OLED TV is mounted about 3 ft inside the entrance to the home theater, with the original sliding glass doors converted to a reproduction of the Tower of Terror elevator doors that are motorized. As part of the multimedia show created for this project, a custom deepfake was created of Rod Serling who appears twice inside the theater when the motorized doors open. At the end of his second appearance (at 7:11 in the video linked above), he will gradually fade to blackness (OLED critical for this), while fiberoptic stars will gradually appear, thus I call this planned effect; "fade into infinity." I will edit in images of the fiberoptic stars into the video file so that when Serling fades, star will appear in the TV screen matching the brightness and density that appears in the foamboard surrounding the TV. The goal is for the stars to be as realistic as possible. In pursuit of this goal, my thoughts were firstly to eliminate all light inside the theater, and having mounted the black matte foamboard, and placed the black foamboard on all reflective surfaces, I am happy with the black level. Additionally during the multimedia show in the boiler room set, the light level is going up and down, and thus the times when Serling appears, viewers eyes will not have time to really accomodate the complete darkness inside the theater. I would like input from others as I feel like having different fiber diameters certainly is more realistic than one or two. I am planning at this point using 0.25mm, 0.5mm, 0.75mm, 1mm, and perhaps one or two 2mm fibers. From my research also, a density of maybe 4 fibers/sq ft is good; as too many I think does not look realistic. At 4 stars per cubic feet this would mean about 400-500 stars in the foamboard; this hopefull should not be too labor-intensive. Lastly, are there any tools, or tricks for placing the fibers?; I figure the small diameter fibers may be more difficult. Thanks in advance for any advice!
