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Haunted Mansion Changing Portrait Update
- Thread starter spectromagic04
- Start date
flynnibus
Premium Member
My guess... the old prints were backlit by a xenon or similar high temp lamp light source... and now it's backlit with a panel of LED lights. The LED lighting was just cranked way too high leading to the light bleeding through of the image. And the video camera Iris was really wigging out with the bright light in the dark room, making the 'off' mode look even darker than it should.. where none of the light from the front could be seen (Iris problems)
Buried20KLeague
Well-Known Member
I have it on good authority they're close to adding a new portrait to match the lighting and style of these...
disney4life2008
Well-Known Member
Goofnut1980
Well-Known Member
I hope they have video screens.. no reason not to use technology. In December nothing flashed at all. They were just dark stagnant pictures on the wall.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
Just a recap for everyone who hasn't checked out the whole thread -- they didn't work in December because they were installing the new lights, which got turned on in January and returned the effect to service.
As of now the new lights are still too bright, but they're still tweaking things. Should be back normal in the coming weeks.
As of now the new lights are still too bright, but they're still tweaking things. Should be back normal in the coming weeks.
DisneyCane
Well-Known Member
Can someone explain how they complicate the process of dimming a light enough that it takes more than 10 minutes to tweak each portrait? Even if it is an adjustment screw inside the cabinet and they have to open, turn, close and observe it can't be that time consuming. Once one is adjusted, the others should go even faster.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Most likely, the lights and their intensity are controlled over a network by a show controller located elsewhere in the building. It's not as simple as adjusting something on the light fixture itself, but it still could be done in one or two third shifts to achieve the correct the look for the whole scene.
In general, lighting and audio levels are two of WDW's weakest aspects regarding show quality. For whatever reason, it's common for not enough time to be spent on tweaking to the correct levels.
peter11435
Well-Known Member
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Third shift workers try, but there are not enough people and not enough hours, especially in MK, chronically busy, chronically extending park hours. Those 6 pm and 7 pm closing in days of yore were beneficial to show. Granted, they could afford to hire more people, but the 4 1/2 month party season, Disney After Hours, EMH, and extended weekend hours are rough on maintenance.
HM is actually one of the better-maintained rides as it is viewed as one of the Crown Jewels of WDW. I wish they would selectively maintain the classic effects and let the new ones (made by Imagineers who don’t understand the ride) fall into disrepair.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
Agreed. HM usually does look great. I wish they would return the original hitchhiking ghost effect. The old effect was ridiculously more convincing and creepy. The new one is, welp,"that sure is a projection." It's absolutely baffling how bad it is.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I really like the new effect. I liked the old one too, but the new one adds an interesting twist.
Set X Dimmer @ X level, Enter.
Or.. Set DMX Ch @ X Level, Enter.
No more than 4 button presses.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I hate it. For one thing it doesn’t work half the time anyway. More importantly it’s very obvious that it’s a projected animation. The old version, although a centuries old effect, actually made people question how it was done. The ghosts had depth because they were actual physical models. The new effect by comparison is flat.
LittleBuford
Well-Known Member
I respect your perspective. I personally like the more “interactive” version we now have, though I don’t necessarily prefer it.
yensidtlaw1969
Well-Known Member
When rumors first started swirling of updated, interactive Hitchhiking Ghosts in the mirrors I remember thinking "Wow! If they can really make Animatronics do all that, it should be amazing!"
Cut to the inconsistent, flat-looking, non-Animatronic, off-model computer generated situation we have now, and unfortunately it's a "meh" from me. I find myself enjoying enjoying the scene more at Disneyland where the original effect is intact. Simple, effective, convincing, reliable, and creepy . . .
Phantom Manor's version got me good when I saw it for the first time at 10 years old -- their ghost crawls up on top of the Doombuggy, so unlike the traditional version where you can look beside you and see no ghost in your car, you don't really know for sure that he isn't there . . . a small change with a very spooky payoff, especially after the darker tone struck through their whole ride. And it was done the old-fashioned way, so it looked gooood. I wonder if it'll still be that way when Phantom Manor comes back from its big refurb.
JohnD
Well-Known Member
I dunno. Some things just aren't worth changing. This just looks like light up neon portraits. So what? I thought it was eerier the way it was before. Normal portraits with outlines that light up from flashes of lightning.
On another note, I made it all the way through the ride without it ever stopping. Hasn't happened while I was on it in a long time. (Look, I'm all for the less able to be able to ride and they need to slow it down or stop it for them to board but there is something to be said for experiencing it all the way through without stopping.)
On another note, I made it all the way through the ride without it ever stopping. Hasn't happened while I was on it in a long time. (Look, I'm all for the less able to be able to ride and they need to slow it down or stop it for them to board but there is something to be said for experiencing it all the way through without stopping.)