Jean-Luc Mélenchon's hologram... really?
Let's go behind the scenes of a very original political meeting!
It is very likely that you still remember the “Jean-Luc Mélenchon hologram” that created the buzz at the beginning of 2017. Curious and perplexed about the system used to obtain such a result, we explored the subject in order to find out if we really can talk about a hologram.
At first glance, the rendering is honorable and the hologram impression is really present. We observe the silhouette of Mélenchon who is standing in front of the public and preaching his speech in several major French cities.
Through the holograms, we observe that the politician moves, speaks and gesticulates like a real natural person on a human scale. The colors of the rendering are faithful to the original, the sound is well synchronized, which suggests that the hologram is indeed real.
The question now is is it a real hologram?
Without wanting to disappoint you, after research on the technique put in place, it is finally an optical illusion. The system used is very old, it consists in projecting a 2D video onto a mirror placed on the floor of the scene which then reflects the image on a transparent plane (transparent film or Plexiglas) inclined at 45° on the front of the scene. Thus, Jean-Luc Mélenchon can transcribe the video of his meeting in several different places. Pretty smart no?
To help you better understand optical illusion, here is a diagram of the system used:
What is Mélenchon's objective in using holograms?
This can be summed up in an “extraordinary show of force” as Jean-Luc Mélenchon himself points out, but that is not all, it is above all a question of usefulness.
Looking back: we are in February 2017 during the presidential campaign that will elect the eighth president of the fifth republic. Each candidate redoubles their efforts, tries to stand out and attract as many supporters as possible. Despite his defeat in the first round, Mélenchon knew how to distinguish himself by achieving something spectacular (that's the case): hosting several meetings in different major French cities, at the same time!
But how is that possible? Did Jean-Luc Mélenchon have to split up? That's almost it...
For such an achievement, Mr. Mélenchon placed holograms (or almost) of himself on each meeting scene in several major cities such as Grenoble, Clermont-Ferrand, Montpellier, Montpellier, Nancy, Nantes and even Réunion Island! The candidate therefore managed to hold a meeting simultaneously in seven different cities, while being physically present only in Dijon (where he was filmed). Anything is possible with the hologram!
How could Mélenchon set up such a holographic system?
It is not the first time that a politician has used the hologram for a meeting. In our case, the candidate called on an agency to insure this colossal project. Mélenchon's holograms were transcribed live, unlike Indian Minister Modi or Turkish President Erdogan who had pre-recorded their holograms. The agency has therefore done considerable and organized work to obtain a result worthy of science fiction.
Mission accomplished for the candidate, who managed to create a buzz around his meetings, triggering some questions about the cost of this operation.
In fact, the costs are estimated at around 300,000€ or 50,000€ per meeting (city), which is a considerable budget.
Fortunately, today there are much more affordable techniques with better results.
What would you say about an accessible, space-saving and breathtaking hologram to animate your presentations, meetings, or other projects remotely?
