SPECIAL EFFECTS SYSTEM USING RETROREFLECTIONS TO CREATE AN ILLUSION OF GLOWING TOYS AND PROPS

摘要

A special effects (FX) system for generating a penumbra or glow effect about an object. Briefly, the FX system includes at least one sheet of retroreflective material and a penumbra activator. The penumbra activator is designed to selectively direct light toward a reflective surface of the retroreflective material. For example, the penumbra activator may include an elongated core element extending from a hilt. The body of the core element may include strings or sets of direction light sources, which may be spaced apart along the length of external surfaces of the core element body. A controller is used to operate the light sources such as by sequentially illuminating the lights sources from an end near the base/hilt to an end near a tip/distal end of the core element body, with earlier lit sources remaining on in some cases to cause a light sword blade to grow out of the hilt.

主权项

1. A system for generating a glowing effect, comprising:
a sheet of retroreflective material with a reflective surface facing into a viewing space; and a penumbra activator, positioned within the viewing space, including a support element and a plurality of light sources mounted on a surface of the support element, wherein the light sources operate to direct light towards the reflective surface and wherein a penumbra is generated adjacent edges of the support element proximate to mounting locations of the light sources.