We are living through an amazing technological time, and now one of the most popular presidents of the last century is back. Sort of.
Those who miss Ronald Reagan’s sunny optimism during the Trump era have a chance to hear from the 40th president himself as a three-dimensional holographic image at his library and museum.
The $1.5-million exhibit is the first of its kind among the nation’s presidential libraries, said Executive Director John Heubusch.
“As technology has evolved, we wanted to go from 2D to 3D,” said Heubusch. “We want to bring the visitor even closer to Ronald Reagan.”
Visitors to the museum will be ushered into a room where they can get up close and personal with Reagan. After viewing a short film, curtains open and a 3D version of Reagan appears on stage in one of three scenes — no glasses required.
Amazing!
Reagan speaks from the back on a train during a 1984 whistlestop tour, in his horse riding attire at his California ranch, and from the Oval Office after stepping off Marine One.
The goal, above all, was realism, according to library and museum officials.
“It’s like being in the room with the president,” Heubusch said.
John Heubusch, executive director of the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute, right, and Davis Nussbaum, senior vice president of Hologram USA, with models of President Ronald Reagan that were used in the creation of a new hologram presentation. (Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY)
The holographic exhibit was four years in the making, taking advantage of advances in hologram technology that has recently allowed the images of live people to be beamed to events around the world. As for dead people, they’re showing up, too, but the process of having them make an appearance is more complicated.
In the case of Reagan, the transformation into a 3D holograph involved hiring an actor who had the right size and mannerisms. After none could be found with similar facial features, the museum commissioned a sculpture of Reagan’s head just for video purposes.
The head, which now eerily resides in a bookcase in a cabinet, was scanned from all angles using multiple cameras. Then the image was transferred to the top of the body. The most difficult part, Heubusch said, was getting his mouth movements to conform exactly to Reagan’s words, drawn from speeches and interviews. It was done through the kind of post-production magic used in Hollywood.
To do it all, the museum commissioned Hologram USA of Beverly Hills, California, which has specialized in the technique for entertainment and corporate events. There was, for instance, the time the company beamed a holographic image of Tupac Shakur into the Coachella music festival.
Bringing a walking, talking Reagan back as a continuing exhibit, however, “was, by far, the most important hologram we’ve done,” said David Nussbaum, a senior vice president for Hologram USA. “This is a museum piece.”
Heubusch sounds satisfied with the finished product. He said the exhibit will set the stage for the walk through the museum.
After all, Reagan’s nickname was The Great Communicator. Now the former president’s holographic self gets to do the talking.