How to make a talking head prop for Halloween...
Granted, there are more expensive ways to create a talking head, but we wanted to do it for cheap and show you how its done. We will also provide some tips to help you improve the quality of the prop should you wish to spend more money. To make your talking head or bust, you will need to procure:
- An inexpensive projector, such as the Eyeclops mini-projector
- A DVD player
- A styrofoam head
- A video of a talking or singing face that can be projected
Below is are more details about each of the items needed to make your talking bust prop as well as instructions. Our YouTube video, below, shows just how good this set-up looks for Halloween!
Setting Up the Talking Head Prop
Watch the video of our projector, hidden by books, cast a face upon the wig-covered styrofoam head. With some minor tweaks, a good-looking talking head prop can easily be created for cheap! If you make Madame Leota from Disney's Haunted Mansion, you may elect to put the head inside a plastic or glass bowl that looks like a crystal ball. Use candles to adjust the light around the head in order to mask any stray projection light.
Eyeclops Mini-Projector
The more expensive the projector, typically, the better the projection. The Eyeclops mini-projector is inexpensive and perfect for this project because it has enough strength to project a ghostly face onto the bust because the projection size is small and the projector doesn't have to be far away to do it. Our used model only cost us $30 on eBay!
DVD Player
Have a DVD player laying around? You can use it as long as it has "repeat" play. You may also find a small MP3 player that will also play videos (need that repeat feature).
Stryofoam Head
Finding the right styrofoam head (think eBay) can be tricky. Not enough facial features and your singing bust or talking head will look too much like a movie on a screen. Find the perfect fitting features, and your projection prop will amaze those who see it! (You may want to add white clay to the styrofoam head to build it up to perfectly match the size and features of the video face that is projected onto it. Also, spray painting it white is another option.)
Loop Projection Video
Where the heck can you get a loop projection of a face to project onto your styrofoam head? Easy - many others try and create this effect and have loaded quite a few videos onto YouTube. To find them, try searching for Grim Grinning Ghosts, Madam Leota, singing bust, loop projection, etc. You will not only find singing and talking heads to project, but you'll also see others' creations for inspiration!
How to Get the Video Off of YouTube
So you found your video, and now you want to get it onto your computer in order to burn a DVD. That's easy, too. Copy the url of the video you wish to use and paste it into the URL field on SaveVid.com. The video will appear along with a download option! Before you know it, you'll have your own Halloween talking head or singing bust prop ready to display to trick or treaters!