Twitter Reminds Us How Hologram Technology Brought Tupac Shakur Back on Stage in 2012

Keeping a close eye on shifting global trends can often be an interesting exercise. And on one such afternoon, when I switched my focus towards the trending topics in the United States, I noticed a curious phenomenon – the hashtag #TupacShakur registered as the second most popular subject, following right after iOS 10. The timing wasn’t arbitrary, as it marked the exact 20th anniversary of this iconic rapper’s death due to gunshot wounds on the 13th of September, 1996, having been shot on the 7th of the same month.

The trending topic highlighted how much the world still remembered Tupac Shakur. The real surprise, however, was a tweet by Dr. Jill Stein, a medical doctor and White House candidate for the Green Party in the election year. If she triumphed, she would be the 45th President of the United States, and her sentiments aligned with those of the rapper, prioritizing the war on poverty above all.

A significant part of this remembrance for Tupac Shakur was the groundbreaking way he had returned to the limelight. In 2012, at the popular Coachella music festival, a hologram of the rapper made waves when he reunited on stage with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. A detailed report by CBS News revealed that the seemingly three-dimensional hologram of Shakur was developed by the visual effects firm Digital Domain, the creative brains behind the innovative CGI in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ and Oscar-winning ‘Titanic’.

When interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, El Ulbrich, the Chief Creative Officer of Digital Domain, confessed that Shakur’s image was entirely digital. This recreation of the rap legend was not constructed from existing footage, but was a technologically advanced illusion.

While it appeared to be a 3D model, the artist’s image was actually a 2D projection, carefully redirected onto an inclined glass on the stage floor, which subsequently portrayed the image onto a Mylar screen on the performance stage. Professionals from AV Concepts customized the Musion Eyeliner system for this purpose, managing to seamlessly introduce it between live performances within seconds.

Through hologram technology, Shakur symbolically returned to life, connecting with hordes of adoring fans. As AV Concepts explained, the pivotal element in the process was their proprietorial Liquid Scenic server, which generated an incredibly clear projected image with 54,000 lumens of light. Further details can be discovered in the comprehensive CBS report.

At its core, a hologram is a three-dimensional image generated by the interference of light beams from a coherent light source. But creating such an effect requires meticulous conditions: an object or person to record, a laser beam to illumine the object, a suitable recording medium, and an interference-free environment to enable light beams’ intersection.

Notably, Tupac Shakur’s call to fame through this technological marvel hasn’t been the only one of its kind. Similar techniques have resurrected other music legends, such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, to continue their legacy on stage.

As some assert, Tupac Shakur might have been ‘hated by many, loved by a few but respected by all.’ Even though the applause that once filled his concerts now echoes across decades, the resonance of Tupac Shakur continues to reverberate in the hearts of music lovers around the world, proving that technology can indeed keep the legacy of timeless icons alive.