I’m a member of the Alberta Ghostbusters. We are a not-for-profit cosplay society. We raise money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and Make-A-Wish Canada.
Recently, Make-A-Wish asked our board if we would be willing to help grant a wish for a critically ill seven-year-old named Brent. He wanted to be a Ghostbuster, catch a ghost, be in a Ghostbuster movie and eat a Ghostbuster chocolate cake. Luckily, we have a lot of talented and skilled members that were able to make this a reality! The project was helmed by our member Dustin Milne, who owns a production company called Digital Media Integrations, as well as our member Shaun Pulsifer, who was the Director. Calgary City Police, Calgary’s mayor Jeromy Farkas and Calgary EMS were also involved!
This project came together within a 2-month period. A story line was worked out that would allow Brent to star in his own mini-Ghostbusters movie, but that would also allow him to have an unforgettable experience. For part of the experience, we needed a way for Brent to scan a slime sample that he collected at Calgary’s abandoned jail, and transmit the data to Podcast at Ghostbuster’s NY headquarters. I came up with this portable scanner that Brent could use “in the field”.
I built the scanner inside a Dollarama toolbox that had some features that were reminiscent of proton pack. The majority of the parts were cut from 1/8" and 1/16" basswood ply that I textured and then painted. I added electronics, including switches, LEDs and addressable LEDs that were controlled by Arduino. An iPad mini was built into the lid to be able to play the video from Podcast (actor Logan Kim). Since sound effects will be added in post production, the prop didn’t have any but I plan to add some so we can use the scanner as a prop at our booth when we appear at conventions.
My GF was invaluable, not only for allowing me to make the finished prop but also because it allowed me to iterate cardboard versions quickly in order to see what changes needed to be made.
Brent, and all the volunteers involved, had an absolutely amazing day. Editing is happening as we speak and soon, Brent will have his own Ghostbusters movie that he starred in. The team is also working on a documentary about the making of the wish.
If you are interested in hearing more about the wish, Ghostbusters News interviewed Dustin about the day. It was truly magical and I’m so grateful to have been a part of Brent’s wish!
Photo by Leya Russel Photography
Photo by Leya Russel Photography
