Bringing an Old Wizard to Life with the Help of Augmented Reality: A Behind-the-Scenes Throwback

The other day, while looking through some old video projects, I found an absolute cracker! It took me right back to a fun and challenging production for an augmented reality (AR) app. This project, done in collaboration with Creative Core, brought together a mix of creative direction and technical know-how, all while learning some fascinating local history about Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland.

The Brief: Bringing John Henry Anderson, the Wizard of the North, Back to Life

The project was part of a local project to teach both residents and tourists about Aberdeen’s history. Creative Core were developing the  AR APP, in order to share the story of John Henry Anderson, famously known as the “Wizard of the North.” We cast a local actor to portray Anderson, bringing his story back to life through a series of short videos.

The AR app worked by triggering these videos whenever users pointed their phones at specific markers around a stretch of the city in the Bon-Accord area of town. The videos would pop up on their screens, as the actor flagged up local city sights and told the story of our Wizard. It was a modern way of connecting people with local history through interactive technology.

The ‘Real’ John Henry Anderson

Our John Henry Anderson Actor

Behind the Green Screen: Creating Magic

Filming on a green screen is always great fun—the fewer the shadows, the better the ‘keying’ in post-production! I directed the actor, ensuring that his portrayal of Anderson was engaging on camera and would fit well within the AR environment.

For those unfamiliar with AR, it’s all about blending the real and digital worlds. In this case, the actor needed to interact with a world that didn’t yet exist—something only possible through a lot of planning, creativity, and technical precision.

Watch the Behind-the-Scenes Video

I’ve included a special behind-the-scenes video below, so you can see exactly what went into filming this AR project. It captures the process from setting up the green screen to directing the actor and offers a peek into the work behind the camera. It’s always a blast looking back on this project, and I think you’ll enjoy seeing how it all came together.

Aberdeen’s Local Legend Brought to Life

At the heart of it really is a great local legend of Aberdeen that few have heard about—our actor bringing the story of John Henry Anderson, the Wizard of the North, to life. It was such a rewarding experience to see the city’s history brought into the digital age in such a unique and engaging way.

To learn more about John Henry Anderson, the “Wizard of the North,” you can visit his Wikipedia page here.