- Yeah, I'm working with laser technology.

I'm working with photons.

Individual waves of laser light.

It's tough sometimes, when you're doing something

that everyone sees as eccentric in its era.

That you sort of have to wait 'til the next generation

comes along who looks at it and goes like:

"This isn't crazy. This is amazing."

(telephone ringing)

Good afternoon, Holographic Studios.

(plucking music)

- [Narrator] Today we're in New York City,

and we're interviewing this guy.

- Jason Arthur Sapan.

- [Narrator] But his friends call him Dr. Laser.

- [Dr. Laser] Nicknames. You don't choose them.

You get stuck with them.

- [Narrator] He's a Holographer.

That means he makes holograms,

and he's been doing it for a really long time.

- [Dr. Laser] This is now 41 years.

- [Narrator] But not the kind like Tupac, right?

- [Dr. Laser] Oh no. Not even similar.

I mean, Tupac's illusion wasn't even 3-D.

- [Narrator] Holograms? They get kind of bad rap,

but they're actually a really advanced science.

- [Dr. Laser] Holography is a field,

a subdivision of Photonics,

that deals with wave recording of the--

- [Narrator] Oh my God, science.

Long story short, a hologram is made

by bouncing laser light off of

a three dimensional object and onto special film.

Mostly.

- Alright.

- [Narrator] Holograms, they've been relevant,

a handful of times.

- [Dr. Laser] In the '80s holographic jewelry.

In the '90s, suddenly you had Pogs

and Pokemon cards.

Oh my God, my son was like, you know,

very big on getting the hologram ones.

- [Narrator] There's no denying that these things,

they're just not mainstream.

But Dr. Laser doesn't care.

Because he loves what he does.

- [Dr. Laser] Maybe it doesn't make me famous.

Maybe it doesn't make me rich.

But it makes me very, very, very happy.

- [Narrator] Hell yeah.

You do you, Dr. Laser.

(plucking music)