The Chicago Tribune estimates that CNN’s ridiculous/awesome/innovative/bizarre/unnecessary election-night holograms cost, in all, between…$300,000 and $400,000.

Andrew Orloff estimates that, anyway. Orloff is creative director of Zoic Studios, a Los Angeles firm that, per the Trib, “creates visual effects for TV, movies, commercials and video games.” His take on the hologramification of election night?

“It was pretty cool, but it was a little bit weird too. … It was a little bit creepy,” he said. “They were not quite looking at each other—[Blitzer] couldn’t see what we saw.”