Garber wanted to do the primary Automan effect as an "in camera" effect using front projection to cause Automan to glow like he was made of pure electricity or energy. Theoretically this could be done by putting the actor in a costume made of Scotchlight front projection material.

The problem was that Garber couldn't find a front projection system small enough and portable enough and quiet enough to meet the rigors of a demanding tv production schedule and still do the job. While listening to this conversation I made some mental calculations and by the time the conversation and the lunch were over I had proposed a way to solve his problem. With encouragement from Dykstra and the use of one of Apogee's old Mitchell Standards, some 60/40 partial surfaced mirror and some scraps of Scotchlight material, I was able to do a test within a couple of days, which proved to Garber that my idea would work. The result was that I was hired to design and build three of these portable front projectors. One for the first unit, one for the second unit and one for the insert and pickup unit. When it was realized that I was really the only one who knew how to use the systems, I was hired first as as a consultant for the pilot, then I was hired to train the first unit Director of Photography in the use of the system, then, finally, I was hired as the second unit and insert unit Director of Photography and worked on the series until its demise after one season.