Dissection of a Failed HOAX

I have decided to come forward and admit this as a hoax perpetrated by a friend and I, albeit a failed one, see link:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Here is on the video:


This thread is not repentant but I feel that since it failed in its original intentions it would be much more interesting to dissect and explain the making of and the subsequent disinfo campaign.

Dissection of a Failed HOAX
Or
Lessons in fur Coat Fashion
-------------------------------

The film itself:
-The genesis of it was inspiration over gullibility of many professional researchers into these subjects.(not necessarily those who responded as I went far and wide in who I sent to)
-The context of the video(flashlight lit night video in treed area) was in NO way inspired by the blair witch project, the area was chosen for it's own unique characteristics(junk strewn, railroad cars etc), night was chosen for obvious reasons.
-It was made far and away from our high school years; it was not a student film of any sort.

In defense of it failing:
-It was originally going to be edited chopped and slopped together to pursue more authenticity but I had a difficult time letting it get too ugly and my interest in narrative story telling and editing took over(the watch and moon scene)to the detriment of it's authenticity as a real event.
-Even before we began my "acting" was always my greatest worry for its downfall.
-I wanted to avoid you tube as the source but it became a much more convenient way of distribution.
-Some valid reasons illustrated by email responders and previous thread responses (some of which I was aware of before dissemination)

The artistic merits of it:
-We thought it would be brighter but when seeing the potential to edit it as a continuous shot I could not pass up the challenge.
-In consequence of it being edited as continuous the sound then too had to be mixed and edited as continuous.
-it was shot deliberately and constructed as a “slow burn”.
-It was shot on multiple nights and although it was an attempt to pull the wool over peoples eyes it was not a slap dash endeavor, much effort went into it from conceiving and outlining it, the preparation and shooting of it, and especially the post production editing of the video and sound.

As stated earlier the main reason for its inception was the distribution of it to professionals in the paranormal research community, I sent the video link with a story to many people.

The Lie:

“I would like you to take a look at this footage; I have sent this to you and will to a number of other people I have found to be involved with issues this video seems to have captured. I prefer to stay anonymous except to say I am in Saskatchewan, Canada. This video arrived for me at the post office one day and I can only assume it was sent to me is because I am known to the person glimpsed in the video who is also one of the audible voices. All I know is the fellow is a blue collar type who worked as a laborer and lived here as long as I can remember, we never spoke much but I am a person in the community that people have come to trust and confide in and about a month prior to receiving this the person in the video I refer to had relocated. The video was by itself and ever since I first watched it I have been struggling with the haunting images it has relayed in my mind's eye and as to there implications on myself and all who perceive it. Please forward your thoughts, best wishes.”





[edit on 29-7-2008 by jenkwater]

Some of the reactions (I will list the names of those who wrote the following replies but will not assign who wrote which reply):

Linda Godfrey
Legion Magazine
Mary Sutherland of Berlington News

“ok.... so tell me the WHOLE STORY on this one!!”

“Rest your mind. If there had been anything to this,
the film would have been shot in daylight. It's just
a bit of YouTube fun.”

“Hello,
I watched the video and it was frightening in a Blair Witch kind of way. So am I to understand that the person filming this was rushed toward the fire by some type of canine creature? If so, how did he survive and what is his story and explanation? I would need to know much more about him and his account of what happened before I could give an opinion.
Thanks for sending the link,”

I will credit Brad Steiger as a staunch disbeliever in the video, he was kind enough to send it to some colleagues, and here is what they had to say:

1.
Brad,
I find it interesting that the camcorder has no video light and that the flash light is very circular in its pattern, almost all flash lights have a wider pattern, not a small bright circular pattern. If it was using night vision mode, there would be tell-tale evidence of it, which this video does not contain. When the operator viewed the fire, the screen did not react, which it would with night vision. From my experience using camcorders at night, I would consider the findings to be staged, faked for the viewer benefit and does not represent valid findings.

2.
Hi Brad –
My .02 centavos: It's much better than Blair Witch suspensewise, but it proves that we should only ever go into the woods at night with a 150,000 candlepower floodlight. Isn't the triangle in front of the first fire a "thaumaturgical triangle" used for conjurations? The sorcerer would stand within it and effect his/her evocations. The roar inside the structure (if that's what it was) sounds feline to me...could be a nifty special effect, though.
3.
This reeks too much of a student film.

*Everything is discovered conveniently in sequence.

*The full moon is a nice touch, but on an exploration,
that seems like too much of a throw-in, especially
with the stopped watch.

*Audio (wolf howl and ending screech) have too many
traces of being pre-recorded and dubbed onto the tape
(does not match the rest of the acoustics).

* Probably the biggest giveaway is the end. Anyone
scared enough to the point of soiling themselves
probably wouldn't turn and run looking through a
viewfinder...the natural reaction would be to forget
about the camera. They would probably still hold onto
the camera, but naturally use the camera arm for
balance running away, in which case the camera would
use the forward view and turn rearward and swing back
an forth with the arm.

*Nice touch...we never get to see the "monster"
clearly, which gives a touch of authenticity, but the
'quick blurred view" has too much feel of a costume.

I agree with you...this probably used the "Blair Witch
Project" as a model and was either done as a class
project or done as a put-on for the researcher. Tell
him to get used to it; it won't be the first or the
last.
4.
It does look very "Blair Witchy" to me. At any rate it's much too inconclusive to prove anything.
5.
Hi, Brad,

I reject this video as more YouTube
fun. I don't mind the amateur film projects, but
they can become tiresome when they keep on
trying to make us think they're real. File this one
with the UFOs Over Haiti videos, although there's
no cgi in this one.

6.
I wish I could trust you tube, but my view is if it were a legit video, it would not be put on you tube. I think this person would send this to an investigator for follow up.

7.
I did see some a werewolf type images when they were at the bloody campsite on the right hand side, but to be honest it looked faked. The end was the spoiler as how could a video camera fly like that LOL. To me it was a blair witch wannabe film for sure but I got a nice scare out of it at 4 in the morning LOL.

I want to comment on responses 1 and 7:

1. None of the trickery involved the camera or flashlight.

7. “I did see some a werewolf type images when they were at the bloody campsite on the right hand side, but to be honest it looked faked.”

There was no fakery at the bloody cement block scene other than the fake blood and howl, unless he was referring to the were-creature from the train car.

The reaction on my other thread was anything from non believing to offended at the video, I am by no means a prolific member but I am a long time member with a great respect and obsession for these subjects.

I will never misinform on this site which is why I posted the video the way I did originally. Please do not let this cast my contributions and participation on these forums in the future in a negative light.

It looked and felt *very* derivative of the Blair Witch Project. But overall I guess the film was a cute effort. Never really understood the appeal of being a hoaxster, but whatever.

Originally posted by When the Spaceship Lands
It looked and felt *very* derivative of the Blair Witch Project. But overall I guess the film was a cute effort. Never really understood the appeal of being a hoaxster, but whatever.

Its about Attention, and money. Money from Unseen Photos and fabricated evidence.