Can you spot the fakery?

Question

I thought this could be fun for paranormal enthusiast and skeptic alike. This is a YouTube video that the creator really really REALLY wants people to believe is actual footage of a shadow ghost. His video is quite popular and has tons of comments, all of which are mysteriously uncritical of the video. However, there is at least one dead giveaway it's a fake.

When you view it, view it full screen. Watch for the shadow to appear and to move across the door. Did you spot the visual clue that gives it away?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=evNHMcrW7R0

First one to name the two big blunders in the video that I saw gets the 10 points :)

Jimmy, both good points. But those aren't the visual clues I'm talking about. You are warm though.

John S, you're too meticulous. I may give it to you just for spotting all those things. But you missed two huge ones!

Okay, I guess there's lots of reasons why this is a pretty bad fake. So I'll cut to the chase:

(1) Watch the doorknob throughout the video, full screen is best
(2) Use the slider to go back and forth in the video, before the shadow appears and after the door closes

Peter, yeah those comments are scarier than the video. The owner of the video moderates all the comments and removes any of them which say its a fake (like mine!). He's very determined! :)

Answer 1

I see a lot more them 2 problems.
1. the shadow of a other person in far right
2. the one shadow gets bigger the closer to the door it gets
3. looks like someones knee when door is open all the way, about one third up from floor
4. why is the handle turning when the door is closed
5. its been edited just after shadow and before door opens

Did I miss anything else?
Edit.
Ok I didn't have the sound turned up. Sound like a least 2 babies and mom must be that other shadow.

Answer 2

I've generally had an aptitude for these kinds of things. But I don't see anything that would be solid refutation here, TR.

First of all, the video is grainy and the pixelation is unstable. I noticed the wall shades changing and some of the same around the door handle, but this would be a weak reason to call it a fake. I was also interested in the length of the shadow of the door handle, but even though it should lengthen as the door opens, it is hard to tell if it does or how much it should. Also, if there was some suspected editing here, other things would be harder to do than the shadow. The handle itself, for one. Also, there would be no need to go to all the trouble of editing out a person when all they would have to do is open and close the door from the other side.

One could ask why a ghost would need to open a door, but who can claim to know about a ghost's interactions with the physical world? Believers can claim anything they want about that.

It was the audio I found most interesting. I could hear muffled talking in the background. Then I could hear sobbing at the end. (Maybe we have a double miracle here: a phantom *and* an EVP!)

Sorry, TR. I don't see it.

Edit: John S, watching again, I saw the apparent editing cut that you referred to. The whole door handle and lock seem to move up slightly. And the reason someone, (and maybe even a ghost), would operate the handle when the door is closed is to keep from making any noise.

Answer 3

I can't listen to the sound (at work) and the resolution sucks when it's blown up, so I can't see exactly what you're looking for. Personally, I don't know if it would take that much of an effort to write this off as a fabrication.

There is a jump cut between the shadow and the door opening and then the door opening is just a backward/forward edit of the door closing.

Since the open/close door thing could have been done with someone standing in the hall, the only potentially paranormal part of this clip is the shadow. Anyone can cast a shadow. There's nothing paranormal about that.

The stupidity, credulity and gullibility of those who have posted comments have me more frightened than the video.

Answer 4

The babies crying sounded more paraormal than the whole clip. I can even hear it echoing a bit, at first it sounds like a bay bay, then it sounds closer to three. Why wasn;t the camera pointed at the baby/child if she wanted to study her childs nightmares? The shadow of the man in the room was visible through out even though he was further back. I could hear the mother inside the room before the door was opened. ANd of course the door was opened after the cameera was stopped and t hen re-started, THis is such a stupid video as are most of the photos and videos on you tube. THe one that interested me for a while was the Japanese woman walking in the parking garage. This video may be faked, they say it was surveillance (camera) but she produces no shadow.

Answer 5

I will admit that when I saw who actually made the video I didn't watch it. For some reason, this guy has nothing else to do in life outside of making fake footage and presenting it to the world as real. I have been doing investigations for 20 years plus and I have only a handful of pictures that I say are paranormal. That was my first clue, since he seems to have a new entry often....

Answer 6

It's pretty weak overall. More specifically, the lighting looks hand held and the shadow changes size as the subject moves away from it. I have to wonder if there was even a baby in the room. The sound seemed to be dubbed in. It was a fun prank though, however amateurish. Nice change of pace TR. Tip of the hat!
Did I see a reflection on that doorknob?
BTW, that Most Haunted spoof last month was hilarious (sophomoric, but hilarious)!

Answer 7

1. If she wanted to "observe the baby" , why is the camera aimed at the door?

2. That's a babies room?

3. The door looks like a door that would lead outside or into a garage. Did you see the lock below the door knob?

4. The shadow passed way before the door opened and closed.

Answer 8

thats not very impressive video. Anyone who investigates would have set up the camera so you could see the entire room. Not just the door. Its not even a good fake so i dont know who would believe it. I have more entertaining things going on in my house with better pics. But you do get around TR. I dont even go on those sites. But its an interesting question and its interesting to look at those types of videos.

Answer 9

The light was on... why would that be, if it was taken while the baby was asleep, with the door closed?

Also, it says they put in a camera to monitor THE BABY while it was asleep, not the door.

Answer 10

So what your really telling me is that Santa ia fake? No way!