I've been fascinated by this video since I first saw it over the weekend. I have to say that I am unimpressed by the person claiming to be part of
the hoax. I'm not sure why he is being taken so seriously without real evidence. The real evidence that would sell me is the original
"background" plate that the CGI elements were put into (in other words, the famous shots or shots without any UFOs).
Now, I'm not saying that these videos are real or proof positive of anything. But I will say that they have not been debunked to the point that
people think they have. Here's a few reasons why I say that.
1. For a living I produce and direct movies for the sci-fi channel and the DTV markets. Almost all of the films I do involve some CGI and over time
I've become familiar with the programs myself and the artists who use them. CGI guys are very particular and very knowledgeable. Each piece of
software has a specific purpose. The guy (or girl) claiming to be part of this didn't say what I would expect. I would expect him to say something
more like this "The ships were modeled and rendered in Lightwave, then comped into a live action plate with shake. We used Vue to add in a few more
trees rather than rotoscope around real trees. We tracked the source footage in Boujou to then comp in the trees and UFOs." See what I mean?
2. Living in Hollywood I see palm trees everyday. Looking out my window right now, Sunset Blvd. is lined with them. I could easily take a still
photo then compare them to the Vue demo or even cut and paste them to make them look cloned. They look that similar in real life, let alone low res
screen grabs from a low res youtube video.
3. Lastly, if I were to direct this shot there would be no need for CGI trees or fake sun etc. Unless it's a test for a specific piece of software,
I think the shot could be done by simply adding in the 3D models to an existing handheld shot. The camera movement and focus whiffs are too dirty and
realistic to be generated 100% in a CGI environment. CGI camera moves have a certain look to them, even when they are trying to mimic handheld shots.
Watch the fake handheld stuff in the Vue demo, or watch any episode of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
If anything, I think the portion of the video where the ship flies over the palm tree is the one element that may give it away. It's a great place
for a "cut point" to merge two separate shots together.
Wow, though, fascinating stuff to watch a conspiracy unfold right before our eyes. This should all be in a movie....
Leigh Scott
www.imdb.com...