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To date, we've compiled the following summary of analyses performed by professional video labs that have examined this highly controversial footage. All but one have confirmed that the footage is 'clean', agreeing that it appears quite unlikely that the tape was created or enhanced by computer. However at this point, without being able to examine the original tape, none are willing to commit their findings to writing.
All US evaluators listed below, except the last, are professionals who work regularly with computers, advanced image processing, and/or special effects production for film.
In the US, the following analysts found no 'contamination' of the tape:
* Jim Dilettoso, president of a state-of-the-art lab and
supercomputer network designer with 20 years' experience in his field, confirmed on the
Sightings television program and in several phone calls I had with him that he is
confident a computer was not used. See my article on The Crop Circle Connector for Jim's
credentials and details of his findings. HERE
* Laurel Click, 'special effects expert', said on the Strange Universe television program
that she found nothing to suggest fraud. *If* it's a hoax, she said, it would have taken
very sophisticated equipment, much money, and a large team of professionals a long time to
produce.
* Ralph McCarron, who creates special effects for a major California lab, stated on a
Strange Universe update that after completing his freeze-frame studies and enhanced image
analyses, he's convinced that it's actual footage. He noted that there was consistent
camera-shake throughout the sequence, and that clinched it for him.
* Jim Stevenson is employed by Jim Henson (of Muppets fame) workshops, Hollywood special
effects producers. They were impressed by the 'authentic feel' of the footage. Jim, too,
said that *if* it's hoaxed, it took a lot of sophisticated equipment, money, and time to
create.
* Patrick Wilson is a musician, and amateur computer/video operator. He enlarged the
frames and carefully examined the Balls of Light (BOLs). He made a fascinating discovery,
and shares his findings on his website. HERE (You may need to chop
the URL at the last slash for your browser to handle it, then scan the Index for the
'close-ups' webpage.)
In the United Kingdom, the following folks also found that the tape is 'clean':
* Professor of Electronics Philip Gurr & P. Head, of Exeter University's video and television department, went 'on the record' and stated that they would be unable to fake the sequence even with their advanced equipment. They found no evidence to suggest that the tape had been tampered with. In their opinion, only the 'Avid' digital editing suites would be capable of such a product.
* Victoria Real is a video editing company in Brighton. They were impressed with the tape. They cautioned, however, that if it were analysed on an Avid suite, a frame-by-frame breakdown would only reveal the first field. They maintain that it's not possible to comparatively evaluate the second field unless the original tape is examined.
In the US, there is a single analyst "leaning toward computer-generation":
*Center City Video (Pennsylvania) - A gentleman "with 25 years' experience" who received the tape from Linda Howe told her that from the first time he saw it he "believed" it was computerised. I do not know what he was looking for, and Linda had no specifics as to what analyses he performed, if any, to lead him to his conclusion. I will follow up with this studio.
In the UK, there are two analysts who are "disquieted" by the footage:
*Lee Winterston and John Huckvale have doubts regarding single- and double-field intensity. They *think* there is a discrepancy when the BOLs appear, but Andy Thomas (see below) notes in his report that "what the telltale signs for this are, and how they discovered them, have not been released." I know Lee, who is an amateur video producer, UFO-phile, and visitor to The Barge pub (the local Crop Circle folks' watering hole). Lee believes that in general, most Formations are man-made. Andy adds that no one else who has technically analysed the tape has mentioned such a discrepancy.
With thanks to Linda Howe for the Center City information, and to Andy Thomas, editor of * SC *, the CCCS/Sussex Branch's outstanding little newsletter, for the UK information. Andy dedicated the entire December issue to an outstanding comprehensive summary of what they've gathered to date regarding this Enigma-within-an-Enigma. Contact me for their eddress.
More on this investigation, as well as a reconstruction of events as they occurred that fateful morning of August 11 as relayed by the videographer to Peter Sorensen, is included in an article posted on my HomePage on The Crop Circle Connector HERE
If anyone has any additional information, or has done his/her own technical analysis, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Thank you kindly.
- ilyes
National Coordinator
Centre for Crop Circle Studies / US Network
