MUFON Expert Dismisses Jerusalem UFO as a Hoax

March 29, 2011 - PRLog -- The Jerusalem UFO incident continues to create a stir with  new viral videos that seem to launch on an almost daily basis.  One such video, now referred too as the 6th Jerusalem UFO video, features up-close footage with unparalleled clarity – the holy grail of UFO videos – Or does it?

Further into our investigation of this particular case, we asked MUFON’s chief Photo & Video Analyst, Mr Marc Dantonio to view the videos and comment on their authenticity.

Mr Dantonio commented that after analysing the 6th Jerusalem UFO Video that he “felt very strongly that it is, in his opinion, a CG hoax”.   He described the video as ‘computer generated’ and therefore serves as the primary determination to this particular video’s veracity.

Marc Dantonio of MUFON stated “I firmly believe that the UFO was not real“.

According to MUFON’s chief video analyst when individuals create a hoax to pass off as a real incident, they tend to leave behind tell-tale signs which Mr Dantonio summarised as 3 key traits:

They will use Lens Flare with bright lights
Make the focus look like its going in and out
Pass the object behind another object to reinforce the authenticity
Mr Dantoino further felt that the ‘creator’ of the video fabricated a tree in the foreground to pass the UFO behind, while also experimenting with Lens flare and depth of field.  He said ‘throwing in a sparse tree through which the UFO flies is a classic trick to add some reality’.

Marc also shared with UFO Briefcase details of a production for National Geographic, where a UFO animates across the sky before disappearing through the bush, and can be seen flying behind the trees in the distance.  When comparing the Jerusalem UFO footage (6th), Marc considered it an amateur attempt given the elementary masking work was easy to identify.

When comparing the 6th video with the original 2 videos by Eligael, Mr Dantoino commented that in the original clip the UFO comes down and hovers, where we soon observe the ‘energy burst’ prior to the object darting straight up at rapid speed. With this latest video (the 6th), the UFO came down and actually moved toward the video camera, then off to the right.  Mr Dantoino stated that this is not consistent with the original footage.

Given the intensity of the bright light, Mr Dantoino stated that the clarity achieved with this 6th footage would not at all be possible.  He felt the special effects (lens flare and depth of field) were most likely created using a software program like Adobe After Effects.

The 6th Jerusalem UFO Video was widely considered ‘too good to be true’ including the original witness, Eligael, who stated even he was unsure of the authenticity of the video.

Some of the not so obvious ‘hoax tell-tale signs’ according to Mr Dantoino, include background noises.  An area identified included the muting of the individuals voice.  Marc referred specifically too the sound of the individual speaking during the footage and explained that in his expert opinion, the individual is ‘inside a building’ because the the voice was muted by floor, walls and a ceiling.   He further explained that while intently listening, he was able to identify another noise that suggests the sound was not recorded outside, but more likely in front of a PC. Specifically the sound of the computers cooling fan was detected.

When commenting on the entire set of Jerusalem UFO videos, Marc stated ‘for many reasons beyond what I have so far shared, this video and the other Jerusalem UFO Videos are in my opinion hoaxes‘.

He said “the two original videos of the event (Video 1 & 2), are both very different from each other and each gives away the hoax by comparison to the other”.

Finally Mr Dantoino stated that “if the Jerusalem event occurred, we would have lots of other witnesses in the city who would have come forward saying so.. Where are they?”.

When asked about the expense associated with such a ‘hoaxed production’, Marc declared ‘gone are the days of having to purchase large expensive suites of software to create the special effects like this video’.  He explained anyone with a student ID can now purchase all the software required for only a few hundred dollars. Even young kids are easily creating YouTube videos with animated UFOs, Robots, cars, and planes for example.  He said “this is why our job at MUFON is so hard, because now these types of resources are available to anyone to do with minimal effort”, such as the 6th Jerusalem UFO video.

For more information, visit the UFOBriefcase.net website

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