It’s A Fake!

Won Over By Reality

By Tim Bayer

BRIGHTON New York—(Weekly Hubris)—8/5/2013—Last week (in a column titled “Seeing, but Not Believing: A Brief Tutorial”), I posted examples of how computer-generated images are getting so sophisticated that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between depictions of real events and clever fabrications.

The most convincing special effects videos have a lot in common with the convincing yarns spun by con-men: there is always a dollop of truth in the tales (or the videos) that makes the falsehood more believable. The videos I share with you this week are both entertaining . . . and fake.

The inescapable smidgeon of truth contained in all this week’s videos is this: the athletes featured have developed very advanced skills. Their skill levels are so high that even their real-life, real-time feats may appear to be super-human. Take some real footage, add seamless, interwoven, computer generated images, and you have the basis for a convincing hoax, or a captivating ad.

This week, I offer you doctored depictions of amazing athletic feats—feats that never happened. These videos were created for ad campaigns, “the truth” seamlessly interwoven with the computer-generated “lie.”

The first video, sent to me by Bob Jackson, features Bruce Lee. The trickery here included “computer-aging” the footage. The video quality was reduced and rendered in black-and-white better to sell the masquerade. The video appears to comprise archival footage shot in the 1970’s, at a time when computer-generated imagery was not yet possible. The footage was actually shot in 2008 using a Bruce Lee look-alike.

Mark Bayer sent me this next wonderfully entertaining collection of video clips created by the National Football League to promote Fantasy Football.

Keep watching; but stay skeptical.

(If you, yourselves, come across an entertaining link or video, I’d be interested in seeing it, and sharing it with my readers at Weekly Hubris. Please contact me at: Email: tim@safegdriver.com.)

7 Comments

David Campbell

August 5, 2013 at 12:52 pm

Tim,

As a photographer and former journalist, I find this series of commentaries about photo fakery not only entertaining but quite informative. Publications have had to deal with fake photos for some time now and it’s getting tougher all the time.

When viewing such stuff, my natural skepticism tends to kick in, but I still have to keep reminding myself of the state of CGI these days when I see improbable stunts being performed because so much of it does NOT LOOK fake.

What do you make of the videos that are collections of various kinds of stunts — snowboarding, skateboarding, motorcycling, gymnastics, etc. — that include those incredible ball tossing tricks? Those impossible shots of someone sinking a basketball shot from across a football field, or a soccer ball banked off the side of a multi-story building or some such stunt.

Are these CGI, or the result of trying it 500 times and finally getting lucky??? I’ll try to send you a link to some of the examples I mentioned.

And . . . one more thing: As a copy editor, my internal spell-checker sensed a smidgen of unintended word fakery when I read “smidgeon of truth.” I’m sure you just threw that Photoshopped word in to see who was paying attention!

Sorry, I’ll put my red pencil away now . . .

Keep up the good work!!!

–David

David Campbell

August 5, 2013 at 2:38 pm

Tim, Here’s an example of one such video that a friend sent me a link to on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/embed/A6XUVjK9W4o

I think I read somewhere that the shot of the guy catching the ball while being interviewed was faked, but as for some of the rest of them . . . ???

David Campbell

August 5, 2013 at 2:55 pm

And here’s another one, apparently last year’s version:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/A6XUVjK9W4o

Alan Ichiyasu

August 5, 2013 at 3:23 pm

HI TIM:

I HAVE A PHOTO OF VICTORIA SECRET MODELS BEFORE THEY WERE PHOTO-SHOPPED. I WILL FORWARD. I ASSUME IT WOULD BE YOUR WEBSITE? I JUST NEED TO FIND IT.

I DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING GRAPHICALLY ANYMORE. AND THEY NOW HAVE THE SAME DISCIPLINE FOR CINEMA AND VIDEO.

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS……..

YOURS,

ALAN

Elizabeth Boleman-Herring

August 5, 2013 at 4:08 pm

Nice catch, David Campbell! But “smidgeon” was entirely Tim’s editor’s fault. I crossed a bird with a tiny amount, and you caught two birds with one stone! :-) Elizabeth

Tim Bayer

August 11, 2013 at 6:34 pm

Hi David,

Thanks for checking in … and for the proof reading. I always appreciate having folks catch my mistakes so that I can correct them. As an Engineer, I always strive to accuracy – Thanks! Let me know if you see others.

OK – Here is my assessment of the video clips.

The video you noted (http://www.youtube.com/embed/A6XUVjK9W4o) has lots of real footage – the majority of the clips are real – but it also has some fake footage and a few of the, “repeat many times until you get it right”, real but edited clips.

Here is my assessment of the video.

First the fake clips:
* Fake: The clip at 1:08 is a fake clip which is from the NFL Fantasy Football promotion.

* Fake: The clip at 1:27 (baseball player, no look, backhand catch) is also a fake from an advertiser.

* Fake: The clip at 1:31 (skateboarder with crutches) is a fake – the skateboard magically flips without the rider actually kicking it up.

Real, clips that were either lucky to get it done with one attempt or done with multiple attempts and all the misses edited out:
* Real (luck or multiple attempts, misses edited out) The clip at 0:14 – thrown frisbee is hit with kicked soccer ball.

* Real (luck or multiple attempts, misses edited out) The clip at 0:37 – basketball thrown from stands into basket on football field.

* Real (luck or misses edited out) The clip at 1:30 – Hit plate with thrown football.

* Real (luck or misses edited out) The clip at 2:43 – soccer ball kicked, hits stuffed animal.

Tim

Tim Bayer

August 11, 2013 at 6:38 pm

Hi Alan,

Hmmm … Victoria Secret models? …

Yes … please send and I will look them over VERY closely, multiple times … just to be sure, in a pure scientific review perspective. That is exactly what I tell Emily when I am caught … er, seen … thumbing through the published Victoria Secret brochure.

I’m, … ah … just doing some photo editing research.

:-)

Also if you see any interesting videos, you can send me a link at: tim@safegdriver.com.

Tim

David Campbell

August 5, 2013 at 12:52 pm

Tim,

As a photographer and former journalist, I find this series of commentaries about photo fakery not only entertaining but quite informative. Publications have had to deal with fake photos for some time now and it’s getting tougher all the time.

When viewing such stuff, my natural skepticism tends to kick in, but I still have to keep reminding myself of the state of CGI these days when I see improbable stunts being performed because so much of it does NOT LOOK fake.

What do you make of the videos that are collections of various kinds of stunts — snowboarding, skateboarding, motorcycling, gymnastics, etc. — that include those incredible ball tossing tricks? Those impossible shots of someone sinking a basketball shot from across a football field, or a soccer ball banked off the side of a multi-story building or some such stunt.

Are these CGI, or the result of trying it 500 times and finally getting lucky??? I’ll try to send you a link to some of the examples I mentioned.

And . . . one more thing: As a copy editor, my internal spell-checker sensed a smidgen of unintended word fakery when I read “smidgeon of truth.” I’m sure you just threw that Photoshopped word in to see who was paying attention!

Sorry, I’ll put my red pencil away now . . .

Keep up the good work!!!

–David
David Campbell

August 5, 2013 at 2:38 pm

Tim, Here’s an example of one such video that a friend sent me a link to on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/embed/A6XUVjK9W4o

I think I read somewhere that the shot of the guy catching the ball while being interviewed was faked, but as for some of the rest of them . . . ???
David Campbell

August 5, 2013 at 2:55 pm

And here’s another one, apparently last year’s version:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/A6XUVjK9W4o
Alan Ichiyasu

August 5, 2013 at 3:23 pm

HI TIM:

I HAVE A PHOTO OF VICTORIA SECRET MODELS BEFORE THEY WERE PHOTO-SHOPPED. I WILL FORWARD. I ASSUME IT WOULD BE YOUR WEBSITE? I JUST NEED TO FIND IT.

I DON’T BELIEVE ANYTHING GRAPHICALLY ANYMORE. AND THEY NOW HAVE THE SAME DISCIPLINE FOR CINEMA AND VIDEO.

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW IS……..

YOURS,

ALAN
Elizabeth Boleman-Herring

August 5, 2013 at 4:08 pm

Nice catch, David Campbell! But “smidgeon” was entirely Tim’s editor’s fault. I crossed a bird with a tiny amount, and you caught two birds with one stone! :-) Elizabeth
Tim Bayer

August 11, 2013 at 6:34 pm

Hi David,

Thanks for checking in … and for the proof reading. I always appreciate having folks catch my mistakes so that I can correct them. As an Engineer, I always strive to accuracy – Thanks! Let me know if you see others.

OK – Here is my assessment of the video clips.

The video you noted (http://www.youtube.com/embed/A6XUVjK9W4o) has lots of real footage – the majority of the clips are real – but it also has some fake footage and a few of the, “repeat many times until you get it right”, real but edited clips.

Here is my assessment of the video.

First the fake clips:
* Fake: The clip at 1:08 is a fake clip which is from the NFL Fantasy Football promotion.

* Fake: The clip at 1:27 (baseball player, no look, backhand catch) is also a fake from an advertiser.

* Fake: The clip at 1:31 (skateboarder with crutches) is a fake – the skateboard magically flips without the rider actually kicking it up.

Real, clips that were either lucky to get it done with one attempt or done with multiple attempts and all the misses edited out:
* Real (luck or multiple attempts, misses edited out) The clip at 0:14 – thrown frisbee is hit with kicked soccer ball.

* Real (luck or multiple attempts, misses edited out) The clip at 0:37 – basketball thrown from stands into basket on football field.

* Real (luck or misses edited out) The clip at 1:30 – Hit plate with thrown football.

* Real (luck or misses edited out) The clip at 2:43 – soccer ball kicked, hits stuffed animal.

Tim
Tim Bayer

August 11, 2013 at 6:38 pm

Hi Alan,

Hmmm … Victoria Secret models? …

Yes … please send and I will look them over VERY closely, multiple times … just to be sure, in a pure scientific review perspective. That is exactly what I tell Emily when I am caught … er, seen … thumbing through the published Victoria Secret brochure.

I’m, … ah … just doing some photo editing research.

:-)

Also if you see any interesting videos, you can send me a link at: tim@safegdriver.com.

Tim