Utah Bigfoot Videographer Writes To Cryptomundo
Posted by: Loren Coleman on September 9th, 2011
Utah Bigfoot videographer writes to Cryptomundo:
I appreciate all of your comments re my video. I haven’t joined any other sites. I’m not in this for any other reason other that to show what we saw. Several TV shows have contacted me. But, I have chosen to keep quiet. Until now. I have had a friend reviewing the tapes. He knows more about this stuff than I do. I don’t want to make myself look like an idiot and release some useless video showing some hunter walking through the woods. And, it’s not. It’s been really interesting to follow this story on the web. I can’t explain what we saw….. but we saw something. Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll answer as best I can. Just to clear a couple things up, we sat filming for quite some time into the woods before this thing came out. It had been in that general area all day. So, we just had to sit and wait. The guy with the ‘hose?’ We were gathering firewood when we found this shelter. What your seeing is one of us gathering wood. The ‘Road’ in the background is actually very remote lake. Again, thanks for your comments and please let me know if you have any questions. Best.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
I took a second look at the video. Unless the figure is on a hill, or the shooter is rather short, the figure seems to be large or at least pretty tall. What I initially took for color variations in its coat, is proposed by other analysts–see FB/FB– to be an infant in the arms of the larger figure. That still shot at the top of this page does kind of look like that. (The danger of course is start down the Rorschach Test road and begin to see things.) If in fact the color difference is not in the coat/suit but something in the figure is carrying, that makes a big difference in my mind.
In terms of the ghillie suit theory, I do kind of see that, but two issues: 1) the color does not seem quite right for a ghillie suit (seems too gray) and 2) if it is a suit, it’s a pretty big guy in the suit.
After reviewing the video, and having a professional b.g in film and video production, I have a few questions to ask. Please bear in mind I have no “stake” in whether or not your video is something staged, something you legitimately captured on video but was a costumed local pranking you, or that you in fact captured video of a cryptid hominid.
I merely and honestly hope only to shed some light on your claims as an interested albeit naturally skeptical observer, okay? Really! I am not ‘out to get you’ etc. You saw what you saw, you video preserved it, and have had the courage to come forward with your claim, so again, excuse any misunderstood sense that I am trying to disprove you, etc. These questions, rather, if you can find time to answer, might help actually strengthen your case, is what I am saying (you obviously and understandably feel no need to bolster what you legitimately believe you saw, so again, this is for the rest of us who were not there, yeah?).
1. Apparently the opening shots are with a wide angle though not fish-eye lens. However, despite the fact the wide angle is being utilized, which minimizes shake? The video camera appears to be slightly tilting, left and right. This creates the appearance that the camera has just been grabbed, etc. But given how lightweight today’s HD cameras all are? Why wouldn’t the shooter be able to steady this right away? Nerves are one answer, but one would have to be having a conniption fit to not be able to hold a wide angle camera steady, particularly if one is not having a muscular seizure.
2. You claim that the creature had been around all day and that you merely had to wait for video it. However, if this is the case? And you were prepared for a possible encounter? Why didn’t the shooter find a good angle, use a tripod, and/or at least steady himself against an object or tree to reduce shakiness?
3. Why, if the videographer is prepared enough to bring along a fish eye lens — of dubious value given the need to capture a creature from afar — did he also not think to use his telephoto lens while tracking the creature? This seems self-contradictory. If one has time to wait all day for the arrival of something, one would think one would at least mentally review the steps necessary for the coming shoot: i.e., do I have enough battery life? Is the video memory card nearly full? Am I using the right lens? Etc.
4. Why does the opening shot go on for over 23 seconds and not once does the operator zoom in on what is clearly a distant figure? This seems illogical and counter-intuitive to me as a lifelong camera operator, but again, this is merely a question, not an accusation.
5. I wonder: why does the videographer follow the beast in tracking shots in later cuts? Again, it seems illogical that anyone would move towards a creature of this size in any aggressive manner, particularly if the creature is demonstrating signs of intense curiosity at your presence. Imagine: a mountain lion or black bear is pausing to eye you, unmoving. Your instincts — my instincts as a lifelong country boy, that is — would not be to track after such a critter, no matter your “good scientific intent” or state of excitability. Few folks witnessing such an event would fail to feel stark raving terror, is my point; and while this may explain why someone would calmly go after the depicted Bigfoot and follow for additional video (again, Patterson did the same thing for his infamous 16mm footage, it is worth noting), it does seem contrary to the manner in which I’ve seen even the bravest hunters armed with guns react when a wild animal decides to stand its ground and make unyielding eye contact (a sure-fire sign a confrontation is about to occur in the animal kingdom as a generalized rule).
Whew! Sorry to go on. Your footage is fascinating, but the above questions are the type and variety you can expect to hear/receive, if Bigfoot field research history is any indication.
I believe such scrutiny is a good, good thing. Folks like Loren Coleman, Jeff Meldrum, and others eminent in the field generally concur — there is little hope of scientific validation of an unknown cryptid species like Sasquatch unless all involved rigorously subject themselves to self-scrutiny and rigid analysis.
I hope you take this in the spirit as you invited — to wit, ask questions, etc. You may have no answers for these questions, or they may not even “jibe” with my own intuition, but I think you’ll do yourself and the field of cryptzoloogy an immense favor by remaining open, answering as many questions as you can stand before the inquiry makes you ill, etc.
Good luck!
Well! …Of course it may well turn out to be someone in A Ghillie suit!
But do you know, after viewing the footage again, at around the 19 second mark for one spine-tingling moment I’m sure I saw that the figure infact has a smaller head, of ‘Patty’ proportions.
The question is. Can we see from this point onwards an infant of grey coloration clinging to the neck and shoulders of the figure?
The chances are I’m mistaken, guilty of imaginative license, because of the low resolution. But I wonder if others might be prepared to speculate on this notion; not one, but two figures in motion?
I remain a bit skeptical. It does appear to be a Chewbacca costume to me, but I certainly can’t say it is definitively. The Youtube account does have some Star Wars themed videos previously uploaded, albeit lego Star Wars videos. Far from proof of a hoax. I need more in order to make a decision.
My request to the shooter. Please, don’t create a nondisclosure agreement in order to see this footage. They are so over done. If you want someone with credentials to look at it, just let Loren Coleman examine it.
Knowing what kind of cameras used could help answer some of Dave Coleman’s questions. I am not looking it up to site yet I remember reading they had two people filming. The second camera was probably a digital or no zoom only mini HD style of which I would be very interested in finding one without fisheye
I would have to say that that is a Wookie. This comes out of years of serial geekdom, now whether or not he is from Kasshik or Endor is the real question. Perhaps the camera user was duped?
Man in a suit!
This is such a broken record. Now that he has opened his mouth it will be just a matter of time until the truth spills out. I get a feeling this guy has rehearsed his story, but a lie that has to do with attention always leads to the truth. This is just the traditional fall hoax, at least this one will be interesting. I just see a lot in this video that raises more questions and this appears to be just the latest person trying to vie for their 15 minutes and pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. I sincerely wish deceiving the public was against the law so that these types of videos could not be peddled for reality.
Bigfoot carrying a baby? I’ve seen this “analysis” which is nothing more than jumping to conclusions. We can’t identify what is in the video, how can we identify or even assume it’s carrying anything? Besides, what does it matter? Where are the tracks? Corroborating evidence? The structure is more elaborate than I have ever seen or heard of. Not to mention the entry way is a bit small, and what animal would take wood for its shelter right next to its shelter? If this is such a big deal then why release it on YouTube? Is this guy getting anyone involved in finding answers by going to the site and getting clues?
“Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story”
Interesting video. IMO it does appear that the subject is carrying something, not only seen directly in its arms but by virtue of its gait and posture. Agreed though, it could be carrying nothing; the video is just not resolved enough to tell. Also as mandors points out; the subject appears quite large, too bad no reference dimensions were made on site for comparison. Regarding the hut I have a few problems some of which are:
The breaks on the larger members are not natural looking, they appear roughly hacked, this is particularly evident at the far end of the ridgepole (dull machete?), I don’t know what to think about the denuded trunks nearby…breaks appear too clean for springy poplar / birch.
The orientation of the members comprising the shelter are too square to one another. (not the expected and typically observed random arrangement.)
The shelter seems to lack the typical thick bough bedding.
It appears that birch bark was partly used for the roof sheathing, I see no skinned birch trunks nearby.
Still…an interesting video.
If a photographer is going to be bold and determined enough to wait around for some creature he wants to film that he knows is hanging around the area, wouldn’t that photographer try to get closer when he does finally see it? Some reports claim the Bigfoots are agile on the terrain, this one doesn’t move that way regardless of any baby theory.