" James " Hoax or real ?

Daves!

Daves!

Active Member
Video lacks description
Hey everyone,
I've been seeing a series of videos on YouTube from a guy named James, and I'm trying to figure out if this whole thing is fake or some kind of ARG.

According to his posts, he found a strange object while hiking and has been making vlog-style videos experimenting with it. His latest upload is pretty disturbing. He went live planning to drill into the object, but during the stream an orb-like thing appears, and he suddenly collapses while mumbling. The livestream keeps going for another 49:50 minutes with only audio before it cuts off.

Has anyone looked into this or knows if it's been confirmed as staged, edited, or part of a larger project? Any info or analysis would be appreciated.

Im a little worried if this is real of the guy is ok. Around 21:53 he starts to drill in the live video.

The live video from last day ;


Source: https://www.youtube.com/live/Ulp-lrdltV8?si=f8sh1nOfHSPCYnM7
 
Ehrm, I only see a bluish stage light being turned on, then after a while 'James' turning towards it, then the screen going black. Is there anything to debunk here?
 
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the blue light that suddenly appears behind the guy. If it can be added in a live stream video. According to a VFX artist analysing it, it can be done but is very difficult.
 
I especially like the "I hope someone saves this... in case I die", bit of foreboding. Where do I tune in for next week's episode?

Is there anything more to this than someone with what looks like a strong, blue/white light being turned on at the far end of the room, at the appropriate time (easily done at a distance, without a cable, using a wifi enabled socket adaptor and a phone) and some very klunky dialogue/acting.

I'm ignoring the object itself, as, other than some poorly etched markings at the end, it looks of entirely mundane origin. It's as if the maker of this saw the Buga balls videos and decided to make their own, but instead of a poorly dressed "lab" setting they went for "what tools do I have in the basement".
 
Daves! said:
VFX artist claims and thinks why the light isnt VFX @Mick West can you tell this too or disagree ?


Source: https://youtu.be/jXkIIU0D4nY?si=gEnWaMhNxxQYWi51
Click to expand...

Too much weight is put into stuff being or not being VFX. I know Hollywood has gotten to the point that they regularly film all of Jack's scenes before even casting Jill but generally speaking you shouldn't use VFX for what can be done with practical effects or in camera, and this just being a context free point light source in a dark recess of the room is very doable with a practical setup.


I'm not convinced it's "live" though. Without watching this entire video James's previous live streams lacked interaction with the audience. He says things like "waiting for more people to join" but does not respond to things said in chat or say anything specific to the current state of the stream. It is quite trivial to use OBS or similar streaming software to "live" stream a pre recorded video, and indeed several streaming platforms have had trouble with people just piping stuff like camrips or pay per view sports events right into their streams. Everything involved, whether VFX or practical, becomes inherently easier when you get free do overs.
 
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Ravi said:
Amazingly the light that is shown is not casting any shadows. Probably alien lights.
Click to expand...
Lights don't cast shadows.
Lights cast light.

I've watched the part where the guy said he drilled until the picture went black, is there anything extraordinary I'm supposed to be seeing?
Because I feel all that did was waste 2 minutes of my life on some amateur acting.
 
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There are a number of things in the video that suggest it is some sort of overlay.

First, the light that appears on the metal cylinder seems, for all intents, to be identical in color to the one on his power tool. So it's not like it's some sort of "weird light" or strange color, nor does it blink or anything. It could be, for all we know, a second tool that is turned on.

Moreover, the dot that is the light source's location is at the end of the cylinder, as is the one for the drill. This supports the idea that the light is close to the drill, or at least along the same line-of-sight (like it could be over his shoulder). The fact that it appears only slightly below the one from the camera also suggests it is higher than the position that we see later in the video.

But the real issue is that the light is (supposedly) bright enough to light up the cylinder from across the room, and that it is generally bright is further supported by the general look of it when he turns around. However...

... the light is not reflecting off of anything else in the room.

It is not lighting up the wall beside it. The cardboard box in the lower left is shadowed on the side facing the light. The metal racking behind it shows no hint of such a light source.

All of the objects in the area of the room appear to be lit by a yellow light behind the camera, the one we see in other videos and reflecting off the top of the cylinder in this one.

The blue light you see when he turns around does not appear to be real.

Now there are claims that this would be very difficult to accomplish. I'm not so sure. My phone can turn me into Darth Vader in real time, and I don't see why a similar tech couldn't be used here.

I should point out that there is another photograph of the same room floating around that shows the exact same frame, pixel for pixel, but without the blue light. In the position where the light is in this video is an old CRT television sitting on a shelf.
 
Maury Markowitz said:
There are a number of things in the video that suggest it is some sort of overlay.

First, the light that appears on the metal cylinder seems, for all intents, to be identical in color to the one on his power tool. So it's not like it's some sort of "weird light" or strange color, nor does it blink or anything. It could be, for all we know, a second tool that is turned on.
Click to expand...
Or a blue spotlight.
Maury Markowitz said:
Moreover, the dot that is the light source's location is at the end of the cylinder, as is the one for the drill. This supports the idea that the light is close to the drill, or at least along the same line-of-sight (like it could be over his shoulder). The fact that it appears only slightly below the one from the camera also suggests it is higher than the position that we see later in the video.
Click to expand...
That's not true, because the cylinder is round, and the camera is beside it.
Screenshot_20251117-170216_Samsung Internet.jpg

The spotlight is farther away, and thus apears lower and more around the cylindrical curve, even though it us in fact higher than the object.
It is also approximately to the camera's 4 o'clock in this picture, and thus appears near the "cap" of the cylinder. This us all simple geometry.

Maury Markowitz said:
But the real issue is that the light is (supposedly) bright enough to light up the cylinder from across the room, and that it is generally bright is further supported by the general look of it when he turns around. However...
Click to expand...
Looking at the cylinder, its reflection is less bright than the light from the tool. This is why we don't see it, the tool already floods the scene with blue-white light.
Maury Markowitz said:
... the light is not reflecting off of anything else in the room.
Click to expand...
Which means it's probably a focused beam, like a spotlight.
Maury Markowitz said:
It is not lighting up the wall beside it. The cardboard box in the lower left is shadowed on the side facing the light. The metal racking behind it shows no hint of such a light source.
Click to expand...
Like a spotlight.
Maury Markowitz said:
All of the objects in the area of the room appear to be lit by a yellow light behind the camera, the one we see in other videos and reflecting off the top of the cylinder in this one.

The blue light you see when he turns around does not appear to be real.
Click to expand...
Yes, it appears to be a real spotlight.
Maury Markowitz said:
Now there are claims that this would be very difficult to accomplish. I'm not so sure. My phone can turn me into Darth Vader in real time, and I don't see why a similar tech couldn't be used here.
Click to expand...
I can make a similar photo for you tomorrow, with no VFX. It's not hard.
Maury Markowitz said:
I should point out that there is another photograph of the same room floating around that shows the exact same frame, pixel for pixel, but without the blue light. In the position where the light is in this video is an old CRT television sitting on a shelf.
Click to expand...
That'd be interesting.

Screenshot_20251117-170540_Samsung Internet.jpg
To the right and below the light, I see what looks like a folded-up tripod leaning against what looks like a stack of stage equipment boxes.

The light source could easily be a blue spotlight, dimmed down so as to not drown out the camera sensor. Anyone who's ever done stage lighting looks at this and shrugs their shoulders, because it requires no video editing whatsoever to produce, just a blue spotlight on a tripod.
You can even get a battery-operated light.
 
Mendel said:
Or a blue spotlight.

That's not true, because the cylinder is round, and the camera is beside it.
View attachment 86016
The spotlight is farther away, and thus apears lower and more around the cylindrical curve, even though it us in fact higher than the object.
It is also approximately to the camera's 4 o'clock in this picture, and thus appears near the "cap" of the cylinder. This us all simple geometry.


Looking at the cylinder, its reflection is less bright than the light from the tool. This is why we don't see it, the tool already floods the scene with blue-white light.

Which means it's probably a focused beam, like a spotlight.

Like a spotlight.

Yes, it appears to be a real spotlight.

I can make a similar photo for you tomorrow, with no VFX. It's not hard.

That'd be interesting.

View attachment 86017To the right and below the light, I see what looks like a folded-up tripod leaning against what looks like a stack of stage equipment boxes.

The light source could easily be a blue spotlight, dimmed down so as to not drown out the camera sensor. Anyone who's ever done stage lighting looks at this and shrugs their shoulders, because it requires no video editing whatsoever to produce, just a blue spotlight on a tripod.
You can even get a battery-operated light.
Click to expand...
Yes, as a photographer I can confirm there are any number of light modifiers you can buy (or just make for a dollar, like with a bundle of black straws wrapped in gaffer tape; or a toilet paper roll) that will keep light from spilling where you don't want it to go.
 
jdog said:
Yes, as a photographer I can confirm there are any number of light modifiers you can buy (or just make for a dollar, like with a bundle of black straws wrapped in gaffer tape; or a toilet paper roll) that will keep light from spilling where you don't want it to go.
Click to expand...
barn gates
Griven-GR0221-1-scaled.jpg

But most of the work is done by the lens focusing the beam.
 
And then all the "worried" commenters on YT.. It is insane that people today seem to care more about some anonymous hoaxer than their own mother.
 
jdog said:
Yes, as a photographer I can confirm there are any number of light modifiers you can buy (or just make for a dollar, like with a bundle of black straws wrapped in gaffer tape; or a toilet paper roll) that will keep light from spilling where you don't want it to go.
Click to expand...
Mendel said:
barn gates
Click to expand...
Or flags and flag stands (professional or improvised)

delme.jpg


Or the use of "gobos"
delme2.jpg



Controlling where light goes in a shoot in a controlled environment is trivially easy. Down to "don't point the light there."
 
Quick update, he's alive


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J33eqvdXjE


Here's a 40 second livestream where he says he doesn't know where he is and doesn't know where he's going, he thanks everyone for all the support, something about a migraine, he then says he has to give the phone back/throw it away because it's not his and the stream ends.

I'm guessing all the experts on the comments of the last stream were not as good as telling if someone is or isn't dying as they claimed

Edit: I'm fairly certain that the original stream was 44 seconds but as I was writing the comment it got cut down to 40, not sure why.
 
Calter said:
Quick update, he's alive


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J33eqvdXjE


Here's a 40 second livestream where he says he doesn't know where he is and doesn't know where he's going, he thanks everyone for all the support, something about a migraine, he then says he has to give the phone back/throw it away because it's not his and the stream ends.

I'm guessing all the experts on the comments of the last stream were not as good as telling if someone is or isn't dying as they claimed

Edit: I'm fairly certain that the original stream was 44 seconds but as I was writing the comment it got cut down to 40, not sure why.
Click to expand...

Stunned, confused, and suffering from a migraine, but still motivated and able to log into his own YouTube account and post from someone else's phone? (Instead of, say, heading to the local ER.)
 
Calter said:
Can you even stream on YouTube without 2FA? Maybe the migraine is just from trying to log in into his YouTube account through 2FA without access to any of his devices.
Click to expand...
Not just any 2FA, last I knew the login needs to be authenticated with a previously verified phone number associated with the account.

So he had to borrow this phone from an unnamed third party, log into his Google account on it, verify the 2FA on his own phone, then do the live stream and (hopefully!) scrub his account from the phone before giving it back.

He is able to do all this but cannot open Google Maps and simply check where he is.

Edit: Nor can he ask the owner of the phone where he is apparently, despite explaining all of the above convincingly enough for that person to allow their own device to be associated with a stranger's account.
 
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Mick West said:
The interesting thing about this case is how many people are taking it seriously.
Click to expand...

External Quote:

Creepypasta comments often feature users engaging in kayfabe, where they maintain the fictional premise of the story within the comments section [1]. This collective suspension of disbelief helps to enhance the horror and immersion for the community.
The comments section effectively serves as an extension of the narrative, with readers
 
Sort of sub-Blair Witch Project?

If you find a sealed metal cylinder of unknown function and provenance, perhaps drilling into it isn't the wisest thing to do
(the risks of opening a portal to other dimensions are limited, but other hazards may arise).

That said, trans-dimensional intruders might have inexplicable real-world effects, like forcing their victim to post numerous follow-up videos on YouTube.
 
Radiological vessels can be, though. They're usually well labeled but not always with older ones from some parts of the world, and we have seen the results of abandoned radio medicine sources being collected by scrappers a few times.
 
deirdre said:
External Quote:

Creepypasta comments often feature users engaging in kayfabe, where they maintain the fictional premise of the story within the comments section [1]. This collective suspension of disbelief helps to enhance the horror and immersion for the community.
The comments section effectively serves as an extension of the narrative, with readers
Click to expand...
Fascinating, I now have a word for it, I have sometimes compared some UFO fans to the fans of professional wrestling, where they know it's fake but go along with it for entertainment and part of that is specifically acting and talking as if it is real and getting offended if someone points out it's fake (a part because its the act and the other part because the know it's fake and don't need telling.)

The word Kayfabe seems to be a pro wrestling term.

https://www.oed.com/dictionary/kayfabe_n?tl=true

Turns out someone else made the link and used the word here before but I just never took the word on board

https://www.metabunk.org/threads/why-do-ufologists-ignore-evidence.13103/post-297483
 
He went too far with the claims about threats to his safety etc, once he does that people can call the services in and then the gig is up.

Even if they don't really believe the threats are real, they still exist and will be taken seriously and once the police are calling the hoax is over if you have any sort of real life to maintain.
 
So , he basically rated hoaxing 2 thumbs up , may hoax again - just kidding

Look at all the angry comments in the admission video.
Honestly, even though it may have been forced, some praise should be given to people that admit their hoax rather than let it go on and on like it does with the vast majority of cases
 
jarlrmai said:
I now have a word for it
Click to expand...
if you remember it, i never do (which is why i had to look it up). a weird word.

i usually liken it to comic book or superhero guys who argue the "multiverse" as if its "real". even movies people do that, they argue about Indiana Jones (or Lord of the Rings) and what happens in the movies/books starting with the premise that the story is "real".
 
jarlrmai said:
once he does that people can call the services in and then the gig is up.
Click to expand...
not really. whether he called the police or someone called on him... police in America don't care about this stuff. they aren't going to go on youtube and out the guy. They arent gonna call back some rando and say "we checked it out, the guy is fine".
They probably gave him the "for your safety blah blah blah" speech and he decided to listen.
 
deirdre said:
not really. whether he called the police or someone called on him... police in America don't care about this stuff. they aren't going to go on youtube and out the guy. They arent gonna call back some rando and say "we checked it out, the guy is fine".
They probably gave him the "for your safety blah blah blah" speech and he decided to listen.
Click to expand...
There's no law against posting fiction on the internet or holding you responsible for anyone believing it to be nonfiction. His "confession" even said he hopes some people had fun even if a few took it too far, and he has since followed it up with a "making of" feature about the tube suggesting it was always the plan, he just got there sooner than he may have hoped.

People got taken by some creepypasta and can't seem to deal with that fact.


This reminds me of the Rye Pony hoax (which was not meant to be a hoax but a funny joke):

Source: https://youtu.be/VMyNQCVS410


Same kind of story, presented without context but intended as fiction. A hapless main character comes into possession of an object they can't understand (but which is presented in a way that the audience is meant to know what it is), and subsequently plays with it to their apparent detriment.

The reaction was vastly different but I guess that's the difference between hoaxing a bunch of science nerds and a bunch of true believers desperate for that proof that never seems to arrive.
 
Hevach said:
Same kind of story, presented without context but intended as fiction. A hapless main character comes into possession of an object they can't understand (but which is presented in a way that the audience is meant to know what it is), and subsequently plays with it to their apparent detriment.
Click to expand...
It occurs to me that you've just described the plot of Jumanji as well, but the movie makes it into obvious fantasy fiction. Same plot, but aimed at an entirely different audience.
 
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