November 15, 2007
TAPS: Revelations
Josh Gates (from Sci-Fi's "Destination: Truth") hosted an interview with TAPS that included some interesting dialog along with a list of the official TAPS top-5 favorite investigation locations. I'm going to count-down backwards like they did on the show, except the reason I'm doing it is I need to get rid of the stench from #5 as quickly as possible:
#5) Eastern State Penitentiary: This is still apparently some of Jason & Grant's favorite footage. For those who don't know, an IR camera set up in cell block 12 captured a dark mass that seemed to materialize out of the shadows and quickly retreat back into them. The problems with the footage include (but are not limited to) the fact that right at the point where the entity materialized briefly (at the edge of the IR light where the shadows begin) someone hung a sheet on the left-hand side, almost as if to mark the spot so it would be visible in the near pitch-black conditions later. This sheet was not present when the camera was originally set up (this can be verified by watching the episode) and was not explained, although whoever hung it there was undoubtedly caught on film.
To make matters worse, the apparition itself looks like a sheet draped over someone or something (some skeptics have suggested a cart on wheels, although I think this is unlikely) and you can even make out what appears to be sneakers as the apparition retreats into the shadows (runs away from the camera). Brian attempted to "debunk" this but succeeded in little more than whining about how he can only move really slow because it was so dark — despite having a 3-foot high railing on his left-hand side to guide him. This apparently was good enough debunking for the TAPS team, who counts this footage among their most prized.
#4) New Bedford Armory: In this episode an audio guy named Frank, who was apparently an avowed skeptic until this incident, apparently was attacked by a spirit that doesn't like goof-offs (earlier he had allegedly tripped one of the other crew members as a joke and the National Guardsmen had warned him that had been a bad idea).
The video footage of this does clearly show Frank's camera bag lifting up and smacking him under the chin. There did not appear to be anyone else around him that could have done it as a joke and although it might be possible that Frank moved the bag himself, his reaction to the entire event seemed genuine (he was quite shaken up) so my personal opinion is that he didn't do it deliberately to stage an "event" — and although I hold out the final possibility that he moved in some awkward way that accidentally yanked his equipment bag without him realizing it, this also seems like it might be a stretch. With the footage available I'd have to say this occurance isn't easily dismissed.
#3) Leap Castle: When the team went to Ireland they visited a couple of creepy places, one of which was Leap Castle. Tango & Dustin were together when Dustin was apparently attacked and knocked to the ground. Tango didn't manage to get any real good footage of it (unlike Frank's attack in New Bedford) so personally I find the incident less interesting than some of the other things that happened in the episode such as Tango, Dustin and Brian all claiming to have seen a face in the shadows and they apparently all saw it seperately, with Brian popping into the room a little later and saying he saw a face with a goatee — a feature neither of the other two had previously mentioned but later confirmed. Matrixing? Maybe, but three eyewitnesses gives me the confidence that they actually did see something, paranormal or otherwise.
On a side note, they played footage from the Lisheen Ruins, another Irish location visited in the same episode. It is some of the most intriguing FLIR footage I've seen to-date because it's clear, sustained over a decent amount of time, and has all the hallmarks of something that should be easy to debunk, except it apparently wasn't.
Grant was watching someone from the audio crew walking in the distance around the edge of the ruins with his FLIR camera when he noticed what appeared to be three smaller heat signatures following them through the trees. From the size I would have to say no larger than a soccer ball and going exactly the same speed and direction as the crew member. Now, it's possible the object's size is wrong because it's either closer to the camera or further away, but if that was the case that would mean the object is moving either much slower or much faster — and still eerily in the same direction. This is one creepy piece of footage I'd sure like to be able to explain.
OF NOTE: During the interview one of the things that caught my ear was mention of how many crew members go with TAPS into an investigation. This has come up in discussion a number of times when trying to debunk evidence and we finally have an answer of sorts: When Jay & Grant go off by themselves they usually only have one other person with them, the guy with the camera. That's good to know because with the two investigators in-frame we know where all three of the people in that area are standing. This of course doesn't preclude the possibility of catching audio of another team with another cameraman in another part of the building or some sound guy deciding to sneak into the building to hatch a little prank, but whaddyagonnado?
Although, on this subject, I am interested in what the "sound guys" do. I think Grant said the person on the right in the Lisheen Ruins footage above is a "sound guy" and Frank (of New Bedford Armory fame) was a sound guy — If they only take a camera guy with them then why are the sound guys there and what are they doing while the teams are investigating a location? These and other questions will hopefully be answered some other time, but right now we know not.
#2) St. Augustine Lighthouse: In this episode the guys hear talking, an apparent plea for help, footsteps and even see something lean over the railing a few times. This is probably my #1 personal favorite episode because not only is there a lot of activity, and not only did TAPS manage to record a good deal of it, but the entire building is one big room with only one narrow direction to move — along the spiral staircase. One of the most interesting parts of this was that TAPS actually recorded something moving near the top of the lighthouse but when TAPS themselves got near the top they set off a motion sensor that turned the lights on. Whatever they caught on tape didn't set off those sensors.
In a nutshell, this episode seems to make things very clear: Either there is a conspiracy that everyone at TAPS and all of the Pilgrim crew members are "in" on, or else some stuff that clearly is beyond normal (ergo, paranormal) actually did occur. The only other explanation is that someone played a very elaborate hoax — perhaps turning off the motion sensors, running around, turning them on again and then parachuting down from the top of the lighthouse. One would hope TAPS checked all the closets, but then again one never knows. Still, as far as I'm concerned this, so far, is their most convincing investigation overall.
#1) The Stanley Hotel: There was of course the incident in Jay's room that is certainly intriguing — and another one of those moments where you really feel either something strange is really going on or else these guys are all "in" on the hoax. TAPS also cited a few other moments, most notably when they were in the tunnels during the 2006 Halloween LIVE investigation and heard what seemed to be a girl's voice saying, "Hello?" twice, followed by weird giggling.
As impressive as that would be in a controlled environment, keep in mind that this happened in a functioning hotel so there are a lot of possible "normal" explanations. For all we (or TAPS) know it could have been a kitchen staffer who heard noises (Jason & Grant talking) through a vent and got scared — then giggled when she realized it was just the guys from Ghost Hunters. Who knows? In any case, definitely creepy but in that environment it's easy for evidence to be contaminated, so I wouldn't call it convincing.
I did want to touch on a few other things discussed during this interview. For one thing, Jason defined a "Skeptic" as someone who just hasn't had a paranormal experience yet. This is dead wrong and it shows the kind of poor attitude that leads to bad debunking (which we'll get to in a minute). A "skeptic" is someone who wants solid evidence before reaching a conclusion. I know plenty of skeptics who have had their own experiences but still think some of the "evidence" they see on Ghost Hunters is complete garbage and possibly hoaxed. Having a paranormal experience or believing in the paranormal does not (or should not) cure you of healthy skepticism.
Also mentioned were some of the reasons they think people are so interested in TAPS and their work. The two primary answers given: People who need to know there is an afterlife — that when they die they will still live on in some form, and people who have lost a loved one and need to know that person still lives on somewhere. I'd say he's probably very right. Both of those are very powerful and are universal — we're all going to die, we've all lost or will one day lose loved ones.
Personally though, I think this highlights a major problem with trying to examine the paranormal in a scientific manner — many people want to or possibly even need to believe and that often leads to turning a blind eye to natural explanations for phenomena and even outright fraud. For hundreds of years, possibly even thousands, mystics have claimed psychic powers and the ability to speak with the dead. Some have perhaps done it with the intention of comforting the bereaved — although some would still suggest the bereaved would be better off dealing with reality instead of leaning on an artificial crutch — but many have also done it for profit and some have even used the influence of loved ones who have passed for their own personal gain and to persuade the bereaved to make decisions they would otherwise not have made, bilking some out of their life savings while being thanked for all their help.
No, I'm not suggesting TAPS fits into any category except the first: Trying to help comfort people, but I do think that our human tendency to want to believe puts us in danger of other, less honorable folks taking advantage of us, and also that we're best off when we are dealing with straight-reality because at least we know we're not making any decisions based on a fiction that may not exist no matter how much we wish it did. Anyway, sorry for the tangent and I hope no one is offended but essentially I'm just saying we need to be careful to distinguish what we want to believe from what we know is true.
Moving on, Jay reiterated something he had said previously on the show: That 80% of all reported hauntings can be debunked and dismissed. If he really believes that then that would suggest (due to the frequency of hauntings on the show) that for every investigation we see on Ghost Hunters, two other investigations were filmed and thrown in the trash. Somehow I don't believe that's the case.
Between travel, the investigation, reviewing the footage, the reveal and post production I don't think there's enough time for them to do three times as much work as they air. Yes, I know they wouldn't do post production on an investigation that turned up zilch but — although I have no actual proof — from interviews I've listened to and the amount of time everything seems to take I just don't believe they're throwing any investigations in the garbage, much less two out of every three. But that's just my opinion.
They did show a nice Debunk Montage containing some of the classic moments of TAPS debunking and I will say there have been a few times where not only didn't they drop the ball, but they really came through bigtime. Some of the things they debunked, like the lights on the ceiling of one theater that were actually headlights reflecting into a window and off a tin can, could have been left in the show and would have made more convincing evidence than some of the actual evidence they've collected over the years — but TAPS showed not only that they could go the extra mile to debunk an occurance, but also that they were glad to do it. Looking back it makes it all the more sad when they certify-as-paranormal what is clearly video footage of a guy under a sheet.
Filed under Ghost Hunters, Posts by Logisti
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Comments on TAPS: Revelations »
latoberg @ 3:18 pm
You asked, "what do the sound guys do?"
Sound techs carry the long booms with microphones attached so that we can hear what they are saying. Most times the teams do not use wireless microphones. Instead, a sound tech is recording the material. That is why whispers get subtitled, the microphone cannot pick up the detail of what they are saying.
Most of the cameras they are using do not have adequate sound recording ability. External microphones are used to record the sound and then synced with the video in postproduction.
Those microphones are also designed to be pointed at the sound source and not omnidirectional, that's why we miss the sounds that the teams are hearing sometimes.
Logisti @ 11:14 pm
Thanks, that was educational. What I really meant though was what do the sound guys do specifically during a TAPS investigation — because Jason & Grant said they only bring one guy (a camera guy) with them in order to prevent human contamination by having crew members all over the place.
I mean, in the shots where we actually see the crew it seems like there are tons of them but J & G just went on record saying they usually only bring one guy so… I guess I'm less concerned about the crew and more concerned about the apparent contradiction.
Salem615 @ 3:10 pm
I enjoyed the Revelations show. It was fun to see some of the highlights of the past few years and to learn a bit more about the TAPS team.
I have to admit I was surprised that they picked Eastern State as #5 on their list. The first time I saw the footage I was like “wow that is awesome” but then seeing it over and over it is so obvious that there is a pant leg and shoe under that black sheet. Oh well…
The lighthouse was also my favorite episode. There was so much going on there and it would be hard for someone to pull a prank in a lighthouse such as this one.
One other interesting thought came to mind was the new girl on the show. (Is it Kristen?) I for some reason find it hard t buy into the statement that she has been friends with Jay and Grant for about 8 years. She looks very young and she doesn’t really seem all that comfortable with them as a whole. Also there was an opening and she fit right in they said. I don’t see her as being fascinated with the paranormal based on her demeanor and wouldn’t Jay and Grant have someone a little more trained to join the team and be on their show? Don’t get me wrong, it could all be true but for some reason it doesn’t sit right to me. It could be that learning this stuff and being on tv makes her a bit off so I am holding out judgement that she was just added to the show because they needed a female in the mix.
Overall I did enjoy the show and it was nice to have some questions answered. (I wonder why Grant chooses not to tell of his paranormal experience?)
Todd @ 4:24 pm
Logisti, I honestly don't know why Jason would say that they only have one guy. Perhaps they have a different audio/visual set up.
Jason and Grant may have a wireless microphone set up. Remember from the Waverly Hills live investigation, Grant stuck his head around the corner of an open door into a stairwell and said something like, "It's a sound guy." I can't remember the exact wording. It seemed that it was a production staff person, though.
They may have a sound tech remotely set up on a floor recording so that he doesn't actually get "in their way".
But we have seen on a number of occasions that teams do have at least a camera and sound tech as they go through an investigation (Frank from the armory, Lisheen ruins).
Kenny @ 11:54 am
This pertains to St. Augustine Lighthouse. I too believe this was by far the best of Ghost Hunters. I would like to see Jason & Grant go back there and leave cameras covering the stairway and the top section for a few consective nights with a few real "skeptics" used as securtity guards to keep intruders away from the lighthouse.
Ed @ 7:27 am
Todd, and others, I *BELIEVE* they have wireless mics. Now and then you can see something hanging on the back of their belts with wires running under jackets.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse was great! That was the kind of stuff I want to see/hear.
As for Kristen, I think she isn't used to being on camera yet. And she does seem to be more relaxed with the others…
The Eastern State Pen. Just annoyed me to no end. Just because Brian can't seem to walk and talk at the same time doesnt mean that it was a good test. I think everyone will agree that it looked like someone wearing sneakers. And what about a ski mask? Or something else dark to cover their face and head? With very little effort the whole thing can be faked. The only clips that annoy me more are the ones with that small dark shadow down in a pool table/bar area. For the life of me I can't remember where it was. But it just looked like someones kid running in front of the camera, and back.
Let me end this by saying that I WANT to believe. The trouble is, GH will sometimes bring crap to the table. And even when they don't? I'm still not willing to buy a pig in a poke. Most people, it seems to me, that claim to have seen ghosts aren't the best witnesses. And, to be honest, until one comes up to me and says "Hi I'm Casper, I'm a friendly ghost…have a beer." I'm just going to have a hard time of it. If it were me doing this show, I'd have some kind of camera set up where theres one just showing the main one in that area. To make sure no one is playing games.
Now having said all that. I still like the show. Now and then they get something I can't just say off the top of my head that it's this or that. And it beats Most Haunted all to hell. Also beats 'A Haunting'. Which is really a load of crap. I think they spend the budget on cheap beer.
Kbro @ 10:17 pm
This show gave me the willies for 3 days after I watched the Thanksgiving Day special. All episodes of Season 3 back to back!
I have one comment about the Lighthouse footage: Be very careful believing what you are seeing when a camera is static – not moving. It is easy for someone to edit the footage to show an "entity" moving at a high rate of speed or vanishing and showing up again say, a couple of flights up very quickly. After all, when a camera is locked down there is no frame of reference because the background never changes. You could film a figure leaning over the railing – pause the camera – run up a few flights of stairs – start recording – figure leans over railing – pause – figure moves off camera – record and POOF! The figure disappeared! Video cameras these days even have the ability to "fade out/in" while rolling without any external editing gear.
Even Tango debunked a bed in some "haunted" hotel room that appeared to unmake itself. Again, the camera was static – locked down. The covers of the bed suddenly folded backwards. Pretty impressive but Tango found that someone had paused the camera at 3 different intervals while pulling the covers back with a fishing line. Every time the camera was restarted the covers were slightly off for that single frame. Tango found it by playing the shot frame by frame. He's a thorough investigator. Kinda took the wind outta everyone else's sails though. Love the show BTW.
Logisti @ 11:01 am
I believe the camera at the bottom wasn't the mini-dv but rather one of their IR cams that was hooked up to the laptop, so the only way it was edited was if TAPS did it themselves — also they were alone in the lighthouse but had hundreds of guests and staff around when they were at the Queen Mary (the bed unmaking itself) — one of the hotel staff in particular acted a little suspicious and some suspect she was the one who perpetrated the hoax.
All-in-all, I think the only chance the video from St. Augustine Lighthouse was altered was if TAPS did the hoaxing themselves — and I'm certainly not ruling that possibility out but for the most part the only assumption I tend to make in my analyses is that most or all the TAPS team is honest — otherwise there isn't any point in analyzing any footage from the show ever.
Kbro @ 3:09 pm
"…otherwise there isn't any point in analyzing any footage from the show ever."
Ratings can be a huge motivator. I am not suggesting they are manipulating their footage either BUT when you have a hit show on your hands it behooves you to keep that gravy train running, no?
Logisti @ 3:58 pm
Much of the footage we have is highly suspicious — for instance the moving lamp (cord) — but doesn't actually prove anything per say. On the other hand, the Manson FLIR footage is easily proven to have been doctored but since that footage was never shown in TAPS' possession (either during the analysis or the reveal) it's possible they are entirely innocent and the production company did it after-the-fact.
I think everyone would agree it's unfair to label anyone "guilty" until the evidence is clear and no reasonable doubt remains, however in this case any potentially "guilty" parties are in a position to manipulate what "evidence" we see and what ends up on the cutting room floor — Ergo, my assertion that we have to take them at their word — not because it's the "right" thing to do but because we don't really have much choice. If someone on the TAPS team really is hoaxing their audience the best we can hope for is someone messes up and a piece of damning footage slips through into the final cut of an episode.
That might happen, but assuming it won't then we can't be sure whether or not to trust what they show us. If we decide to trust (that there isn't a grand conspiracy that everyone at TAPS in involved in) then we can discuss their footage in a semi-serious manner (as we do). If we decide not to trust then we can dismiss even the most convincing footage on the basis that it may have been expertly manipulated in some undetectable way by the source.
tracy @ 9:14 am
Logisti, i'm confused. you have made a few comments questioning Grant's honesty and tactics. the lamp cord is an example and the moving folding chair in the attic is another.
Logisti @ 9:43 am
What I'm talking about here is if *everyone* is "in" on it. Were that the case every time they say, "There's only one way in and out of there, they'd have to walk past the camera but everyone was accounted for" it could be a blatant lie, and that's just for starters — every piece of video and audio could be tampered with to their heart's content, making sure it was dark enough or blurry enough to hide strings, wires or sneakers, adding manufactured "EVPs", etc.
If only one TAPS team member is involved in hoaxing and no one else suspects that anything devious is going on then we do have a fair chance of any damning footage making it to air. Either way, I'm always on the lookout for evidence that someone might be engaged in some deliberate trickery but assuming we don't find any we're left with the choice to either assume every piece of evidence they come up with might be tampered with in some way, or not and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Dave @ 11:16 pm
Good Evidence Vs. Debunkery
The TAPS series has been fun, but, frankly, about the only two mysterious occurrences that impressed me so far are:
1. The soundman getting knocked down in the Armory.
2. The 2 EVPs picked up, of the little girl, in the 3rd season.
Let’s face it, most of the, so-called, evidence could have an unusual but normal explanation. Some of the EVPs could be anything from a camera crew guy unconsciously speaking under his breath, to the screeching of a water faucet being turned on, or scuffling feet. Grant’s rigged, moving lamp needs no comment. On the other hand, the two occurrences, I mentioned, impressed me.
Any debunking theories on how those could be anything other than of a paranormal nature.
Re: 1
The bag jumping up, whacking the man under the chin, was very impressive. The man’s surprise and agitation appeared absolutely genuine.
Re: 2
The girls voice says, “Where’is Jason?” and later “Uh, na, na, na, na”. They sound genuine and I believe them to actually be a little girl’s voice – but there were no children in the house during the hunt.
– Dave
henry @ 10:18 pm
i have a question…
the episode where the team goes to the birdcage hotel they had several things happen,why wouldn't they have stayed a second night placing the cameras where they saw and felt the most?
Henry
Dave @ 2:13 pm
Re: Why not stay a second night.
I suspect it just wasn't on their agenda — one place/one episode per customer. I'm afraid that's all we get. But there's alway a possiblity they might do another show there again?
– Dave
brent ward @ 11:51 pm
wow a skeptic site about a skeptic show. There goal is to disprove hauntings, which they do…..not very often do they say its haunted.
having worked on a reality show, its is very tough to put all the video together in time. When you have the crew footage and many handheld camara's. tough.
that said keep an eye to keep grant and jason in control…..i want to see satin show up on one of these haunts
Dave @ 5:14 pm
Brent, you have a point about the difficulty in editing the show, having so much footage. The bizarre part is that someone took out the time to "fix" the FLIR footage (see other thread).
I suspect there are several assitant editors involved looking for the best bits to eventually put together – and people adding the extra visual effects.
It appears that Satan hasn't been invited on the show yet as a special guest star – but watch for wrestling guys.
– Dave
bill kelly @ 12:55 am
i'm no electronic whiz so i cant speak of evp's. but for someone here who said they wanted casper to come say hi….i was very close to my dad. we were extremely close and our lives have come close to equalling each others. in two life or death experiences, my dad came to me. one he was a shadow but knew the voice the other he was fully there. ive learned that some spirits will stay connected with loved ones while others will never have an experience. so, as for evps being "too clear" on the show and people not believing til they see Casper themselves, believe what you want but things do happen.
the new girl is kris and shes 26 so she could know them for 8 yrs. she also acted in some b-movie so she has been on camera. my prob with her is in her 1st episode she said she became interested due to her grandma but on this show she said her and a friend were in a cemetary when something happened. too inconsistent. she's the hottest girl so far, but she doesnt say much and in the halloween show, you'd think they'd use her "little-girl-type voice" not dustins, to get "timmy" to come out and play
Shawn @ 6:46 pm
My problem with the live Halloween episode at the Stanley Hotel, was how Grant reacts when he starts to hear the little girl's voice calling back to them (which sounded like something being broadcast from a speaker if you ask me). As this is going on, he suddenly stops, turns toward Jason and starts to play it back on his digital voice recorder for him to hear, almost as if he knew that was all that there was going to be.
Now, if I'm in the same situation and I'm hearing what could be a disembodied spirit actually talking back to me, am I going to stop recording so soon into it and turn away from it when there could be more? Of course not. You'd want to make sure that you caught as much of the phenomenon as you could and it possible, spur it along some more.
It reminded me of the first Waverly Hills trip, where they caught the image of some "child ghost" running across the hall on the thermal. Rather than racing down there to see what it was, they play it back on instead.
Shawn
VIC @ 1:21 am
First I would like to say.. I don't believe that Grant and Jay are trying to deceive anyone. Their are many factors that are just not explainable.
St Augustine Lighthouse episode was one of my favorites. I was a little freaked out by what I was seeing. I played watched it over and over. If you remember they put a camera facing up through the center of the lighthouse. So every time they looked up they may have been looking up at their own shadow being cast up. Think about it you lean forward you will see a shadow cast lean forward ((hence over the rail looking down)). They ran up and the shadow ran – hmmm. The what appears to be eyes may be a reflection of lights being flashed up and the shadow casted up disrupted the lights. I wish someone would have stayed up top and some of the guys would stay below to see if they were still seeing shadow people or if it was their own shadow. The same thing happened to the second group. As far as voices. I can't explain that – being a lighthouse and the area it could have been numerous sounds.
Again I believe this is a good show and would like to see something really scarey.