I don't think there's any way it can be a boom mike (aside from the fact that it looks like a hand and nothing like a boom mike).

When the camera pans back to Grant after the glass falls, there's no one behind him, meaning the boom mike would have to be held by someone in front of Jay – but the shadow clearly moves downward, meaning whatever made the shadow moved downward, yet we don't see the shadow of (or the actual) support rod holding the mike come into view in front of Jay as it would have to if that was what cast the shadow.

I love Quicktime for this because you can grab the little position marker and move it backwards and forwards to play the movie in slow-motion forward and reverse.

Upon playing around with that we can actually clearly see that Grant's shadow is moving as the camera turns (because the Camera is the light source) and if you trace the shadow of his head back towards the moment we see the "flicking" shadow it becomes clear the shadow in question is in VERY close proximity to the shadow of Grant's head. Like, over-the-shoulder close.

In the moment the camera begins to pan towards Grant we can see the shadow of his head touching the edge of the doorframe, meanwhile the shadow in question was just a few inches to the left of the doorframe, and at about the same height.

So Grant got busted because he gave the glass a throw by flicking it near his head, over the shoulder like, instead of just tossing it underhand style?

In reply to the post by medievil below: His arm's shadow wouldn't have to get caught on film if all that was in the view of the camera was the shadow of his hand.

Do you guys not understand HOW a boom mic works??..lol
the audio guy is LIKELY behind the camera guy, who is kneeling with the camera at an odd angle looking up.. all the audio guy has to do is move the boom sliughtly and it will swing , just like the shadow …
Also, how you get that it looks like a hand, when it looks exactly like a boom mic(They hang suspended from the boom so they don't pick up the audio guy HANDLING the boom)
if it were a hand, where is Grants Arm??the shadow is in the center, so his arm would have to be casting a shadow as well…

Makes much more sense that the mic is hanging DOWN into the light enough to cast a shadow

@J, but they are saying he held his hand up and out in front of him…I mean, do it yourself.. hold your arm out in front of you head level, palm down and try to make a shadow like the one in the clip (it's not possible INHO my hand palm down holding a small object with a below light source doesn't make a shadow like that)…
your arm is LOWER than your hand right??? so where is the shadow of his arm connecting to that shadow??

Also, where was the Camera?? it was up beside Jason pointing back slightly… in order for it to be Grants Hand, he'd have to have his hand practically in camera view… and you can't say well when the camera pans back..yada, yada, cause the light source is attached to the camera.. the shadows would have changed drastically teh view changes…

Honestly..I think you guys have lost a little perspective.. you are so caught up in wanting to Catch Grant Faking evidence, that you are seeing him do it in stuff that just isn't there…
Even the whole lamp thing is a pretty lame attempt to say Grant did it…
Not once did I even see the consideration that whatever PARANORMAL moved the lamp, could have also moved the cord…Thats kinda showled a bias and preconcieved notion that "grant" faked it

Where is the video of a debunker, with a similar table, lamp and placement showing HOW Grant accomplished this in a near pitch black room….
To me, you can't debunk it unless you can PROVE that it could even be faked the way it's being claimed..

medievil, did the ghost that moved the lamp and the cord also move Grant's chair closer to the table and pull the cord taut so it looks like it is running into Grant's left hand?

Who has lost perspective? We have a shadow that is six-inches to the left of Grant's head that is the perfect size, shape, timing and motion to be a hand flicking a piece of glass over a shoulder and you contend the more likely explanation is that an audio guy — who we can't even be sure was even in the room at the time (we certainly see no evidence of him or his boom mike as the camera swings around to face Grant) — was standing right behind the camera guy, immediately to Grant's left, with a boom mike hanging over Grant's left shoulder, *practically in camera view* (it has to be in front of the light source attached to the camera in order to case a shadow) and it happened to bounce in that exact way at that precise moment.

As I said, it's certainly not impossible, but other than that there isn't any evidence to support it. On the other hand we know the shadow of Grant's head is right next to the anomalous shadow, we know the anomalous shadow must have been slightly closer to the camera than Grant's head (because of where the respective shadows are), we know Grant has a left hand that was near the right place at the right time and we know it was (ostensibly) empty. We also know the movement of the shadow precisely matches not only the motion of a flicking hand, but also the exact timing to match up with the clinking of the glass hitting he ground a split-second later.

So as much as you may be upset by the suggestion that the shadow might be Grant's left hand, and despite the fact that I agree with you that this isn't conclusive proof of anything, the most likely explanation is NOT a boom microphone held by a man that may not even be in the room. It is the supposedly empty left-hand of the man who is definitely in the room and is standing in the position we know the shadow originated from.

If Grant turned around for a moment, facing away from Jason, to flick the glass down the hall and did so by bringing his hand up near his head, then all we would catch is the shadow of his hand as it came back and then move forward as he tossed the piece of glass.

There is actually time for Grant to turn back around looking toward Jason because after we see the shadow, the camera focuses on Jason, thus giving Grant enough time to turn around.

Logisti: If this isn't conclusive proof of Grant hoaxing, then on a scale of 1 to 5, (1 being weak, 5 being strong) how would you rate this as being evidence of Grant hoaxing something? In fact, I pose that question to everyone.

And in reply to the comment below: Ahh, just a little flick over the shoulder and behind the back eh? Yeah, that'd do it.

There's no need for him to turn around at all. His left hand is the one thats free and the shadow is exactly where we would expect it to be if he had quickly tossed something over his left shoulder. He wouldn't even need to look up from the FLIR screen (which he is looking at studiously when the camera focuses on him).

In terms of actual evidence that Grant is hoaxing something, unfortunately I have to apply the same standards here that I do to paranormal evidence. So I'd have to say that the shadow is consistent with Grant throwing the glass, but doesn't prove it. It isn't quite that clip on "Most Haunted" where Yvette moaned, then claimed that a ghost had done it. Still… this is an extremely good catch.

1-5? I'd call it a 3. A 5 would be getting into Pilgrim's secret stash of outtakes and finding a shot of Grant attaching the fishing line to the Race Rock chair. A 4: full-bodied shadow of Grant throwing the glass.

If this is Grant hoaxing, is this really the best he could come up with? Before I knew about the shadow, I didn't even think that the glass needed debunking.

It's definitely not conclusive, but I'd say a 3 1/2.

Stephen – unfortunately, when this sort of evidence, along with personal experiences and EVPS are used to declare a place haunted, what else are we going to try to debunk?

It'd be great to have clear video of a full-body apparition to analyze one day – but I'm not holding my breath.

Logisti,
Thats where we disagree.. IMHO, it looks NOTHING like a hand..It's the wrong size (Much bigger) and in the wrong place for the light source to BE Grants hand…
So yea, I say some have lost persepctive (You've said the "Obvuious conclusion is it is Grant" when there is no evidence to support that or even that it was more than just coiencidental, to me thats not debunking)…The audio guy stays behind the camera guy so that he is always out of frame… comon Production practice..It would not be unusualy at all to catch the shadow of the boom mic at the angle the camera was at THAT precise time…

As to the lamp cord…I reviewed everything and NEVER did I see the lamp cord LOOk like it was in grants left hand..
I saw where it was SUGGESTED.. but saw no proof… and certainly, no recreation showing it was even possible.
It's easy to take a picture and SUGGEST anything.. true debunking comes in the form of offering a theory AND recreating it

I agree with the 3/5 rating as a standalone piece of evidence, but despite Grant being perhaps the most personable and likable member of TAPS he somehow has been the *ONLY* member of TAPS to ever generate serious suspicion with similarly inconclusive evidence, and he's done it a number of times.

Once you get past the lamp (with his chair moving closer to the table and the cord seeming to run into his hidden left hand), the race rock chair (which began being suspicious the moment he left it in the attic for no apparent reason when he knew he wasn't going back up there) or the picture frame (which we discuss at length in Podcast Episode #5) you then begin to notice that there are a number of interesting occurrences which have no real evidence to suggest hoaxing, but happen to occur when Grant is in a room by himself — like when Jay leaves Grant alone for a moment to go up into an attic and the faucet in the bathroom next to Grant suddenly turns on.

So, 3/5 on top of a mountain of 3/5's when no one else, not Jay, not Steve, not Kris, not Dave Tango, NO ONE else on the team has even a single piece of moderately compelling circumstantial evidence to suggest they're anything but honest. Either Grant "made" this show with shenanigans or else he's breaking it with suspicion leveled at alleged shenanigans. Perhaps both. In any case, I don't think there's any chance he'll disappear from the show but he is the by far a more serious threat to the credibility of TAPS than any misuse of equipment ever will be.

is Grant an evil hoaxer or is he just in the wrong place at the wrong time… every time?

It's important to be open minded but if I was as certain as some people here seem to be that Grant is pulling the strings and all this is BS then I'd find something else to do on Wednesday night. rapidly.

Seriously, since I started perusing here months ago the tone seems to have changed, and not for the better in my mind.

At the end of the day it's just a TV show! (Sounding like William Shatner on SNL) I guess I just don't care that much.

ummm..why did race rock chair become suspicious???
That statement makes zero sense.. they left a cemera running up there and would most definately be going back later…taking a chair with him while there were still investigating wouldn't make any sense….and the picture frame.. why would it HAVE to be fishing line?? Because there is no such thing as a ghost moving an object?? or just because it was Grant and you think he fakes things?? There certianly was nothing that would make ANYONE think it was fishing line…
Heck as far as anyone knows there may be more footage of him going to get the guys, cause he or Jason said on the show that they checked it out right after and couldn't find anything…just cause the show didn't use that footage doesn't mean Grant is faking anything…Things have happened to OThers as well… JAson and the welts on his back… Grant also had a similar interaction…
The shadow and voices in the lighthouse, the shadows in Waverly Hills that caused the wresting dude to scream like a girl…

Heck I have seen Grant Debunk waaaay more stuff than the show has presented as stuff they thought had merit….does a lot of stuff happen to Grant? sure, but Grant also volunteers to stay in the haunted rooms.. The one time that Jason DID stay in one he also had experiences…

Thanks for the input everyone. And I really appreciate the different points of view (pun intended). Although this seemed like a gotcha moment to me, I can't for the life of me understand why it was necessary, if it happened the way my eyes saw it. If it was something else, I am the first to say that my lieing eyes were wrong. If not, it does go the heart of how far will a show go to keep you engaged. Bottom line, I'm with Jef, it is just a show and a damned good one at that. I will just have to keep my mind and my eyes wide open. God bless the DVR!!!

I'm going to go with Jef on this one and just say that everything we discussed has been well documented, everyone can review it and decide how strong/weak, important/unimportant they think the evidence is, and all of it has been discussed ad nauseum, perhaps with a special emphasis on nauseum.

As for the tone of recent posts being different, I think that can be directly attributed to the show being different, but as medievil is a great example of, some people may not see things that way and I can respect that.

Also, medievil seems to be having some problems posting — if anyone else is please let me know.

I do not think that Grant would do anything to make the show look bad ,or to make the team look like a bunch of fake's There is such a thing called integrity

I do not trust Grant. He seems to be the secretive evidence planter on the show.

Jason and Grant are starting to see some nice $cratch from their Tv contract renewal and DVD sales and lecture circuit ventures– ofcourse this married family man does not want the show to be surpassed as the #1 reality ghost show and Sci Fi network hit. He is on a gravy train that can last many years (see Yvette Fielding and her BBC "Most Haunted" camp fest). Not to mention the show's filming gets him out of the house where he can enjoy travel and a change of pace from being plumber and suburban dad. What dude wouldnt throw a piece of glass and play along or claim to see spooky faces in dark rooms just to remain a TV personality? Though I suggest he lay off a bit – if he is going to be constantly defrauded by sites such as this. I mean, even MH host/producer Yvette Fielding doesnt "hear" whispers in her ear EVERY WEEK and psychic medium Derek Acorah didnt get possessed every show (then again- maybe I am wrong — I guess he did– but hey! it got him a lucrative spinoff show, right?)

so far in the Taps troupe, Jason's hands seems to be clean…
and as for Grant , well… he's "here to help" (his bank account).

Don't just single out Grant. The production company has a lot at stake here in terms of ratings and advertising ca$h. Being within a few feet of Jason and Grant, maybe the camera/sound tech(s) witnessed or even participated in staging the glass shard anomaly. We'll probably never know.

B-9, so-noted, but regarding this particular piece of footage there are only two facts that really matter and one of them doesn't leave much wiggle room for alternative explanations.

1: There is the question of whether the shadow is related to the sound of the glass falling. The timing certainly suggests it is, but the motion and shape of the shadow can be interpreted as a boom mike, and certainly there is the possibility it could be something no one has even thought of (e.g. the brim of someone's hat, or something else silly but innocent)

2: The position of the shadow is right next to the shadow of Grant's head. This is where there things get tight — literally speaking, in three-dimensional space. Yes, a shadow is a two-dimensional image cast by an object and we're used to seeing shadows of ourselves, birds, and even airplanes. Often it can be difficult to determine where a shadow actually originated from in three-dimensional space, but not in this case.

The problem is that we know the light source (an infrared light source, in fact) is mounted with the camera so whatever cast this shadow had to be far enough forward to cast a shadow from the camera's light source, but not too far forward or else we would see the actual object within the camera's field of view.

This limitation, combined with Grant's known location, means that we can essentially prove beyond the shadow of doubt (excuse the pun) that the object was 8-15 inches to the left of Grant's head, at roughly the same elevation as his head, and either slightly in-front-of or perhaps directly over Grant's shoulder. The last part we know because it casts a shadow, but it's too far back to enter the camera's field of view. Once we know that, we can determine the rest from where the shadow is cast in the other two dimensions (on the wall).

This basically leaves only two working theories that seem to have good plausibility: 1) It's Grant's hand or 2) It's a microphone on a boom that is being held over Grant's shoulder or thereabouts, from an audio guy standing immediately behind Grant & the camera operator.

So while I agree it's important not to forget that there are crew members on set who should be subjected to equal, if not more scrutiny than the TAPS investigators, in this case if the shadow is a hand then it essentially can only be Grant's hand because of where it is — unless it is the hand of the camera operator himself, but there's no reason for the camera operator to wait until he is standing *in-front* of Grant to throw the glass.

On the other hand, we know the camera operator was standing behind Grant just a few feet earlier in this corridor so if Grant was going to throw a piece of glass, it would make perfect sense for him to wait until the camera operator was standing in-front of *him*.

In a nutshell, that's why the contention in this case is (so far) limited to a list of only two suspects: Grant and a boom mike.