Pixie Investigation With Mr. Erwin Saunders.

[BIAD]

After the last encounter with the Cave Wrym, it seems Erwin and Tom have been reluctant to venture
back out to the moss-strewn forest with its unexplored caves. But to keep a fickle public interested,
the semi-spelunking duo released a short video of their frightening encounter with that thing that from
the dark.


Personally, I think Mr Saunders has perused the Rogue Nation website and pondered if Ninurta's
gif-skills could be utilised to enhance the fleeting footage.

[Kenzo]

After the last encounter with the Cave Wrym, it seems Erwin and Tom have been reluctant to venture
back out to the moss-strewn forest with its unexplored caves. But to keep a fickle public interested,
the semi-spelunking duo released a short video of their frightening encounter with that thing that from
the dark.


Personally, I think Mr Saunders has perused the Rogue Nation website and pondered if Ninurta's
gif-skills could be utilised to enhance the fleeting footage.

Sheesh....for a moment, i thought that was real beast

[BIAD]

Sheesh....for a moment, i thought that was real beast

In the world of Erwin, everything you see and hear is real!

It's a place where two realms touch and the bearded gentleman with the fidgety fingers has the gift
to reach across and allow us mere-mortals to appreciate the magical spectacle that Erwin takes for
granted.

Tom is our more pragmatic and 'nuts-and-bolts' character in this journey of mystical exploration.
For him, his radar remains silent, but he's learning that -as in Erwin's case, supernatural states can
be breached with the use of the heart, more than the head.

But we're picking up tips as we accompany this pair, such as tuck your trousers into your socks when
visiting the lair of the Wrym!

[Kenzo]

   

Sheesh....for a moment, i thought that was real beast

In the world of Erwin, everything you see and hear is real!

It's a place where two realms touch and the bearded gentleman with the fidgety fingers has the gift
to reach across and allow us mere-mortals to appreciate the magical spectacle that Erwin takes for
granted.

Tom is our more pragmatic and 'nuts-and-bolts' character in this journey of mystical exploration.
For him, his radar remains silent, but he's learning that -as in Erwin's case, supernatural states can
be breached with the use of the heart, more than the head.

But we're picking up tips as we accompany this pair, such as tuck your trousers into your socks when
visiting the lair of the Wrym!

Snakes, lizards make me  

[Ninurta]

Sheesh....for a moment, i thought that was real beast

From a technical standpoint, it's the attention to detail that leaves one wondering.

The way the shadows move in response to the light source. The texture-matching between the wyrm and the surroundings. The matching of the illumination, brightness, and contrast. Even the way that a fleeting reflection glints out from the beast's retina at just the right instant as the light plays across it's face.

Details.

Is it real? Is it fantasy? Does it matter?

"There are stranger things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dream't of in your philosophies."


.

[BIAD]

In this latest video, Erwin interacts with his viewers due to Tom's request to submit questions.

With his beard fashionably tied at the bottom, the affable etherealogist breaks down the different types
of other-worldly beings in his educating of his fellow fairy-hunters.

[BIAD]

Well, it's Welsh Bat-Frog time with Erwin & Tom... of course.
(But Yer've gotta be quick!)

[Ninurta]

I think a book would be a great idea - a tome housing his drawings for mass distribution, along with a running commentary on them, an "unnatural history" of sorts. I think he would do better selling such a book on, for example, Amazon (my author friend tells me that authors receive around 70% of the sales proceeds on Amazon vs. 5-10% at traditional publishing houses) than he will do selling the drawings singly on Ebay, and make more money at it. While he can charge more for signed prints on Ebay, I think the volume in book sales at Amazon would more than make up for the money.

And those camera batteries ain't cheap!

I frequently tie my beard as Erwin does, and tie my hair in a ponytail as well, so that I've got sort of a ponytail fore and aft, but I generally only do that in the summer. It's cooler that way, allows for more air circulation, and leaving them down and fluffy in the winter provides more insulation.

We also have the sort of boots he calls "Wellingtons" around here, but we call them by the more mundane name of "gum-boots".

A TV series may not be amiss, but I'd be adamant about not cutting Tom out of the show - he's become something of a fixture now. They could take a clue from the American series "Naked and Afraid". where the bulk of the crew stays at a camp away from the principles that are being filmed, and only one or two cameramen at a time follow them on their journeys. That would avoid the bulky entourage that Erwin seems concerned about.

ETA: To date, I have 27 of Erwin's videos, just short of 2 GB at 720p resolution. which have altogether a total run time of 3 hours, 44 minutes, 38 seconds. Pretty prolific!

.

[BIAD]

I think a book would be a great idea - a tome housing his drawings for mass distribution, along with a running commentary on them, an "unnatural history" of sorts. I think he would do better selling such a book on, for example, Amazon (my author friend tells me that authors receive around 70% of the sales proceeds on Amazon vs. 5-10% at traditional publishing houses) than he will do selling the drawings singly on Ebay, and make more money at it. While he can charge more for signed prints on Ebay, I think the volume in book sales at Amazon would more than make up for the money.

And those camera batteries ain't cheap!

A book would be great idea, I'll wager Erwin has a ton of information that videos lie these just to have time for.

I frequently tie my beard as Erwin does, and tie my hair in a ponytail as well, so that I've got sort of a ponytail fore and aft, but I generally only do that in the summer. It's cooler that way, allows for more air circulation, and leaving them down and fluffy in the winter provides more insulation.

I imagine I have a ponytail and that the extent of it!!

We also have the sort of boots he calls "Wellingtons" around here, but we call them by the more mundane name of "gum-boots".

There was a trend when I was younger where 'wellies' were turned down so the inside-lining could be seen.
In bait (lunch) cabins on construction sites, I've seen them left near the door and marked 'L' and 'R' to tell which is which!

A TV series may not be amiss, but I'd be adamant about not cutting Tom out of the show - he's become something of a fixture now. They could take a clue from the American series "Naked and Afraid". where the bulk of the crew stays at a camp away from the principles that are being filmed, and only one or two cameramen at a time follow them on their journeys. That would avoid the bulky entourage that Erwin seems concerned about.

Yep, if Tom is not required, then Erwin just shouldn't fo it.

ETA: To date, I have 27 of Erwin's videos, just short of 2 GB at 720p resolution. which have altogether a total run time of 3 hours, 44 minutes, 38 seconds. Pretty prolific!

Have you found any visual indication of trickery?

[Ninurta]

I frequently tie my beard as Erwin does, and tie my hair in a ponytail as well, so that I've got sort of a ponytail fore and aft, but I generally only do that in the summer. It's cooler that way, allows for more air circulation, and leaving them down and fluffy in the winter provides more insulation.

I imagine I have a ponytail and that the extent of it!!

In your case, the moustache would be the thing to gussy up. You could wax it and twist out great big handle bars, or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, a pink bow on each end would be the way to go!

I think She Who Must Be Obeyed would eventually get used to it. For example, when I started growing this beard about 4 years ago. Grace told me every day for about 4 months that I was going to have to shave it. I never did, of course, so after 4 months she went quiet about it. Nearly two months later, at the end of April, I decided I didn't need it for the warmth any more, so I got out the clippers to make it go away. Grace saw me heading out with the clippers and said "where you going with those clippers?" So I told her it was time for the beard to go, which I thought would make her ecstatic, but instead she wailed "NOOOOOOOO!"

They get used to stuff if you stick to your guns long enough.

ETA: To date, I have 27 of Erwin's videos, just short of 2 GB at 720p resolution. which have altogether a total run time of 3 hours, 44 minutes, 38 seconds. Pretty prolific!

Have you found any visual indication of trickery?

Just the one instance mentioned earlier in the thread, where the same site was utilized for the same critters but 10 years apart, first by the CGI company, 10 years later by Erwin. That could also be explained by making the claim that it is a known Pixie home area, so of course they would be seen there year after year.

The Wyrm videos are very well done, considering the fleeting illumination of the moving flashlights. The shadows cast are always, ALWAYS directly on point, as if it were a real, solid, actual thing. That is not impossible to do with CGI, but it is very difficult and time consuming. I have one shot where you can go so far as to gauge the size of the Wyrm against the height of the fleeing Tom:



Other frames show that it has feet like a salamander, an interesting detail to put in, considering that most would think it to be a reptile rather than an amphibian.

I have not yet deconstructed this last video to go frame by frame on the bat-frog to see what it looks like, but the fleeting flights as presented look pretty good to be fakery! What I'm wondering, before going frame by frame in those sections, is whether it might not be a real bird, such as a Night Hawk or something like a Whip Poor Will.

.

[Ninurta]

More from the Wyrm video - 

Notice how the shadows change to match the orientation of the light source vs the orientation of the Wyrm, how a muscle mass BEHIND the leg on the left of the image moves and changes in response to the leg motion, how the tentacle or "whisker" on the right moves, and how the mouth opens only slightly, but opens nonetheless.

Incidentally, those whiskers would be a dandy thing for a critter to have when it evolves to live in the murkily dark recesses of a cave, no?

[BIAD]

I have not yet deconstructed this last video to go frame by frame on the bat-frog to see what it looks like, but the fleeting flights
as presented look pretty good to be fakery! What I'm wondering, before going frame by frame in those sections, is whether it
might not be a real bird, such as a Night Hawk or something like a Whip Poor Will.

I see where you're coming from in regards of the frog-bat thingy, a Nightjar (Whip-Poor-Will) does sit low when on
the ground and gives a sleek impression when it finally decides to take flight. However, Nightjars are migratory birds
which arrive in Wales in mid-May where they can raise two broods of two chicks before heading back to Africa in
August or September.
(I cut-and-paste part of the above from a BBC article!)

We're supposed to believe that Erwin's outings are in a natural sequence, where each video represents the most recent
the last trek. In the Frog-Bat video, wild ferns are shown in their early stages of frond unfurling and luckily, I have the same
type of fern growing in my garden.
But to be the same as the ones in the video, you'd have go back to spring!

Wales isn't exempt from the usual British climate and those ferns should be in full bloom. Is this an older video and hence,
the months that a Nightjar is nesting in the British Isles corresponds with the first shoots of a ferns growing?
Some of the foliage away from the stream also looks like it's very young too.
...............................................................

Capturing any shots of the creature is very difficult and any close examination doesn't bring anything of note, except the
colour of the first 'Frog-Bat' is different from the second glimpse. The first is brown and the second is a mucher darker.

But still, it's a good 'feeder' video, where Erwin and Tom only offer a 'smidgen' of supernatural and not a large dollop
of Morsu and cave Wyrms. The latest one could also be character-development video, where the partnership of Erwin
and Tom is promoted via the camping scene.

[F2d5thCav]

I recently installed some solar-powered security lamps with motion sensors.  One on the side of the house illuminates several times per night, but I can't see what triggered it.  A cat or some other critter running around near the fence line.  Maybe I can find a wildlife camera somewhere for a reasonable price.

Cheers

[Ninurta]

I did some screen captures of the Water Leaper video. I did 30 captures, and while I did see some interesting things, they were not very conclusive, so I am currently deconstructing the entire video frame by frame, and will then just pull out the relevant frames with the critter in them and trash the rest. This is going to take a little time.

It does look like a frog with bat wings, however, and not simply a bird. As usual with these videos, the lighting angles and shadows are impeccably executed, but motion blur leaves some of the detail to be desired when the critter is in flight.

ETA: I got all the frames extracted. There are 22,110 of them in the entire 14 minute video. Now I have to back them up, then go through them and cull out just the relevant frames. I expect in the end I will wind up with around 300 frames altogether out of the whole 22,110 frames, so this is going to take a bit of time, too. Good thing I don't have a day job to get in the way!


.

[BIAD]

I did some screen captures of the Water Leaper video. I did 30 captures, and while I did see some interesting things, they were not very conclusive, so I am currently deconstructing the entire video frame by frame, and will then just pull out the relevant frames with the critter in them and trash the rest. This is going to take a little time.

It does look like a frog with bat wings, however, and not simply a bird. As usual with these videos, the lighting angles and shadows are impeccably executed, but motion blur leaves some of the detail to be desired when the critter is in flight.

ETA: I got all the frames extracted. There are 22,110 of them in the entire 14 minute video. Now I have to back them up, then go through them and cull out just the relevant frames. I expect in the end I will wind up with around 300 frames altogether out of the whole 22,110 frames, so this is going to take a bit of time, too. Good thing I don't have a day job to get in the way!

Good heavens, that many?!!

In my mind somewhere, there's a little light that flashes every time I see the second sequence where the 'Frog-Bat'
takes off from the cliff-ledge. I've seen something like it before and I keep coming up with the idea of cave-swifts for
some reason. It's the sleekness of the shape that's tricking me.


Good luck with the sorting.

[Ninurta]

Good heavens, that many?!!

In my mind somewhere, there's a little light that flashes every time I see the second sequence where the 'Frog-Bat'
takes off from the cliff-ledge. I've seen something like it before and I keep coming up with the idea of cave-swifts for
some reason. It's the sleekness of the shape that's tricking me.


Good luck with the sorting.

I got all the frames extracted, and the frames of interest culled out of them. There were 3 scenes with the critter in them, and I kept all the frames from those 3 scenes, whether the critter was in that frame or not. I ended up with 2181 frames culled out, trashed the rest - but I still have ALL 22,000 frames backed up in a ZIP file. The initial video file was 189 MB, but all of the extracted frames as JPGs came out at a whopping 5 GB.

I'm still stepping through them, noticing things - for example, in the first scene I see an orb floating around, which is odd, as they usually only show up under artificial lighting from the direction of the camera, because they are reflecting that light, but this video appears to have been shot using ambient light.

I can see the critter's eyes blink. I can see it's throat pouch bellow out. I noticed that in the first scene, when the critter flies the coop, Tom's head movements perfectly track the critter's flight.

This is a crop and enlargement of one of the frames in the second scene, and is the clearest in-flight image I've been able to find:



ETA: The final scene in the video bothers me. Tom leaves to get the gear in broad daylight so that Erwin can set up camp, but inexplicably, when he gets to the gear to recover it, it's full dark. The video ends with that gear recovery - but why was it even included at all, and why was it full night time before Tom could get TO the gear, much less back to camp with it? I thought maybe there was an Easter egg hidden in it, and stepped through the frames. At about 14:25 of the video, there appears to be something to the left of the gear pile in the cave that disappears, but it's so fleeting and indistinct that I can't tell if there is even really supposed to be anything there, much less what it could be.


.

[BIAD]

ETA: The final scene in the video bothers me. Tom leaves to get the gear in broad daylight so that Erwin can set up camp,
but inexplicably, when he gets to the gear to recover it, it's full dark.

The video ends with that gear recovery - but why was it even included at all, and why was it full night time before Tom could
get TO the gear, much less back to camp with it?

I thought maybe there was an Easter egg hidden in it, and stepped through the frames. At about 14:25 of the video, there
appears to be something to the left of the gear pile in the cave that disappears, but it's so fleeting and indistinct that I can't
tell if there is even really supposed to be anything there, much less what it could be.

I originally thought that at 14.25, Tom was filming the Frog-Bat resting in a cave that he had just been dropped it in with
no connection to the continuity of the rest of the video. But since he just pulled out a black bin-liner with a red sleeping
bag without comment, I assumed the blue shiny thing with the small spikes running across its 'head' was just that, a bag.


But it does look like a slimy-skinned creature.

[gordi]

@"BIAD"  @"Ninurta" 

Guys...
I'm a little bit freaked out.
I was out volunteering in the woods with my Hazel Coppicing crew today, and when I arrived on site (early & alone) I saw movement beside the seat-logs at our camp area...


I froze for a minute or two trying to figure out what it could be (my first thought was squirrels??) and then I quietly made my way closer and closer to the camp area to get a better view...

When I got within about 25 feet of the camp, I peeked around a tree, and there were TWO weird forest "creatures" moving around. They looked like they were playing some strange game of hide-and-seek or something. It was VERY FREAKY because when they stopped moving it was very hard to see them, they just looked like natural root-balls or something that you'd come across in the woods.
I managed to get one photo on my camera phone before they heard me and disappeared... Just VANISHED!

This is it... cropped and zoomed-in so you can see them more clearly. Bloody scary and freaky as hell!



Maybe Erwin's onto something here???
G

[gordi]

More from the Wyrm video...

That's COOL @Ninurta

[Ninurta]

@"BIAD"  @"Ninurta" 

Guys...
I'm a little bit freaked out.
I was out volunteering in the woods with my Hazel Coppicing crew today, and when I arrived on site (early & alone) I saw movement beside the seat-logs at our camp area...


I froze for a minute or two trying to figure out what it could be (my first thought was squirrels??) and then I quietly made my way closer and closer to the camp area to get a better view...

When I got within about 25 feet of the camp, I peeked around a tree, and there were TWO weird forest "creatures" moving around. They looked like they were playing some strange game of hide-and-seek or something. It was VERY FREAKY because when they stopped moving it was very hard to see them, they just looked like natural root-balls or something that you'd come across in the woods.
I managed to get one photo on my camera phone before they heard me and disappeared... Just VANISHED!

This is it... cropped and zoomed-in so you can see them more clearly. Bloody scary and freaky as hell!



Maybe Erwin's onto something here???
G

It's coming up on that time of year again, and I'd have to say there is clearly some witchery afoot there! Corn Dollies are bad enough, but when they're animated Corn Dollies, that is just not right!

I prescribe 12 Hail Mary's, a pint of Holy Water poured onto the log, and call me in the morning to see if there is any improvement in the condition...

.