Hall of Shame:
UPDATE 3/28: Standing Disappears From Web.
Background
Sylvanic.com was created on November 29th , 2004 by Todd Standing, a relative unknown in the Bigfoot research field. It wasn't for almost six months later in May of 2005 when the site became live. The first indication was the very melodramatic introduction Standing gave the site.
Present also was this video, which at least to this writer, the narration by the woman on the tape seems a little canned. The camera appears pretty steady for being startled as well.
In 2006 - 2007, there was a push by Standing, to have Bigfoot / Sasquatch put on the Canadian Endangered Species list, which ultimately failed. Many in the Bigfoot research community saw this as a publicity stunt. However during this time period the story of the four missing college students, the recovered one Dan Hamilton and the first Sylvanic movie disappeared from sight.
By this time in the field, many already suspected due to Standing's dancing around certain questions, inconsistencies in how exactly get to Sylvanic, but yet offering no proof of his claims other than stories, and another video, dubbed Sylvanic Video 2.
The original posted video, followed by Standing's enhanced video with his narration.
Slowly we began to see a progression of a storyline. First a captivating introduction. Second a video that garners attention. Next a glimpse of something... but only a glimpse.
And that had issues. According to May 7th, 2007 issue of the Edmonton Examiner, Standing's bluff was called when asked about his "Kineticist," which claimed the subject in Sylvanic Video 2, who allegedly stated, "No human could cover that terrain in that time." Standing stated that the Kineticist refused to appear in his documentary to back up that claim.
Media articles Standing appeared in.
Finally, in late October 2010, we have this from Standing.
Event that led to our investigation
On or about October 23rd, 2010, Sylvanic.com released the following statement:
"Todd just returned from an 8 day expedition with incredible Bigfoot documentation. It was a bit of an adventure as he had a confrontation with a Grizzly bear that ended in retrieval by RCMP and Search and Rescue after being missing for 3 days. The team and his family are thrilled he made it back safely and he is ecstatic with his new photo and video evidence!
Here is a quick photo video Todd put together using photos where he caught Bigfoot watching him through the bushes, as you can see they were taken in full sunlight with fantastic detail."
- Sylvanic.com 10/24/10
The picture released by Standing of an alleged Bigfoot, was not met with enthusiasm by the Bigfoot research field.
The picture, after initial criticisms from the Bigfoot research field, was yanked from the site, most likely, as not to allow the picture properties fall into the hands of detractor, and was replaced by this video, which claims that Standing had been rescued by the RCMP, (sources confirmed that the RCMP have denied rescuing Standing.) The video is filled with stock shots of bears, wilderness and of course the picture above.
Film and post on You Tube, regarding Standings alleged Bigfoot Picture and rescue.
I hadn't really had time to parse through the video, entirely when I received this email:
Picture Analysis
Many in the field have commented this is a Photo-Shopped image, because of the program name on the properties. However if it is manipulated and saved, the photo will lose it's EXIF and Property Data. Since this camera saves photos in JPG format, it appears that this picture was not manipulated digitally.
Here are the picture's properties
Camera model used in the photograph. Fuji FinePix S1000.
By the properties above, and by me speaking with a professional photographer about these settings, one thing struck me as odd. The camera was set basically to shoot under low light conditions. The other more glaring difference is the actual date the picture was shot, August 18th, 2010, does not match at all to the story being churned out in Sylvanic.com. But this low light thing, kept me interested. For reasons we'll discuss later, Standing should really be an expert with a camera.
Now I found some particularly interesting things about the trees and the snow. They appear too perfect to be real.
No dripping as you would expect to see in melting snow.
No flaking, or blowing snow.
Lack of any snow crystals on the tree.
Revelations
After speaking with a professional photographer for an hour, we reviewed the picture under a hypothesis I had, that the picture you see was actually taken INDOORS. Perhaps at some museum, exhibit or diorama. My analyst agreed and pointed out some contradiction in the shadowing of the picture, one being extremely obvious.
The subject in the film is looking in the direction of the "sun", yet there's a shadow on the snow cap where sunlight should be, indicating a second light source In actuality closer in distance to the subject than the "light in the eye". (We can tell from the properties that there was no flash used). There are several examples in the photo of this, but we'll point out the most obvious.
Picture indicates two different light sources.
Notice in the video release version, the picture qualities have been altered to hide this "anomaly," and in the first showing of the picture in the video the "snow cap" showing the "anomaly" is conveniently avoided.
Now the first picture is of the same subject at a different angle
The held tilt is the same. At best it's stop motion animation with a possible a non-pose able subject like a wood carving. Bigfoot must have some bad peripheral vision as its "facial hair" is sure to obstruct it. Again the subject looks like a carving of a person wearing a hood.
Next is the original with it's properties changed to wipe out the shadowing.
Looking at the new photo, it gives the appearance of being directly in light. However the original, in its unaltered form, speaks to differ.
This is also combined with the fact that the "sunlight" being reflected in the subject's eye is not yellow sunlight, which would normally come across in the eyes as yellow, orange and even red, but rather white, indicating an artificial light source.
The refraction in the eye, should make the sun appear slightly darker, yet in this picture it's shown brighter and clearly white.
For an animal that is allegedly nocturnal, and having the lack of, or abnormally large irises in the open position, as to let light in, as show in the picture, it sure does not react to the sun shining in its face as it would.
************UPDATE 10/28/10***************
A source has come forth with the unaltered first picture
The lens is slighter at less of a wider angle according to the properties.
Notice there was two minutes that passed between the first shot and the second shot. As we also observed it appears that the creature did not change the angle of its head, and remained stationary, rather it was the camera that remained static.
Regardless of date and time were wrong, it still keeps time and you cannot argue with the two minutes. However I find it irresponsible as Standing claims to be a professional, how he would allow the time on his camera to be incorrect. I mean *stuff* happens, but should that information be released with the picture. It's a good, "after the fact," excuse.
With this picture we can now hypothesize with a great amount of certainty that the blurred area in the second picture ( which was the first released) on the right hand side, was actually smudging to the glass it was being shot through and not a smudge on the lens.
The changing in the size between the two photo's indicate the strong possibility of cropping the picture.
Todd gets more specific and leads to more holes in the story
Todd answered about half the questions a source had questioned him about the photo. (The verbiage on the email has not been altered, hence the punctuation and spelling mistakes:
"These photos where taken after i stalked into a Bigfoot domicile over the course of an expedition that was supposed to take 5 days. I was unsuccessful in my attempt to break into the main area and film a day watcher or animals from the main group.
They became aware of my presents when a black and white chickadee began chirping at me. The animal you see was blocking my accent up the last 70meters of the mountain where i was hoping to go. At least two other animals where following my trail in from below. For about 20 minutes the animal in the photos knew i was around but did not know how close i was.
Once they honed in on my position they established a position of higher ground and pushed me out.
The Animals followed me keeping a distance and high ground by day. At night they tormented and intimidated me relentlessly. Although i felt threatened and this behavior was completely unusual and unexpected they caused me no harm in any way. If they wanted me gone i would be gone. Infact i would have admit they took great care in their intimidation tactics to NOT harm me.
I captured these photos and videos on an 8 day expedition that involved the RCMP and Search and rescue. It has been one of my most successful expeditions to date, excluding the Grizzly bear confrontation that was reported to the police.
The media release the Rcmp sent out was released on Tuesday October 19th, the day i was found by search and rescue. That Rcmp media release was of a 37 year old man three days over due from his expedition that began on Tuesday October 12th and ended Tuesday October 19th. Which is correct. The date on the Youtube video is a mistake and the data stored in the photo by the camera is wrong. It was release by BC Rcmp in Radium which is on the southern tip of Kootaney National Park."
-Todd Standing email, 10/26/08
We are expecting an official word by the RCMP regarding Standing's claims about being rescued, but a preliminary check of RCMP press releases show there was a press release on October 19th, 2010, but that was in regards to fund raising for a "Mountie House." The were no media coverage links for the day Standing indicated.
Screenshot of the RCMP Press release and Media page.
New point of summary in this new information:
Time taken between first shot and second shot was two minutes, with no body movement from subject, on camera angle change.
Blurring in the first released photo, (second in the series that we know) is actually a smudge clearly indicated photo taken through glass.
Difference in Aspect Ration indicates cropping.
Standing claims a RCMP press release on Oct. 19th, 2010, regarding his rescue but according to the RCMP website, there was no such release. We have been in touch with, and are expecting official confirmation or denial from the RCMP of this writing in the near future. (His alias Todd Rockwell is also being researched in connection to this rescue.)
In summary of Todd Standing's latest evidence
Date & Time properties do not match to account of what has been claimed.
Shadowing is consistent with an indoor photograph.
Light refracted in "eye", consistent with artificial light.
Reviewing the past
Over the past few years both Cryptomundo.com and GhostTheory.com have featured the antics of Sylvanic.com and Todd Standing in the past calling them for what they are.
For example Todd Standing owns a Commercial Production Company, called "OutSTANDING Productions." It is bizarre though that both Todd and his sister, (whom appears to be a partner in the venture) both use aliases. Standing, uses the alias "Todd Rockwell" and his sister Louise Standing, uses the alias "Louise Greene." Could it be a marriage name in her account... absolutely. However her personal website, louisestanding.com, she uses the Standing surname again and admits to being part of
Photo cap from OutSTANDING Productions, showing the alias used by Standing.
More recently, this alias has been confirmed by Standing and the link between OutSTANDING Productions and Sylvanic.com is now public knowledge.
Current, public domain registration of Sylvanic.com
Moreover his use of an alias does especially when employing his profession (Commercial, TV, Movie Production), versus using his real name when covering a topic like Bigfoot, seems a bit out of place. Perhaps the use of the alias came about several months before the release of the, "now vanished," Sylvanic Film 1.
Photo cap taken from a Canadian Magazine in April 2005.
CORRECTION: Todd Standing has been tied to this ad, as someone (our friend "Pragmatic Theory") had an old copy of Sylvanic's Domain registration.
Note the phone number in the ad compared to the Admin contact for Sylvanic.com.
There was another prevailing theory that the name Sylvanic, may have been derived from a Latin word, meaning forest. While I'd like to give Mr. Standing credit for being that educational, however the source of the name may be a simpler one. Todd's mother's name is Sylvia. There is also a Sylvan lake nearby as well. Any one of these could be where the name comes from.
Motives
As we've seen in past Hall of Shame entries, most that have made it here, share one thing. A link to commercialism. One has their own production company, while one basically claims to an entertainment company. Another writes books. Each one in essence has the common advantage for them, to generate sensationalism through promoting exciting headlines, possibly to foster more attention to their own business ventures.
Hmm I've seen this Oscar before...if I could only remember where.
Curious that Standing should use the term donation for a product. I am unfamiliar with Canada's tax laws, but is Sylvanic.com a non-profit entity?
Again we let the readers decide what Standing's motives may be.
UPDATE
*** 11/22/10 ***
Expert with background in photography and computer imagery backs our conclusions.
On 11/21/10 our photography expert, "Veronica," has confirmed our theory that this could very well be a museum exhibit, on Squatchdetective Radio. By us having the second picture, we can now confirm that the smudge appears to be on glass and not on the lens, again confirmed by our expert.
To listen to the episode of 11/21/10 (Veronica is on within the first ten minutes of the show, go to SquatchdetectiveRadio.com .
Conclusion
For generating stories with consistently and constantly with lack of any supporting evidence with the exception of an alleged video of something shaking a tree, a "Blobsquatch" video, and now putting forth a picture, an obvious hoax, which neither the picture nor the story yields any corroboration to facts, Sylvanic.com and its founder Todd Standing have become the latest entry in the Hall of Shame.
