The problem with the world is that different people know different amounts of things about... things.
As an expert in visual-effects who never makes any mistakes ever,
I might look at an amusing video like this and eventually spot a series of visual clues
that would lead me to suspect it's fake.
A different person, say with nine years of experience in the airforce,
might find other reasons to doubt its authenticity.
And of course, with your brilliance you just know it's fake right away and will make a point of saying that
under every single one of my videos.
But what if we're a hypothetical person who doesn't know anything. Can we systematically figure out
if it's real without any inside information?
Yes we can.
Let's make a list of the things we definitely know or can reasonably assume.
The video moves at 24 frames per second - well, 25, but a frame repeats at the end of every second
so I think it was improperly exported at some point during all the rampant reposting.
Seriously I can't even find the original source!
A wide field of view camera mounted inside the tiny cockpit probably means it's a GoPro.
There are different models and their focal lengths range from 14 to 34 millimeters, so let's estimate 24.
And the jet appears to be a McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet, which is 55 feet long.
I know that because I consulted some people who worked in and around similar aircrafts.
Seeking informed opinions of experts in the field is very useful at this stage.
You never know what you're gonna get!
A no-nonsense F4 Phantom 2 pilot from the 80s might take one look and bark,
"It's a cartoonish fake!"
Or retired lieutenant colonel David "Beaker" Kent might examine the video frame by frame
and give you a multi-page dissertation detailing every possible technical issue,
from the large control surface deflection that would be required at such slow cruising speeds,
not seen in the aileron motions of the jet, to the fact that the attachment points on the bizarre arsenal of
munitions it's carrying, each have specific g-force limits that would not stand up to these maneuvers.
Intercept procedures, fuel requirements, FAA regulations - his report is a work of art.
Which... I'll take into consideration,
but eventually we're gonna have to conduct our own analysis.
Knowing the focal length, the frame-rate and the size of the aircraft, is actually enough for us
to plot its relative motion in 3D space. When I line up this 55 foot-long virtual measuring stick with the jet
on the first frame of its breakaway maneuver, it ends up 39 meters away from the camera.
When I do it again, 10 frames later, it's 139 meters away. The jet traveled a hundred meters in 0.4 seconds.
Now the average nerd experiences G-force induced loss of consciousness after 4 to 6 G - way to ruin the curve.
With special equipment, trained pilots can handle as high as 9G.
But in this moment, as our jet accelerates at 240 meters per second squared,
the pilot would experience over 24 G, and the vertical climb looks even more severe.
Even I would get slightly lightheaded.
Real-life jets move in slow motion by comparison. Here's what an actual wave by an F-15 looks like.
And here's a real break maneuver.
This one's from a video by Destin from "Smarter Every Day", back when he took a ride in a T-38 training jet.
In fact, you know what, I'd better call him up and ask for permission to use that.
Hey Destin. How's it going?
Doing great Kevin, how are you doing?
That video you have about experiencing g-forces in a jet? Must have been fun to make, huh?
Yeah, I mean it's a fighter jet. That's like the definition of like fast and exciting, and yeah, it's awesome.
Cool, cool... So listen, do you mind if I use a little piece of that in my own video?
Yeah, of course! I love your work, man.
I'll credit you of course. You know, I'll throw a link to your channel, give you a little bit of exposure...
Ex- exposure...
One second.
- What the...?! - Ask me again, go.
Can I... use your video in my video?
Absolutely! But when you do, make sure you look at the pixels on the ailerons,
because as the plane moves you can see displacem-
No, no, you know what? I'm not gonna stand here and pretend like this is not insulting.
In what universe did you think it's okay for you to just... just dress up like someone and make fun of the way they talk?!
I'm not making fun of you! This is an homage. You- I mean, you remember the video you made, right?
You... saw that?
That's completely different, okay? That was for comedy and satire, I was in character and it's... you know what,
I don't want to talk about this, all right? Thank you very much for the permission, I'm gonna let you go.
- I have a letter- - [Distorted] Remember Captain!
L-Love with your brain and not your heart.
That's not even the way it goes!
Anyway...
Once we're finished with all the objective analysis, it's time to apply our own special expertise.
I know one thing: if this *was* done with visual effects, then the Lazyology principle applies.
The Creator probably didn't build a fighter jet model from scratch, or even render a complex 3D scene.
Why bother, when they could use a fast and easy After Effects plugin? Maybe Element 3D,
supplemented with the Jet_Strike library pack. Maybe they just browsed the assets and clicked on one, say...
Supersonic_Jet_02, a fully textured and articulated model, picked an appropriate HDRI and roughly
matched the lighting based on the angle of shadows in the footage. They knew matching the plane's motion
to the wobbling environment outside would give it that extra realism kick. When we stabilize the background,
the plane stabilizes with it and you can see just how simple and stilted its animation really is.
What the creator didn't take into account is the distortion the wide GoPro lens adds to the image.
When we compensate for it, the image straightens out but the jet gets distorted in the opposite way.
It wasn't really there.
As for the pilot, I'm not sure if he was miming these actions on purpose or just reacting to something else.
He's certainly not behaving the way you'd expect in this situation, but now thanks to all our meticulous research
and analysis, we can stage a more true-to-life recreation of this incident,
and I think it would go a little something like this.
Ah! Sector! Sector! S199T here, I've got a... fighter jet off my left wing! What's going on out there?!
I- I- don't shoot I'm complying!
I'm compl- Aaaah!