What You Will go Through if You Film a UFO
By
Jason Leigh
Being awe-struck, bewildered and desperate to be believed is foremost in what you will firstly go through.
Something within your very being will momentarily shut-down your ability to rationalize, because you have never seen anything quite like it before--not even the books, nor the movies that you have seen will allow you to grasp the situation. 'Nothing will.
Recall the way in which an infant reacts to a sudden noise, or in seeing you for the very first time. When you see the distance in that baby's eyes: that's how you will react, when you see, and or photograph, a UFO.
Try to snap-out of it (if you can), aim your camera or camcorder at the object (after you have removed the lens cap and turned the power switch on), then begin shooting your footage. Try to include some "fixed-objects," such as treetops, telephone poles or, rooftops, if at all possible. If you are using a video-camcorder: Try to include the date and time of day function, but then, turn it off of the screen after a few seconds, because you will want to have as much of the UFO and the fixed objects as you can. There may be movements, or lights, or, changes in not only the objects, but in the area of the lower part of the screen where the date and time appears, which you will need to capture. You can re-engage the date and time after the UFO is gone, or out of distance, or if it, . . disappears.
Perhaps your "object" appears to be something of which, you know there to be no other rational explanation for, . . because you also saw it with your naked eye, possibly with others present, possibly not--it does not matter: You got a UFO on film. But the proof is in the "pudding," as they say.
Let's speculate that your footage is on video. OK? Go home and view the footage about 22 times in slow-motion or, frame-by-frame, if you have a VCR with that function, or ask a very close friend to use their VCR. Once you are certain that there is indeed a UFO on your footage; you need to make at least 12 copies onto high-grade-stereo blank VHS tape. 'You have to. The best prices are found at the Super Discount stores. Make these copies straight from your camcorder, each one, as they will now be 1st generation copies. Don't copy over "already-been-used-tapes." It's for your own good, because you will lose all-around quality on used tapes.
You will call the Police and ask if anyone else had reported seeing a UFO. Call the nearest F.A.A. office in your area and report your sighting. This comes after you have calmed down, studied the footage, and have written down as many facts relating to the sighting as you can (time-wind speed-directions-size-shape, etc.).
Now, go to the Blue Pages of your telephone book and look-up the 1-800 number for the Federal Information Center (or, visit their website and download the forms). Ask them for the listing of the "Register of Copyrights in the Library of Congress." Call them and request some copyright forms: "PA" to copyright moving pictures (Performing Arts). Go ahead and request forms "TX" (for drawings), "SR" (Sound Recordings), and any other information.
You wonder: "Why copyright the footage?" Because it belongs to you, whether it is sound only, video, still picture, or a drawing: You must protect your interest which has now become; an investment for you, and your descendants.
Do all of the above before you release a copy to the media: Radio, TV, Newspapers alike . . . The copyright fee is $20.00, plus you must send them a complete copy of the product. Fill-out the form, mail it "Return Receipt Requested" through the U. S. Post Office. I sent mine in "Next Day" service as well, because I wanted to show my footage to the TV networks; A.S.A.P. But if they air your footage which isn't copyrighted: they could (only dishonestly) own it.
In the meantime, write-out what you saw after, or, during the 22 times you're studying the footage. This is very important, as your memory of some of the details may slip after only a few days, minutes, or hours. Trust me: later on you will remember something that you may have been otherwise certain about, or, forgot about: Did you remember the direction on the compass as to where the UFO was? Do you have a compass? Find one if you don't, and revisit the sight. Shoot some follow-up footage of the very same area, if you can, and try to verbalize into the microphone, any other information and how you felt at seeing the object. Jot down the directions the object took, as best as you can. There will be experts who will ask you these questions. You need to be sure.
Wind speed--weather--other witnesses--time of day--duration of the sighting: All of this is very important information, due to the "hoaxters" who have made this topic difficult for the honest person. If you are trying to fake a "sighting;" forget it. Today's technical equipment has you defeated before you begin. 'Play video games instead--if you please.
So, buy now you have realized that you are going to have to invest some money in order to bring your footage or, "sighting," to the public.
The good news is that one day, someone may use your picture or, footage, on a TV show or in a filmed documentary, therefore, you need that copyright!!!
Once you are certain and you have checked with the airports and the F.A.A. that there were no airplanes in that area at that time, again, comes another; hard-part.
Contact your local newspaper first. Show them your video or, picture (you're still waiting for the copyright form to return to you: "Registered"), then start contacting the UFO expert groups and make a ton of copies of your neatly typed report. Go to a "Notary" and take your oath that it is all true. They will then seal your report to make it "Official." Drop a copy off to your local Police Department and or Court House and request that they make your report a matter of 'public domain.' Remember: If you have told the truth: You shot the footage of a UFO, which may one day prove to be an historical event. Be humble, yet proud of this fact.
I know: Some of you may, at this point (or sooner), believe that this is just all too much. Or perhaps you are rich, or perhaps you just don't care who knows about it. Or perhaps you fear the Government and some scary notion that they will interfere with your life in some negative way, which may, or may not, be true. But if you are, "in it for the fame," well, . . forget about that from the start. The UFO is the story.
The day that I called-in my report to the F.A.A., I got a call from a man in Washington who told me that he had received over 200 calls of sightings (that very day) of UFOs: "But this daytime footage from a small town in Texas report sounded, unusual." He told me. "How 'unusual' do you mean?" I inquired of him; seriously. 'Pudding folks: the proof thereof lies within the person as well, but even an otherwise, discredited person can shoot a video. Right?
Now, . . back to what else you will go through: The TV-people will not believe you, nor your video, unless they see it for themselves. If you are an honorable citizen, then you have nothing to fear. Just be certain that it is a real, UFO . . .
Don't worry about the fact that your video may not be a concerted "flying saucer" as such. It may be some hitherto unknown object or, atmospheric anomaly, which could be very profound in nature. If you want to keep it to yourself, you have every right to do just that--but there are millions of us, worldwide, who would love to see it for ourselves, . . so please don't deprive us of that. 'Please.
You may be surprised to learn that we have spent roughly, $2,200.00 (1996. 2001: $5,000.00), which includes all of the above, plus many, many other expenses that are not listed herein, and we have received Zero dollars to date for this effort. And it is an arduous or, difficult undertaking--to be sure of.
I was "stone-walled" by several TV networks over the telephone who discredited the video itself without first even--looking at it? Why not call them first, then offer to drive to the TV station with a copy of your video under your arm and say, "Here it is. 'Wanna see it for yourself?"
Manual focus--manual focus: Most camcorders are equipped with this function, but it seems we rarely use it, since camcorders have "auto-focus," we tend to rely on auto everything, too much. Auto focus has a limited range (usually 110 yards), which means you usually engage auto-focus when videotaping the kids in the pool, or them playing in their birthday cake. Manual-focus is required to properly focus a subject on a zoom-in shot (like a UFO more than 110 yards from the camera), as the more distant the object is, the more it is left up to you to manually turn the focus-ring around the lens for a clearer image. You will learn about all of this when you read your owners' manual with the camcorder resting on your lap.
Even an otherwise, professional (myself included), can become awe-struck by seeing and witnessing a sighting of a UFO and forget to switch the camcorder to manual focus, should we be fortunate enough to have had a camcorder. I found that I was so struck by the sighting of that daytime UFO (June 11, 1995), that once I realized all of the things which it was not, that I was doing all that I could to drive my car and remember to push-on the power switch to the camcorder. 'Remembered the lens-cap, too. Although my voice (recorded on the footage from the three stereo mics) sounded amazingly calm during the videotaping: after I had seen it tilt-up on one side revealing a perfectly circular object--well, . . I'll save the rest of that information for you to read in my forth coming book. 'But I'm sure that you can---just imagine.
In closing: You may become totally awe-struck. You will have to invest some money if you tape a UFO. You will feel oddly, desperate to be believed. You will need the help of UFO experts (but be careful of even them, and their motives). You must check-out every other reason for what the object could have been. You may get your name in the newspaper or appear on a TV-news show--but your inner-most-private-self will no longer be with you, as when you grew up from a child, into an adult. You will be changed---to put it mildly.
Even if what you taped turns out to be some, "swamp-gas," it may yet be proven that that 'gas' helps flowers to grow healthier, or it could lead to some distant great truth: You should be given credit for having made the discovery--happen.
Of course, it should now go without saying, but if you are a hoaxter, or if your search for the truth is not an objective search, then you are not being true to yourself, nor to us: those who want to know the truth of this great enigma, UFOs.
Oh yes: The open-minded new friends you will hopefully make, will become the best reward that you could ever hope to receive. I can promise you that much . . .
Peace in numbers--Jason
X x X
(c) 1996 by Jason Leigh
