Yep, I got the same impression.
Todd Standing's Documentary is now available for free on YouTube and other platforms. In it, you can see those incredible clear videos and pictures of "Bigfoot" and partial explanations how this or that footage was "captured".
If you can't watch it on YouTube, I've watched it here:
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I think it is the first time I have watched the whole thing out of curiosity. My bet would be that Todd produced a hoax here. But even if that should be the case it is kinda "entertaining" to watch because for "the first time" you can "see crystal clear pictures and videos from Bigfoot". A couple of notes and speculations from my side:
- I find it a bit strange that to this day I couldn't find a clear presentation or summary of all the "footage" Todd has on "Bigfoot". What I mean by that is: Throughout the documentary his shots are presented with subtitles such as "Video 6" and so on. Why wouldn't he be upfront about all the footage he has and data points such as when and where this or that video was "shot"?
- In the documentary Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Wildlife Biologist John Bindernagel are being taken out by Todd into his "research area" where "Bigfoot's" are, in a similar way that Les Stroud was later taken out for his documentary on Bigfoot
- As noted earlier, Les Stroud made one documentary episode with Todd in his "research area" where apparently strange things happened. Interesting to note is that Stroud stressed in his documentary at least once that he was somewhat pissed about Todd claiming and saying things that were not quite right
- In the documentary you will find quite a number of things being recorded and happening in the woods that are indeed often linked to "Bigfoot". Such as tree branch structures, tree breaks and foot imprints in the ground. Also, some sounds "from Bigfoot" that "were recorded" are presented. Interestingly though, those sounds Todd "recorded" don't sound like some of the other sounds that are claimed to be from "Bigfoot". In Todd documentary the sounds from "Bigfoot" sound like ape sounds. While what others claimed/recorded doesn't really sound like apes but more like speech and scream and quite weird/strange/demonic sounding phrases.
- While Todd keeps talking about Bigfoot being a "primate" more often than not, he also lets it slip through quite often that it seems pretty much human, unwillingly it seems
- In the sharp Videos Todd "captured" it is notable that nothing seems to move in those faces except sometimes the eyelids and eyebrows. When the eyelids/eyebrows move, it looks pretty realistic, I have to say.
- One wonders why Todd would use pretty human looking faces/costumes if he is believing that Bigfoot is an ape or wants to present it as such? I mean, why would he do that? Why wouldn't he use more ape like puppets/faces? A pretty simple and straight forward answer could be: because it is less work and money to retrofit a Bigfoot face on a human face as it would be if you would want to put an ape face on a human face. So maybe those videos and pictures are not puppets but real human beings faces, that were shaped by a makeup artist to look like a Bigfoot?
- I would guess that if it is a hoax that no CGI was involved and instead puppets and/or makeup on real human beings was used. And costumes.
- Why would Todd fake it? I would propose that maybe he really is in contact or knows first hand that in those woods are Bigfoot creatures, and he really believes that he should protect them via law? Maybe then he thought he could do that by faking the "first footage of Bigfoot" to further his cause? I think that idea isn't so implausible. He wouldn't be the first person who saw and/or found real stuff and then created hoaxes on top of that. Many of the things and "signs" he claims to see in the woods about "Bigfoot" sound pretty much in line with what others have found. So it seems pretty much in line. If there is really quite profound Bigfoot activity going on in his "research areas" that might also reduce the need for him to hire at least one or more people who "make Bigfoot real" in the woods for the spectators, by doing something like walking by with costumes primarily at night and/or making sounds in the woods and/or creating Bigfoot structures.
- Having said that, if it turns out to be a hoax, of course everything else Todd claims has to be considered unreliable
- How is Todd Bigfoot "research" financed exactly? What is he doing for a living? I don-'t know, actually. But one strong guess is the following: At the beginning of pretty much every Video he is putting up on YouTube he says something like "I'm the person who takes people into the woods to see Bigfoot first hand". So, just as he got Meldrum, Bindernagel and Les Stroud into his "research areas" in the woods, he probably does that for a living? He probably didn't charge Meldrum and Co though. But I guess he is charging ordinary people to go with him in the woods (probably with outrages sums), to "see/experience" Bigfoot? I think that is pretty likely the case. And that might also be his real motive for faking those Bigfoot Videos: Attracting gullible people in order to squish out their money by taking them into the woods "to see Bigfoot"?
- In the documentary on a number of occasions you see and often hear not so subtle claims/hints that Todd is a wildlife/survival/tracking and/or military expert, with accompanying videos of Todd "doing his craft". More often than not what I seemed to be looking at was a great pretender instead. It just looks over the top and kinda silly to me how Todd is moving in the woods. Just like someone would move who doesn't have any expertise in those fields trying to pretend that he has that expertise and looking silly by doing so.
- You might be thinking: If Todd is hoaxing it, how come that he was able to convince experts like Meldrum, Bindernagel and Les Stroud and even government bodies? A part of the reason might be that there is really Bigfoot activity going on in those woods and Todd just went the extra step of faking the "real footage". The other explanation is simply: Anyone can be fooled no matter how high the credentials and how much they are into any given subject. A classic example of that can be seen in magic: There are numerous magicians and/or tricks out there that often fool real expert magicians (and VERY badly!), not matter how knowledgeable they are about their own craft and skills.
- Watch the first 2 minutes of the following video. Can we see a number of Freudian slips by Todd, talking about faking footage?:
- In one of Todd's videos he claims to have the "first DNA of Bigfoot". Obviously that is not true. So either he doesn't know that Paulides and many others before him did DNA tests on Bigfoot, or he knows it, and is lying about it.
