On paranormal TV shows why doesn't the show camera man recording another person with camera see the ghost?

Question

Ok here's the deal. You watch TV paranormal shows. They are recorded with video cameras. Generally nicer then the ones the researchers use. The camera is filming and the researcher gets excited that he just captured a ghost on his camera. But the camera man's camera did not. They were both filming in the same spot. ???!??

Answer 1

There are some possible explanations for this like the researcher is using a video in infrared mode and the camera person is not.

It is also possible that the researchers are seeing something small that he sees but that camera person may not (so they would have to told where to focus).

Of course it is also possible that they only think they see something which is why a later review of the video is a good idea.

What bothers me is that when they get excited and see something the camera usually focuses on the person seeing it and not what (or even the area) they are seeing.

While I am not quite the hard core skeptic that Wushu is I do agree that these shows often (if not always) make ratings the first priority and that these TV investigations need to be greatly improved in order to be able to provide any credible evidence for the unknown. But it is on TV so

"For entertainment purposes only"

but I do personally wish channels like Discovery, History, etc. would insist on improved science.

For the record I do consider people's experiences (or perceptions) evidence and think their experiences worth investigating whatever the cause of the experience.

Edit:  Girl. I was certainly not claiming to be a skeptic (at least not the YA brand). I was stating that a skeptic had made some valid points in his answer and while I was not a skeptic I agreed with some of his points.

I am a true skeptic in the sense that I do believe in active investigation and research and eliminating normal possibilities (to as great as an extent as reasonably possible) before considering a paranormal explanation. However, I don't dismiss evidence based on my personal opinions and belief systems regardless of what the evidence suggest.

Psi

Answer 2

The t.v. crew has a different objective, they are there to film the investigators, get their reactions, and physical responses. They are not there to investigate or shoot evidence, therefore the cameras are on different settings and even though they appear to be filming the same spot they are almost always at a different angle.

This being said, from time to time they do refer to the crews video for information. Just like when the boom mike operator was knocked flat  they used both investigator and crew video to catch all angles of the occurrence.

Answer 3

What makes you think they don't see them? The only thing that would make me think they do is because ..like someone said..they put the camera on the person and not the "ghost". But I don't watch it so I can't really say. Seems like they would at least swing the camera around "looking" for the ghost. I guess the investigators tell the camera person what to do.

psi..you confuse me. You say you are a skeptic. I don't think of you as a skeptic! You seem more like an "investigator" than a skeptic.

Answer 4

I don't watch the show because I know they have to do types of entertainment to keep ratings.

Based on some of the theories a ghost chooses who it shows themselves to. So a ghost hunter (not picking on the show) might see something that the camera man would not if the ghost chooses to.

If it's an equipment issue then it could be user error. Someone used a camera incorrectly. I've seen many photos and video that people say are paranormal and it just turns out they were on the sports setting. For those of you that don't know the sports setting at night can create colored orbs and light spikes. It's the digital nature of the equipment, not paranormal.

Answer 5

I have asked the same question about EVPs.  If an audio recorder captures it, then why doesn't the camera's microphone capture it?  It's the same thing.

Answer 6

At least in Ghost Hunters, they leave equipment set up in the "hot spots" to capture anything.

And when they visited a light house in St. Augustine, FL, the camera man DID catch an entity on film.

Paranormal States.......that dude Ryan always thinks the demon Beelzebub is involved and wants to s***w with him. So he invites Loraine Warren on some of the haunting sites.

I'm not impressed by their investigations.

And that idiotic show "Most Haunted" is by far the most bogus piece of c**p on TV.

And I'm sure the "psychics" are well aware of the history of the property before getting to the site of interest.

Answer 7

In some cases all the technology that goes into making some of these high-tech movie cameras can actually hinder the chances of them seeing what people with a regular video camera do. For example, how many of you have videotaped at a concert or in a basement or attic, and saw all those little orbs from dust all over the place? You won't see that on TV - those cameras have complex computer-like set-ups that filter those sorts of things out. But, I can provide an example of where a camera man caught something. On one episode of "Ghost Hunters," one of the investigators cameras (hanging around his neck) was flung up into his face by an unseen force. The only camera to actually catch in full view (one of the investigators caught part of it) was one of the TV video cameras. I'm currently on a TV show and it's the same for mine; the TV cameras get nothing while our Sony handicams manage to pick up everything from dust to some possible paranormal entities.

Answer 8

Because it's a television show..for entertainment...Are you people serious? It isnt credible at all..

Answer 9

From time to time I have seen where they relied on footage and sound recordings of the crew since for whatever reason they could not use theirs.  I guess one hand washes the other there.  But if you think about it, even with editting and all that goes into making one of these shows, if they showed oth sets of footage, there would be no time for anything else.

Answer 10

I doubt you were supposed to notice!

Remember.....TV is Entertainment.

Answer 11

Because these shows are entertainment, IE they are fake. Damned shame really, but TV takes equal liberties with science and history and current events too. TV is no better than a comic book when it comes to actual facts and logic.

Answer 12

Another poster mentioned the St. Augustine Light House episode of Ghost Hunters. The television cameras captured the shadow figures the TAPS members saw. In fact on a lot of their investigations they will present evidence visual and audio captured by the tv crew when they do the evidence reveals on the show.

Answer 13

haha, good point, i like that. Don't you know, if a psychic is holding the camera they will see ghosts.

Those shows are pretty fake anyway. I heard in most haunted the psychics who are walking around making predictions are the ones who actually did the initial research on the location anyway. I dont know if thats true, but I believe it.

Those shows are about ratings, not truth. If there is any truth to ghosts and spirits, those shows offer no evidence.

Answer 14

Reason is that they are not actually looking for anything while video taping a show.  

When investigators sit down & examine a video, they are taking their time to see what is, if anything, actually there.  If you see a shadow moving in a video, it could be in a split second that an image may appear then disapear.

Who is to say that the camera man's camera did not pick it up.  It did, but it may have happened so fast that the "public view" did not see it.