Found the trick to spot fake thumbnails in 5 seconds flat

I started checking the shadow direction on people's faces compared to the background and caught 3 viral videos that were clearly greenscreen composited, anyone else notice how often the lighting just doesn't match?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_white932d ago

Wait is that really a thing with the shadows? I never thought to check that but it makes total sense. I saw this one video yesterday where a guy was supposedly outside in sunlight but his shadow was falling completely different from the trees behind him. Now I'm gonna notice this everywhere. Good looking out.

young.thomas2d ago

Yeah exactly once I started looking at shadows I couldn't stop. It's like one of those things that ruins fake videos instantly. I remember watching a streamer who was supposedly recording in their backyard but their shadow was pointing east while a flag in the background was blowing west. Just doesn't work like that unless the sun is in two places at once. The trick is to check the shadows of fixed objects like trees or buildings because those don't move. If a person's shadow doesn't match up with everything else around them that's a huge red flag. Really helps when you're trying to figure out if something is real or just someone messing with editing.

holly7092d ago

Funny enough I used to think shadow checking was overblown too. But then I caught myself staring at a "live" stream where the host's nose shadow was completely off compared to the porch railing behind him and it clicked. Definitely changed how I watch stuff now, your mileage may vary but it's a solid quick check.