Bodette Film and Cryptid Research

OVERVIEW

I'm raising funds to purchase the Bodette Film and support additional field research for undiscovered North American water cryptids.

The Bodette Film, also called the Bodette-Affolter video, is real footage shot in 2005 by fishermen Pete Bodette and his father-in-law Dick Affolter on Lake Champlain. A short clip aired on ABC News and remains publicly available on YouTube. The full version, reportedly 45 minutes or longer, shows a large serpentine creature or creatures surfacing and moving in the water.

Dozens of people, including Chuck Pogan and BMO, claim to have seen this footage on the internet prior to it being scrubbed, hidden, and kept behind a legal paywall. The surviving clip is compelling, but a fraction of what was actually filmed. It has been said that the purchase price for this footage from the lawyer who controls it is $100,000 USD. If full funding is not reached or a sale is not approved, all funds will be utilized in purchasing and using research equipment as listed below. Receipts and full financial records of how the funds are spent will be uploaded. If a successful purchase is made, the video will be released, in full, on the YouTube channel @CryptidCouncil.

Your support will help us acquire this footage and fund ongoing field research to investigate reports of undiscovered water cryptids across North America. Thank you for standing with this work!

FULL BREAKDOWN

A short ~20-second clip of the film aired on ABC News shortly afterward and remains publicly available on YouTube.

The cited lawyer is a real, licensed attorney in New Jersey. He has practiced in the area for decades (licensed in NJ since at least the 1980s, also formerly in NY and CA) and has been described as an intellectual-property lawyer.

In October 2005, the notoriously biased New York Times reported that the full video was viewed “at the office of [lawyer], an intellectual-property lawyer in...N.J.” The article claims the footage showed “nothing more than a long, narrow shape moving for a very long time” and does not indicate [the Lawyer] owned it - only that it was brought to his office (likely for copyright/IP protection or media handling on behalf of the filmmakers).

During a 2014 interview with researcher Chuck Pogan on the Bizarre Zoology blog/site, Pogan said he spoke directly to Pete Bodette, offered $20,000 for the video, and was told something to the effect that “Discovery Channel spends $100,000 just to put Liz on a boat for the day.” Pogan also noted “his lawyer comes down here to vacation” (implying Bodette’s attorney).

Later online content (post-2014 YouTube videos and social media) explicitly names the New Jersey lawyer who “purchased the video” or “purchased the rights,” “locked it up,” and now demands a high price for release.

The Bodette family (Pete Bodette or heirs) still almost certainly owns the copyright and physical/digital original and is represented by the lawyer in question.

The full footage has never been publicly released and remains “lost” to the general public.

If full funding is raised but a sale is refused OR if full funding is not raised, existing funds will go towards these items or comparable research items, documented, and shared here and on the @CryptidCouncil YouTube channel:

1. Research Boat – used 20-30 ft boat w/ outboard

1. Qty: 1
2. Price: ≈ $20,000
3. Usage: Mobile base for radar, drone launches, station deployment, and daily sweeps.

2. Aerial Thermal Imaging Drones – DJI Mavic 3 Thermal (M3T) 640×512 + 4K

1. Qty: 2 (redundancy + grid coverage)
2. Price: $7,989 each ($15,978 total)
3. Link: https://advexure.com/products/dji-mavic-3-thermal (in stock)
4. Usage: Dawn/dusk/night autonomous grids over hotspots for thermal signatures and surface disturbances; data layered in QGIS (LISA 3D-style planning).

3. Boat-Mounted Side-Scan Sonar – Humminbird HELIX 10 CHIRP Mega SI+ G4N

1. Qty: 1
2. Price: ≈ $1,200
3. Link: https://www.basspro.com/p/humminbird-helix-10-chirp-gps-g4n or Amazon
4. Usage: Real-time bottom and large-target imaging to 150+ ft; exported to QGIS for 3D models.

4. Long-Range Night Vision / Thermal Binoculars – Pulsar Merger LRF XP35 (640×480, 1,500+ yard detection, laser rangefinder)

1. Qty: 2 (replaces previous short-range monoculars)
2. Price: $3,499.97–$3,699.97 each ($7,000 total on current sale)
3. Link: https://pulsarnv.com/products/merger-lrf-xp35-thermal-binoculars or https://predatorhunteroutdoors.com/product/pulsar-merger-lrf-xp35-thermal-binoculars
4. Usage: Long-distance (1,500+ yards) dawn/dusk/night spotting from shore or boat — binocular format for comfortable extended observation of heat signatures or large disturbances.

5. Fixed Trail Cameras/Video Traps – Reconyx HyperFire 4K Ultra HD (NoGlow IR)

1. Qty: 10
2. Price: $399.99 each ($3,999.90 total)
3. Link: https://www.reconyx.com/product/hyperfire-4k-ultra-hd-trail-camera
4. Usage: Shore and buoy-mounted motion-triggered 4K night video near chum stations.

6. Underwater Audio Recorders – Aquarian H2d Hydrophones + Zoom kits

1. Qty: 4 hydrophones + 2 recorders
2. Price: ≈ $1,200 total
3. Link: https://www.aquarianaudio.com/h2d-hydrophone.html
4. Usage: Suspended at chum stations for 24/7 low-frequency sound recording.

7. GIS & Analysis Laptop + Software - Rugged field laptop + QGIS (free, LISA 3D equivalent)

1. Qty: 1 laptop
2. Price: ≈ $2,000 (rugged model) + QGIS = $0
3. Link: https://qgis.org (free) + Amazon “rugged GIS laptop”
4. Usage: Central fusion hub — layers radar, drone, sonar, camera, and hydrophone data in 3D (exact LISA 3D-style planning, flight paths, and real-time exploitation).

8. SAR/ISAR System - Advanced marine radar with Moving Target Indicator (MTI) and imaging (practical lake-scale SAR/ISAR proxy - all-weather surface tracking of large objects/wakes)

1. Qty: 1 (boat-mounted)
2. Price: ≈ $4,999–$5,500 (e.g., Simrad Halo24 or Furuno equivalent with target tracking)
3. Link: https://www.basspro.com (search “Simrad Halo radar” or “Furuno marine radar”) or Amazon marine radar best-sellers
4. Usage: Real-time wide-area sweeps from the boat for large moving targets on/near surface (ISAR-style tracking); overlays directly into QGIS for multi-sensor analysis. All-weather, day/night capability replaces expensive drone SAR hardware while staying fully consumer-available and reliable.

9. Underwater Camera Traps (baited BRUV-style) - Low-cost 1080P/4K underwater video systems in waterproof housings (Aqua-Vu style or custom BRUV)

1. Qty: 20
2. Price: ≈ $250 each ($5,000 total)
3. Link: https://www.amazon.com (search “underwater fishing camera 1080P IR” or https://www.aquavu.com freshwater models)
4. Usage: Anchored at depth near chum stations or independently; timer/motion-triggered 24/7 submerged video of attracted creatures. Long battery life for weeks-long deployments.

10. Baited Chum Stations with Integrated Cameras - Floating buoys + chum dispensers + attached underwater camera traps

1. Qty: 10
2. Price: ≈ $400 each ($4,000 total - buoy, chum tube, camera mount + underwater cam)
3. Link: Amazon (search “floating bait buoy chum dispenser” + attach underwater camera from above) or build per proven DIY tutorials (components < $400)
4. Usage: Anchor in hotspots; slow-release chum attracts without hooks. Each station has its own underwater camera trap + surface trail cam for 24/7 visual/audio monitoring. Weekly service.

11. Misc Essentials (extra batteries, 1TB+ SD cards, buoy anchors, radar mounts, chum supplies, waterproof cases, spare props): ≈ $8,000 from Amazon/REI/Bass Pro.

Total Gear Cost: ≈ $86,000

This setup delivers comprehensive air and surface (radar SAR/ISAR) plus underwater coverage with true LISA 3D-style planning, long-range night vision, and smart baited camera stations - all passive and ethical.

Additional Video Research on This Topic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zoYNK-gkZg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_gXJdbgH3w