Video Expert Tells Us Signs Kate Middleton's Clip Is Authentic Despite Rumors

All of the rumors and disturbing theories about Kate Middleton's purported disappearance were effectively put to bed on March 22, when she publicly announced she had cancer. The princess explained that she was currently in the early stages of preventive chemotherapy but was adamant that she was going to be okay. "I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal in my mind, body, and spirits," she declared.

While the Princess of Wales' shocking admission caused many responsible for the biggest rumors about Kate's health scare to promptly retreat, other "Kate-Gate" enthusiasts took the opportunity to double down and even claim that Kate's emotional video was fake. Video expert Chris Flook, however, told us here at Nicki Swift that, in his opinion, Kate's emotional video is indeed authentic. "She looks frail and overtired. I was surprised she didn't show irritation or anger for having to record it and, once again, for being forced to share her personal trauma to the public," Flook observed about the authenticity of the candid video. But that's not all. According to Flook, there are many other telltale signs that prove the video is the real deal. 

Chris Flook, who serves as a senior lecturer of media at Ball State University by day and a freelance photographer, writer, and content producer by night, told us that the way in which Kate Middleton's video was shot proves it's the real McCoy. "There aren't any edits, morph transitions, or cuts that I can see," he declared. "I saw no evidence of any transition in the entire 2:20-second video." 

To bolster his argument, Flook noted the audible sound of a plane flying overhead at the 1:40 mark and the way in which it coincided with a change in the princess' voice. "To me, it sounds like an audio filter was added to remove plane rumble. However, as is often the case, the filter also took some fidelity out of her voice," he explained. "It sounds like the filter glitches a few times, for instance, at 1:48 when she says, 'while I complete my treatment.' If so, this likely happened during the render or when compressed at export. Adding filters to lessen or remove bad parts of audio is common, especially on a last-minute, one-take kind of production," he added. According to Flook, this is noteworthy because, in most professional videos, they would stop filming and wait for the plane to pass before picking back up. Instead, it appears there was a concerted effort to keep the camera rolling. 

Video expert Chris Flook was also adamant that the Kate Middleton video was NOT shot in front of a green screen. "There's no indication that it was recorded anywhere other than outside on a beautiful sunny spring evening or morning," Flook said, noting the way in which the daffodils were moving in the breeze and how they synced up with the movement of Kate's hair also blowing in the wind, and the sound of insects — even a bee — flying in and out of the frame. "We can also clearly see the sun coming in and out from behind the clouds," Flook observed. "The resulting exchange of shadow and sunlight matches across the entire shot, including the background, the princess's left side, and the chair's highlights," he explained. 

As for any artificial light, Flook said that it was possible they used "a fill light or bounce card" in an effort to brighten her face. "Such a bounce or fill would be on the camera's left side," he noted. Still, Flook was adamant that's standard practice for any outdoor shoot. 

Chris Flook also told us that he believed Kate Middleton's video was thrown together pretty quickly. "The fact they went with a recording that had plane noise bad enough for a filter indicates to me limited time," he opined. "It's likely the princess is reading from a teleprompter or cards, which is not uncommon. She may have practiced it a few times before, limiting the need for multiple takes."

Flook also praised the powers that be for thinking ahead and opting to film the video in both a 16x9 widescreen format as well as a 9x16, making it accessible on both YouTube and Instagram. "It's the same video, but they positioned the princess perfectly for the long frame crop. It's a simple technique but well done by someone who knew what they were doing," he said. Perhaps now all of the conspiracy theorists can stand down once again and give Princess Kate the respect and privacy she deserves. Get well soon, Princess Kate!