First published: 11 Nov 2008
Last update: 24 Nov 2010

Written by: Ernie Marsh

This is yet another example where Paranormal State uses footage shot for one episode, and adds it as filler material to a different episode. While this is my opinion, I believe the lightning scenes are interjected into various episodes in order to give the impression that something ominous, scary, or paranormal is happening.

Due to repeated occurrences, it seems Paranormal State includes specific types of shots, like lightning, spiders, birds and wind chimes, to suggest the illusion of paranormal phenomena.

Screenshot 1, from Paranormal State
“Smoke and Shadows”
A season 2 episode.

Appears at approximately 7 minutes 2 seconds.

Screenshot 2, from Paranormal State
“Family Ties” example 1
A season 2 episode.
Appears at approximately 6 minutes 7 seconds.

The same/similar lightning scenes appear in four Paranormal State episodes from seasons two through five.

The same lightning, same trees, and same clouds appear in the exact same place in “Smoke and Shadows,” “Family Ties” and “Laws of Attraction.” A second lightning scene in “Family Ties” appears in an altered form in the season five episode, “Lockup.” So four episodes use footage shot on one location.

Since “Smoke and Shadows” takes place in Parkville, Maryland, “Family Ties” takes place in Petersburg, Virginia, and “Laws of Attraction” takes place in Connecticut, it would be impossible to have the same lightning, clouds, and trees captured in identical positions on video. Therefore, a sole lightning location was recorded at one place and time, and passed off in three, Paranormal State episodes. Additionally, “Lockup” took place in Charleston, South Carolina, so that would bring the total to four episodes which used the same location for lightning. The second example of a lightning scene in “Family Ties” was shot on the same solitary location, and was digitally altered as it appears in the “Lockup” episode.

Screenshot 3, from Paranormal State
“Laws of Attraction”
A season 3 episode.
Appears at approximately 4 minutes 33 seconds.

Screenshot 4, from Paranormal State
“Family Ties” example 2
A season 2 episode.
Appears at approximately 10 min 47 sec.

This screenshot shows part of the same tree line seen above in “Family Ties” example 1.

Screenshot 5, from Paranormal State
“Lockup” A season 5 episode.
This is a digital crop of lightning ‘borrowed’ from “Family Ties.” It appears the widths are the same, but the height of this alteration was stretched to fit the screen. The color was most likely changed to make it more closely match other lightning scenes in “Lockup.”

digitally stretched to fit screen height

SECOND LIGHTNING EXAMPLE
The “Family Ties” example two, lightning scene was shot on the same location as the above examples. It just shows more of what’s visible on the left-side of the tree line as what you see in screenshots 1-3 above. In the example below, look how the same lightning in “Family Ties,” was digitally altered in post-production and creatively edited into the “Lockup” episode.

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