Captain Disillusion
Melikdjanian in character as Captain Disillusion at The Amazing Meeting in 2011
Personal information
Born
Alan Melikdjanian

(1980-04-13) April 13, 1980
Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
Occupation(s)Independent filmmaker, YouTuber
Website
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2007–present
Genre(s)Visual effects, comedy, education
Subscribers2.46 million[1]
Total views253 million[1]
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers
Last updated: November 15, 2023

Alan Melikdjanian (/ˌmɛlɪkˈdʒeɪniən/;[2] Russian: Алан Меликджанян; born April 13, 1980), known by the alias Captain Disillusion, is a Soviet-born American independent filmmaker and YouTuber. Melikdjanian has been active in the founding of video-sharing sites Openfilm and Filmnet.com, and is the creator of the webseries Captain Disillusion, which focuses on critical analysis of visual effects and video editing while promoting critical thinking and skepticism.

Early life

Melikdjanian was born to Soviet-era circus performer parents, and is of Armenian and Russian descent.[3] His father, Vilen, was a particularly well-known performer. He toured the Soviet Union with his parents until age 6, where he would live with his grandmother while attending school. During summer, he would resume touring with his parents.[4] In his youth, Melikdjanian would spend most of his free time trying to copy the styles of Disney animators.[4]

His family defected to the United States in the late 1980s; he rejoined them two years later,[3] attending the William H. Turner Technical Arts High School in Miami, where he studied video production and 3D animation. He graduated from the Miami International University of Art & Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film production.[4][5]

Career

FilmNet.com and Openfilm

Melikdjanian was the co-founder and creative director of FilmNet.com,[6] and was the co-founder and chief creative officer of Openfilm. Both were intended as alternatives to popular video-sharing site YouTube, but for serious amateur filmmakers who "don't want to place their work alongside YouTube's mediocrities."[4][7][8] Openfilm closed in August 2015.

"Captain Disillusion" YouTube Channel, 2007–present

Captain Disillusion
GenreEducation
Comedy
Created byAlan Melikdjanian
Presented byAlan Melikdjanian
Voices ofAlan Melikdjanian,
Penn Jillette[9] (1 episode)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodesRegular – 47
Quick D – 23
CD / – 8
VFXcool – 3
Other – 17
Total – 110
Production
EditorAlan Melikdjanian
Running timeVaries
Original release
NetworkYouTube
Release2007 (2007) –
present

The "Captain Disillusion" YouTube Channel has approximately 2.41 million subscribers and 230 million views (as of May 2023).[10][11] On the channel he debunks—amongst other things—viral and paranormal "hoax" videos, doing so humorously, and with a heavy focus on visual effects.[12] He edits his videos using various software programs beginning with Avid Media Composer followed by Adobe After Effects, Blender, and Da Vinci Resolve.[13]

In his videos, Melikdjanian wears a vintage 1980s tracksuit, with the bottom half of his face being covered in metallic paint.[4]

Melikdjanian described how he designed his superhero costume:

When it came time to visualize him I just thought what do I have at hand? What can grab people's attention? And really, because it's supposed to be a superhero, what haven't we seen before? What do I have at my disposal that I can actually pull off in terms of attire and make-up? And that's what I had. I got some of this chrome colored make-up at the local party store and I had all those clothes and I would've done my whole face but it's too much work. It works out in terms of illusion revealing reality, and... which one's the reality?[14]

Format

Firstly, the Captain addresses the audience. A typical introduction to his videos is "Greetings, children, Captain Disillusion here." Secondly, he goes on to show a popular video, usually a paranormal or viral video which is "too good to be true" (often starting with humorous topics to set a lighthearted mood, and then using his wristband—a gift from James Randi—to lead him to talk about the real topic). Thirdly, he reviews the footage, utilizing his expertise in digital editing, to break down the video and show how the result was accomplished. He also likes to recreate effects from the videos he debunks, often incorporating this into episodes.[15]

He ends each video by saying he has to go, usually to assist with something mundane happening elsewhere in the world. He then says his motto: "Love with your heart. Use your head for everything else."[4] His videos often conclude with a humorous ending sequence, which occasionally relates with the preceding video.

DVD

In 2011, Melikdjanian released a DVD of his Captain Disillusion series, entitled Captain Disillusion – Fame Curve Collection. It contains the first 16 episodes remastered with optional commentary and additional bonus features. He debuted it at TAM9, and later made it available for purchase online.[16]

Recognition

Melikdjanian's work has gained recognition from The Huffington Post,[17] Kotaku,[18] Russian TV International, Phil Plait,[19] the James Randi Educational Foundation,[20] Fortean Times,[21] Home Media Magazine,[7] and Sun Sentinel,[22] among others. He has also received thanks from people for debunking videos they had shared.[15]

Interviews

Melikdjanian performing as Captain Disillusion's unpaid intern "Alan" at QED 2016

In 2008, during an interview for The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe, Melikdjanian describes Captain Disillusion as a YouTube web series that tackles paranormal and illusion videos uploaded by others on YouTube.[23] He started this effort as a blog entry on Myspace but later saw these items as ready made scripts for short videos. He notes that Penn & Teller were instrumental to his current interest and eventually found the skeptical movement involved in similar work. He finds that his followers like to learn about the illusions. It is not his intent to spoil legitimate entertainment or a current performer's work. His intent in showing how video illusions are created is to clear up misconceptions. Melikdjanian describes the basis for Openfilm briefly, saying it "was formed for film makers. The goal is to provide higher quality product and a group of serious content creators."

During an interview for The Skeptic Zone, in 2010, Melikdjanian describes Captain Disillusion as a superhero.[14] And in a following 2011 interview, he describes that his work as Captain Disillusion is done "in the maximum fun way possible".[24] He describes his work with James Randi, Randi calling him to participate in The Amaz!ng Meeting and his video work with Randi in a later project. During an interview by Susan Gerbic for Skeptical Inquirer, he states "I think it's best to focus on what you know—something you're already an expert on outside of skepticism—and explore the ways in which it's connected to skepticism. With Captain Disillusion, I connected a random thing—visual effects—to skepticism in a way that people seem to find engaging. I'm sure that can be done with many other fields in different ways."[25]

In a 2017 interview with Richard Saunders from The Skeptic Zone, Melikdjanian described the video effects editing process, saying, "You know, the tools change but the methods really don't. It's all about making things look questionable and kinda crappy and low quality and then you can pretty much get away with anything." In replying to a follow-up question regarding believing what you see on the internet, he said, "When I started out, people just kinda believed everything. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, but these days, people are just really asking me 'is this fake?', 'is this fake?', 'is this fake?', and half the stuff they show me is just, you know, a juggler juggling a lot of balls. They can't conceive that that could be real. People just don't believe anything anymore. I guess that's good for me because I get to explain lots of stuff but I wish people could finally strike that balance where they're not too credulous but they also know not to just dismiss everything out of hand."[26]

Credits

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2001 The Realm Director, composer Mentioned in his "Cup Levitation & Train Track Rescue | Quick D" video.
The Monster Man Editor
Zelimo Animator Directed by Aleks Rosenberg,
Won – WorldFest – Houston Gold Special Jury Award for Best Feature
2002 Sin neudachnika Editor[27] Russian for Son of a Loser (television film)
2006 Citizen Mavzik Director, writer, editor, composer (DVD) Co-written with father Vilen. Produced by Vilalan Productions.
Available in Russian and English.
2008 Director VFX artist Directed by Aleks Rosenberg.
Starring American rapper Prodigal Sunn.
2010 Crimefighters VFX artist, sound editor
2013 Whoops! Digital effects artist

Additional work

  • Still Life (2009) (short), steadicam operator
  • The Shift (2013) (thanks), starring Danny Glover

Television / Web series

Year Title As Notes
2007–presentCaptain DisillusionCaptain Disillusion
Mr Flare (voice)

Himself (as Alan)[28]

 (Web series) Also creator.
2012MSNBC's Caught on CameraHimself – ExpertEpisode: "Viral Videos: How? What? Why?"[29][30][31]

Episode: "Viral Videos: Bogus or Bona Fide?"[32][33]

2019Could You Survive the Movies?Captain DisillusionEpisode: "Could You Survive Ghostbusters??"[34]
2021Dynamo DreamTERD (voice)Episode: "Salad Mug"[35]

Awards

Year Award Category Result Refs
2019 11th Shorty Awards Best in Weird Won [36]
2001 BFA Film Award (IFAC) Best Thesis Film Won [37]

References

  1. 1 2 "About CaptainDisillusion". YouTube.
  2. ↑ "A Patreonizing Announcement". January 29, 2015. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2021 – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 "Captain Disillusion's Escape From the USSR". H3 Podcast. h3h3productions. February 10, 2018. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018 – via YouTube.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thorp, Brandon K. (December 24, 2009). "South Florida superhero Captain Disillusion talks ghosts, superpowers, and skepticism". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ Melikdjanian, Alan. "About Amelik". Amelik.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  6. ↑ Our Team Archived December 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, FilmNet.com
  7. 1 2 Gil, Billy (January 29, 2009). "Openfilm Gives Cash Reward to Filmmakers". Home Media Magazine. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ Lewin, Elizabeth (January 29, 2009). "Openfilm Rewarding $500 to Indie Filmmakers". Podcasting News. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  9. ↑ CD (June 5, 2010). "Off Screen". Captain Disillusion. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Captain Disillusion: About". Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ Walters, Christian (September 2012). "Skepticism in the Video Box". Skeptical Inquirer: 34.
  12. ↑ Farley, Tim (November 2009). "Skepticism via YouTube". Skeptical Inquirer. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. ↑ Captain Disillusion. "Heroic Feats of YouTube Debunkery – Live at QED 2016". Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2016 – via YouTube.
  14. 1 2 Saunders, Richard (August 13, 2010). "The Skeptic Zone #95" (Podcast). The Skeptic Zone. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  15. 1 2 Saunders, Richard (December 10, 2017). "The Skeptic Zone #477" (Podcast). The Skeptic Zone. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Captain Disillusion: Fame Curve Collection". IMDb. July 14, 2011. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017.
  17. ↑ Barness, Sarah (November 8, 2013). "Watch Captain Disillusion Debunk The Viral Ping Pong Knife Act". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on November 16, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  18. ↑ Luke, Plunkett (November 8, 2013). "Surprise, Viral YouTube Smash Is A Total Fake". Kotaku.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  19. ↑ Plait, Phil (June 19, 2009). "Captain Disillusion is Amazing". Bad Astronomy. Discover. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  20. ↑ Wagg, Jeff (February 28, 2008). "Captain Disillusion – Fire Angel Debunk". Latest JREF news. James Randi Educational Foundation. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Captain Disillusion". Fortean Times. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  22. ↑ Ratterman, David (January 23, 2002). "Soviet Block Party". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Captain Disillusion – Skeptic's Guide #160". The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe. August 13, 2008. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  24. ↑ Saunders, Richard (August 6, 2011). "The Skeptic Zone #146" (Podcast). The Skeptic Zone. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ Gerbic, Susan (July 18, 2016). "The Man Behind the Makeup: An Interview with Captain Disillusion – CSI". www.csicop.org. Skeptical Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  26. ↑ Saunders, Richard (December 10, 2017). "The Skeptic Zone #477". The Skeptic Zone. Archived from the original (Podcast) on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Full Cast & Crew of Sin neudachnika". IMDB. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  28. ↑ "The Debunkathon". YouTube. April 8, 2020. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Coming in March". Twitter. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  30. ↑ ""Caught on Camera" Viral Videos: How? What? Why? (TV Episode 2012) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  31. ↑ "Caught on Camera : MSNBCW : March 11, 2012 5:00pm-6:00pm PDT". Internet Archive. March 12, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  32. ↑ ""Caught on Camera" Viral Videos: Bogus or Bona Fide? (TV Episode 2012) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Caught on Camera : MSNBCW : November 25, 2012 5:00pm-6:00pm PST". IMDb. November 26, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2023. The episode name "Revolution" is attributed to this archive in its description, but that is incorrect.
  34. ↑ "Could You Survive Ghostbusters?". YouTube. October 21, 2019. Archived from the original on July 29, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  35. ↑ "Salad Mug - DYNAMO DREAM, Episode 1". YouTube. May 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 13, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Captain Disillusion WINS Best in Weird || Shorty Awards 2019". YouTube. May 6, 2019. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019.
  37. ↑ Cup Levitation & Train Track Rescue | Quick D, retrieved September 9, 2023
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