Meet a Former CIA Chief of Disguise | Object of Intrigue | Atlas Obscura
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2020
- Meet Jonna Mendez, the former CIA Chief of Disguise (a real job!). During her tenure, Mendez oversaw the equipment used by spies to conceal their identities, including a five-second mask, which had been inspired by Hollywood. The technology, developed over a period of 10 years, allowed for facial movement-and, unlike its cinematic counterparts, which required hours in the makeup chair, it could be put on and removed at a moment’s notice. Listen to Mendez explain the ins and outs of this unique piece of spy technology.
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To learn more about the International Spy Museum's collection of unique objects, visit their website here: www.spymuseum.org/ And a special thanks to Clint Emerson, the owner of this fascinating mask.
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Someone out there is looking at this, and saying that's frank! I fucking knew there was something off about him!
lmao
i was waiting for her to peel her face off to reveal that she was wearing a mask the whole time lol
Well if they are showing us this now , one wonders what they use at present
Check out Tyler Perry guys look at his eyes 👀
@@Gardenencyclopedia Could be Will Smith playing him. Look up youtuber Consius X, he has a convincing video on it.
The Gucci suit 🤣
I wish I could hear Jonna Mendez over the music.
I could hear her just fine.
@@wecanttrustanygovernmenttb3352 Relax. Some hearing loss causes ppl to hear higher pitches over everything else. Don't assume everyone is complaining like you're complaining everyone is complaining. This person made a statement and probably doesn't realize she is experiencing hearing loss. Most ppl don't don't realize the subtleties of the process of hearing loss.
The subtitles for this video are not autogenerated.
turn your hearing aid up, gramps
The larger issue is now as an operative they have your actual face mould. Imagine pissing someone off and now someone's committing crimes with your face as blackmail
It would be relatively easy to scan someone's face 'mold' digitally from a distance in this day and age
@@albertrenshaw4252 do it
@@albertrenshaw4252 yeah but you would have to either gather multiple photos of their face from different angles without any blur or colour changes, it needs to look perfect from every angle; or you can do a 3d scan of their face, although they have to stand still keeping the same expression looking one way while you do it, so unless they know what you're doing, then I highly doubt you can actually capture a good 3d scan of their face, and also once you get the 3d scan, you actually have to create the mask making it as detailed and as close to the original face as possible.
@@noartist2694 You mean me specifically or do you mean anyone in general? If it is the second option then you'd have to do what I explained up there 👆. Now with the rise of AI, I am sure this technology is only going to get better over time.
@@hyperat8146previously I thought that was the case until I saw how China monitor the public, they use AI to scan people it's relatively easy to scan someone's face and realize who is who even with mask.
what could be faster than this 5 second mask thing and more realistic!? this gives me goosebumps
Of course it's Joana Mendez. Legend.
I'm becoming obsessed with her.
She’s pretty cool but why tell everyone who you are and what you did? I’m sure this technology is outdated by now and there is probably some amazing technology but Cold War was harsh i always wonder about assassins and stuff still looking for people hahaha
@@tylerp5093 yeah this is very old if she's allowed to even mention it lol I work on classified aerospace tech and it won't even be used for another decade or so. Whatever you see more or whatever is reveled is outdated --but very cool to the outside world
@@Tunechi65 uhuh
@@wernervonhurtsaug he's not lying im an African prince , i can tell you that there's moon bases on Mars, technology is way ahead of its time bud get with the times
Brilliant detail down to skin pores!
Billy has been using this latex for the Paul McCartney role.
Joanna joined the CIA back in 1970. Before the 1960s, such masks used to only exist in comics and cartoons, for the most part (such as the Looney Tunes, or Batman's disguises.) Then Hollywood and the CGI managed to make them a reality. And today we have impressive silicone rubber masks that cover the head and neck that can be even more realistic and durable than latex. One maker of such masks even had a similar tagline: "Put on a five-hour makeup job in just five seconds!"
We've come leaps and bounds, but it's not as simple as that. You've still got the eye holes to deal with, for starters.
@@NeglectedField That's true. And yet in such cartoons the eyes are often molded right onto the mask and once worn they act like real eyes, complete with eyelids when blinking!
Mission Impossible
@@charlesludwig8672 Yes, that was one of the earliest instances of the Age-Old Mask Device appearing in live-action TV, effectively turning it into a cliche. It also began to appear in some live-action movies in the 1960s as well, such as James Bond's "From Russia With Love", or the Fantomas movies from France.
This job sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.
Unless I was responsible for another person's safety in potentially deadly circumstances. Then, I'm not sure how much fun I'd be having.
At 0:05 ... they just spilled the beans that Ringo Starr... isn't. He's just a rubber Scooby-Doo mask
That are cloning now no worries 👍🏻
Wtf where is the demonstration? I was looking forward to it!
So we really don;;t know who we are looking at anymore on tv
Great rhythmic background "music" BUT WE CAN'T HEAR THE SPEAKER!!!!!
WHAT???? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!
Speed it up... and you get something that sounds like Morse code
This was a very insightful video! Loved it!
Funny how they never showed those masks in use...
This is absolutely amazing. Thank you.
My kingdom for a video without loud background music behind the speaker! Ugh.
hare u deaf?
And this is what I mean by them celebrities are CLONED, other people are playing that character with a mask
Biden is the masked up one
What are they doing now? Advanced holograms - possibly, although I think the fact they would have to be powered probably makes them a bit unsuitable for fieldwork. More advanced masks - very similar to the Mission Impossible ones is more feasible, and also with some sort of voice synthesiser to imitate a person's voice.
Cloaking devices.
I believe wholeheartedly that Joe Biden is not Joseph R Biden you could interrogate me with force I would say the same
Who do you think he is? lol Seems legit enough to me due to his brain age showing.
@@jamesmorris9120 before he was elected "he" debated with Trump, and he looked like a soldier disguised as him.
Lol
Facts . There’s plenty of videos exposing Biden & others on live tv with fake mask on. The scary party is who is really behind the mask.
@Pike Fish God I wish!!
Imagine the disguises aliens have.
roger from american dad lol
More easier
It Is known amongst many,that these beings not just wear masks,but whole costumes to disguise their true self.
I think you mean the people disguised as aliens?
Demons*
I wonder what disguise capabilities they have now.
Joe Biden?
Wait but like for real! What does the CIA use now?!!! Freakin nano tech or something?!!
Thx for telling the public this and destroying my life
Stunning!
This is incredible, and has a scary amount of potential to do harm to citizens, and of course the same potential to do good.
That's exactly what I was thinking. Could you imagine if they figured out a way to change their voice as well. WOW 🥸
Like how they control our social media and major new networks?
Oh I know they have. This is not just so called foreign affairs it was used on us more so.
What good comes from wearing a disguise?
@@toby9754 they can alter their voices actually thousands have. None of who you’ve seen are real.
Incrédible ! Thats explain our President in France too ! The fourth one he seems to be. One thing you can't imitate : eye expression.
Cool info
Annoyingly unnecessary music
That's some crazy wicked shit !!!
I think this is so interesting. What a cool job.
The eyes give it away if you look closely. You can't make eyelids in these masks because no way could you control them blinking.
That's why they wore sunglasses
@@em84c today I’d say “wear”. Never thought if this!!!
@@em84c lol exactly
You could also use makeup to cover it up I think
You probably could with a little sticky tape or something.
It would've been epic if she pulled a mask off at the end to reveal David Attenburrough and continued on in a monkey documentary.
Ok, this is super cool!
Can I get the music score to that piece? .... Mendez is a very intriguing woman.
I like their Ringo mask. Good choice
No doubt you could prolly put it on in less than a minute.
But I'm sure it would require at least 15 minutes to have it sit properly. The holes have to be skintight in order to not make it obvious that it's a mask. The mouth has to be sticking on the lips as well.
Very cool.
I'm only here because she fooled the panel TWICE on To Tell The Truth
That's answers a lot of questions
How do they attach to the lips effectively.
We brought them back to our lab and showed them...they were blown away . To think she is proud pfft.
YOUR COVER IS BLOWN!
2:15
(honeycomb hair lips)
The Mission Impossible tv series used masks like these. E Howard Hunt claimed the series was accurate. That was nearly 60 years ago.
Peace and Love
Wait...I know that face! Damn!
Hans Gruber. Nice to meet you.
Mendez says, "So what are they doing now?" I cant help but wonder how many nefarious acts have been used with this technology. How many people illegally impersonated. And why? If it can be used for agents, whose to say it cannot or has not been used for govt officials?
And who says the CIA isn't creepy👽👌🍻
The Creepy intelligence authority
as if you didn't show the mask being worn by a person so the audience can see how good it looks as a disguise.
It was a custom fit from many years ago, I think? Maybe the original wearer's identity is still secret, maybe his/her face has changed over the years, or maybe they're otherwise unavailable for, um, 'medical reasons'? (I was thinking death, not Covid)
@@timapple6586 10 likes on your comment is an example of how ignorant the sheep are.
@@timapple6586 your comment don't make sense and the sense that it does make don't makes sense
@@pryingopenmythirdeye1830 If you watched the video, it says the only way the technology works is if the inside of the mask is made from a mould of the wearer's face. "Each mask only fits one person." Since these are specific masks used in old CIA operations, the only way to show how realistic they look would be to bring in the spy who originally used this mask on a mission; you couldn't just have a random volunteer from the museum do it, because the mask wouldn't conform exactly to their face.
@@craigrussell3062
The variations of Dunning-Kruger effect in comment sections is flabbergasting.
Perfeito
This was used in mission: impossible
at the end of the video she should of pulled off that mask revealing she is someone else
The music tho
She’s wearing a mask in this interview
I was hoping, at the end, she’d reveal she was wearing a mask the whole time.
It really doesn't matter what their disguise is - you can't keep them from screwing around with their smart phones, and they don't know how to act normal around real people.
I saw this mask in person
Crazy.
Mission Impossible! What is under Mike Pence's mask?
Yeah, but do you have energico?
Our current president.
100%
Oooooooh!🤔 I think she knows!!!!🤔🤔🤔
Can you imagine waking up in a 5150 hospital with all your friends and family wearing these masks. WOW ,🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸🕷️WOW
at that point, it’s You and The Most High. trust nobody. iykyk.
@Conscious x
Ringo Starr?
All I've got is a photograph.
Holy fuck!!! I thought the same thing and left a comment before I saw this. Well... there's the truth... Ringo Starr is a rubber mask. And that makes me question John Lennon's "death" now
Scooby doo always showed that monsters were alwaya human
So what Pollititons are wearing them when the real ones are in the bunkers
All that work... but, the lace under the moustache is glaringly obvious!?! 🤔
yeah but the mask is probably like 30 years old
These masks weren't meant for face to face encounters but as a means of eluding capture or discovery in crowded places.
Has anybody put on the mask?
Hey, I saw that guy! And to think it was just a mask....
That’s where all those creepy “men in black” experiences came from.
Huge fan ,,,,, eyelids though ? I've watched these videos over several times but I never noticed until now. What if you BLINK !?
Talked about the mask for 4 minutes straight and didn’t even get to see her with it on
She had one on. !
Spooksville U.S.A.
She could be wearing a mask to cover up her real identity right now.
The fact that they are showing her face. Oh wait...or is it?!!
I wonder how many masks were worn on Jan 6
John Chambers was my cousin!
Thats actually Tom Cruise in a Jonna Mendez mask...
Show us the trick
I had that mask....
Whilst this is impressive, not to spoil anyone's fun but to those thinking this is "like Mission Impossible", well...no. Nor will it ever be close to perfect, nothing this convenient that comes on and off in seconds, at least. This is the sort of thing that might work if the guy's wearing shades in the back of a taxi or needs to slip through a crowd unnoticed. Up close, there's still gonna be the issue of the eye holes (especially if the guy isn't wearing glasses and natural skin tone differs from the mask). And the extent to which facial expressions are possible without adhesive, which takes time to apply.
Even the sort of Hollywood character full-face human disguise makeups that take hours to apply look a little Uncanny Valley or 'off' up close, mainly because building on an existing face with latex etc to make a totally different yet plausible human phenotype is nigh on impossible - and for example if your agent has a big nose, you gotta build an even bigger nose on top of that; you can't disguise him as having a small nose. All in all, I'd be surprised if the most astute of people wouldn't be able to clock this stuff up close.
Then again, I don't know what the guy who this mask was made for looks like, nor am I in the CIA or a professional FX artist, so whaddo I know? *shrug*
I’d point out that in “Mission: Impossible 2”, it’s implicitly stated that agents are chosen for disguise operations based on their own facial structures already closely matching the intended target.
@@nickoftime5759 Okay, a good detail to include but still farfetched on many other grounds when it comes to traversing Uncanny Valley in real life, especially if we're talking disguising someone as an existing person. Anyone who's so much as met that other person before is gonna clock it pretty much instantly.
@@NeglectedField you’re not wrong. I will say though that the mask technology discussed in the video however is like 30 years old. I’m quite sure they’ve gotten better in that time.
"It will never be perfect, I tell ya!"
"whaddo I know?"
Pick one.
Nano technology and silicone combined with the general dumbing down of humanity may eventually enable us to cross the valley of doubt.
What if she is in disguised...
Looks like Mission Impossible
The twist is she is wearing a mask 😊
But the government would only EVER use this for good...lololololl
That medic is a spy!
Why is the audio so terrible? Is she trying to disguise her voice?
I've watched many, many videos of her. It's my understanding that this is her real voice. She's 74/75 years old now and her voice is a bit raspy. The music is overpowering though.
What’s the mesh at 2:16 , that clearly can’t be a “real” mask!
wooooosh
It's not to be seen so upclose. Just to disguise when you need to run save yourself. And BTW this are old masks
@@bulletsfordinner8307 thank god! 😂
That’s what that girl saw on the plane
✅
That’s a MAN baby! 🤓
That explains Biden and Pelosi. And all the other wierd looking politicians and celebrities.
McConnell is a good example of what happens when you don't take care of your mask and do lazy things like leave it on the dashboard on a sunny day.
@@31emxof loool. They are goofies
Abso-Lutely
Spot on 💯💯
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Paul McCartney
They don’t even show the mask on anybody’s face !
Interesting she mentions latex, because Silicone is a vastly superior material for this...
This was 30 years ago... of course they have better materials now.
I'm waiting for Chad Justice to respond. North south east west
Interesting nose choice