I agree that fabricating hoax would be a lot cheaper than a mission. Models, raster manipulation, whatever method used, time is mony, and it would requre considerable time and skill in more than one discipline. Making the statement that I don't see anyone doing this on a lark does not require an exhaustive proof. Hiring a professional crew to create a sixty second commercial is relativly cheap. Performing a cartoon animation is relativly easy and cheap. Couple of hours no problem.

The scope of this alledged hoax without clear method of cost recovery is prohibative in a relative way. As in very deep pockets could easily afford it. However those who could afford this would have some difficulty in keeping it totally secret. Someone working on the project would want to leak info or brag or something.

That does not validate it in any way, it just says there are formidable obsticles to surmount. Pay an additional fee for silence would help. Also having everybody in on the project being committed to its purpose would be an asset. A single person could accomplish it given enough time, dedication, budget, skill in multi disciplines, and ingenuity.

Source of Leonov clip is a major obsticle because if anyone found that source the gig is up. All that effort and expense blown on an assumption of clip with very public figure remaining hidden. Could accomplish it with an actor in makup or a look alike, but requires more skill sets or possible exposure brought to project.

The difficulty with total animation is that not even Hollywood can do that without some cartoon aspect showing through. It is on the horizon that all an actor will be needed for is a look and public appearance with entire movies animated. It just ain't there yet.

Again this does not establish validity because it is possible to do. Just difficult to do and keep hidden. Budget is not impossible if pockets are deep enough and willing to risk or accept no recovery. People do things like willing increadable sums of mony to dogs etc so it cannot be ruled out that someone would perpitrate an expensive joke. What is expensive is relative.

So ill let you slide on that if you let me slide on putting together budget proposal cause even that is not worth my time.

Given that you want a more rigorous dataset from me than what I had in mind the extra week will be an asset. I have just taken on a project as a favor and more demands on time than when I started looking at this. If cannot complete in two weeks I will advise.

Not convinced it is authentic either, just cant find grounds for total dismisal.

regards