Cameraheads

**Theories** |  · Human surveillance systems · Lost media · Internet Legend

**Cameraheads** are said to be humans or human-like entities have had a camera implanted into the inner nerves of their eyes. As such they are walking surveillance systems, although to what end is unknown.[1]

They are best known as the antagonists of an early creepypasta which was subsequently lost.[2] The pasta/ARG is partially found with the discovery of one of the associated YouTube videos and the first post preserved on the /x/enopedia wiki.[3]

## Appearance

They are described to be similar to Slenderman in behavior, stalking their victims with vague malefic intent. Supposedly Cameraheads predate Slenderman, although no mention of them exists before 2009. In some recollections, the Cameraheads appear outwardly human, perhaps even unwittingly serving as surveillance.[4] In other accounts the camera formed the whole head. One recollection stated they were biomechanical.[5]

## Lost Creepypasta

Of perhaps more interest than the creatures themselves is their origin in a creepypasta which preceded SmileDog and Jeff the Killer, being circulated on /x/enopedia, the wiki for 4chans /x/-Paranormal board, circa 2009.[6] That it existed at this time is proven due to The Wayback Machine saving a screenshot of the /x/ wiki (renamed sanctuary.prelucid sometime in 2010 and no longer extant), which included an active link to a page named 'Cameraheads' under its creepypasta index. However The Wayback Machine did not save the contents of the page itself. Users on /x/ and Reddit threads have since tried to recover the relatively obscure pasta, so far to no avail. Ironically it was in the wiki's 'Bullshit' section alongside Slenderman, Nibiru, SmileDog and The Grifter, stories which had by then been posted to the point of over-saturation.[7][8] It was also under the category 'Videos', lending credence to the reports of the creepypasta's multimedia presentation. Some have gone as far as to characterize the story as one part of a broader ARG.

In 2020 a 4chan user discovered what appears to be one of the videos from the original story/ARG.[9] The video, titled 'camerahead' was uploaded in 2009 by a user named kotyakov, this being the channels only upload to date.[10]

   The description reads "**weird video i captured from a minidv i found in a gully near my house"**. The video features mostly static with faint images. Towards the end a figure with a smiling mask-like face emerges from the static and quickly recedes.[11] At the time of writing the uploader has not responded to a comment querying the videos link to the creepypasta.

The earliest accessible threads on the online 4chan /x/ archives are from 2014, and this appears to be when the story's status as lost media was first realized, as anonymous posters queried where the /x/enopedia page had gone. 4chan archives for the /x/ board between the years 2007-2008 do not show any results for camerahead. Both the /x/enopedia wiki page and the youtube video first appeared in 2009, making this the likely origin of the pasta. Incomplete archives exist for 2009 of the 4chan /x/ board where another copy of the story might exist. There are also incomplete archives for the seperate /x/enopedia sanctuary chan, where the story may also have originated. It has been noted that many creepypasta uploaded to the /x/enopedia were OC making it entirely possible that the only copy of the complete story was on the wiki and is thus lost completely.

Reported memories of the story's contents are mostly vague, with the exception of the conceit, which all accounts agree on: A man discovers a torn backpack and books while walking. He searches the backpack, finding a tape, a broken camera, and a letter that says "I killed a camerahead." The character investigates further but finds out he is being stalked by creatures called the cameraheads. The character slowly descends into madness as he looks further into what the cameraheads are.[12] An additional detail is that the tapes the protagonist discovers contain memories from the camerahead of what it saw.

Memories of the original pasta have compared it to the novel *House of Leaves*, presumably in reference to that books similar multimedia presentation and multilayered epistolary narrative. The narrative of the pasta appears straightforwardly similar to the novel, in which a young male protagonist discovers discarded cryptic documents which invoke an evil presence into his life.

On October 19th, 2020, Lost Media Wiki user Marnen005 discovered an archived link of the Recent Changes section of /x/enopedia via archive site archive.is. It was through this that they discovered an RSS feed of edits to the page for Cameraheads, which contained a full transcript of the initial post that began the story but did not contain any details made beyond it. Interestingly, this archived page seems to contradict much of the available information related to the story, claiming that only one post and YouTube video were made related to the story before the initial poster went silent, as opposed to most people's claims of there being a large number of posts and supplementary material created. It is currently unclear if this inaccuracy is on the part of /x/enopedia or those giving their recollections of the story.[13]

One of the 2 found revisions from this recent changes section can be seen here.

## Early Leads

As of 2020 the Camerahead pasta has not been rediscovered. Several leads have been uncovered in the search, some more viable than others.

* A character called 'Camerahead' appears in the critically panned third *Hellraiser* film. This character has a camera visibly inserted in his face. However the films plot and the characters role in it bears no resemblance to the creepypasta.[14]
* A scrapped enemy design from the game *Manhunt* was called 'Camhead' and possessed giant camera's for heads. This game was released some yeas before the pasta, making it a possible source of inspiration.[15]
* Another video game with a Camerahead-like enemy is *The Evil Within 2*, which released many years later. While it is possible this creature, called 'Obscura', was based on the pasta it may also simply be a coincidence. This creature is depicted as much less humanoid than the others, being a mass of mutilated flesh with a distended camera neck. [16]
* Creatures called "Things" appear in the creepypasta-based webseries *EverymanHYBRID*. They are described as normal-looking humanoids with camera's for eyes. Because of this series basis in creepypasta content from the exact time of the Camerahead pasta it is entirely possible that these Things were based on the story, although the show creators have not confirmed this.[17]
* Paul Strong Jr., an artist based in Seattle, produced an art project called 'Cameraheads' circa 2008, the same period when the pasta was most popular. This project was a condemnation and reminder of state surveillance apparatus in the form of increasing CCTV. Strong had actors wander the streets wearing suits with giant CCTV cameras for heads. It is possible that this formed some inspiration for the creepypasta.[18]

## Recreations

* DeviantArt artist Gallibon created their own character, "CameraMask", explicitly noting its derivation from the lost Camerahead story.[19]
* Youtuber BlameItOnJorge discussed the story in the video "*Lost Media Case Files Vol 1.*", stating his belief that the story was real and that it would one day be rediscovered.[20]
* Horror artist charcoalman revealed his take on the Camerahead character in a piece called "*Cameraheads*".[21]

## Possible Explanations

* A lost creepypasta.
* A misremembered amalgamation of different content (See above).
* A real cryptid, entity or form of government/alien surveillance (highly unlikely). A minority position has formed which takes the view that Cameraheads are real and that the supposed creepypasta is a 'disinfo' campaign by invested third parties.