Lake Palestine 'Frozen' Video Was 100% CGI

**Viral Lake Palestine "Frozen Water" Video Confirmed as CGI Illusion**

A viral video from early February 2024 that depicted water at Lake Palestine in Texas seemingly stopping and turning solid, captivating viewers nationwide, has been confirmed as entirely fabricated using computer-generated imagery. The clip, which showed a vehicle driving towards the "edge" of the supposedly solidified water, was a visual effects project designed to draw attention to the lake's significantly low water levels.

Kyle Ellzey, a TikTok user known as @kyleellzey, created and originally posted the video on February 12, 2024. Ellzey later clarified that the entire scene was "100% CGI" and a "VFX project" developed using After Effects. His stated purpose was not to deceive, but rather to illustrate the severe drought conditions and low water levels at Lake Palestine in a dramatically unique and visually striking manner.

To achieve the effect, Ellzey filmed the actual dry creek bed near Lake Palestine in December 2023 using his drone. He then digitally added the "water" in post-production with CGI. Although Ellzey mentioned including a disclaimer about the video being CGI on his original TikTok post, this detail often became detached as the video rapidly spread across various platforms. He quickly followed up with another video on February 13, 2024, specifically sharing the original, raw footage without any CGI to provide clarification. The incident highlights the advanced capabilities of modern special effects and their potential to create convincing, albeit misleading, imagery.