Jake Anderson is a writer and filmmaker, originally hailing from Arkansas, but currently residing in Portland, Oregon. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Film and Digital Media from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and gained an impressive repertoire of experience working the scenes of Hollywood. He has written numerous screenplays, short stories, and creative non-fiction works, and has also worked on many-a-film, including “Evan Almighty”, “Transformers 3”, and, “The Immortalists”. He is also a freelance writer for theantimedia.org, as well as Director for TheGhostDiaries.com, a brilliant online portal for all those interested in the latest paranormal findings.
Jake is currently working on the upcoming documentary, What Happened To Elisa Lam?, alongside friend and colleague, Jared Salas. Currently in pre-production, the documentary’s film crew line-up is already setting the standards high, with a successful Kickstarter campaign (launched February of this year) already showing signs of a very promising venture.
The Cecil Hotel (re-branded "Stay On Main" in 2011) was constructed in 1924 and is located in the downtown area of Los Angeles, California.
The documentary takes us on a journey through the mysteries of the Elisa Lam case, focusing on three primary angles: the murder conspiracy; the potential paranormal activity in the hotel; and an analysis of Elisa’s psychiatric condition. For those that are uncertain with the story, check out this great overview article by theGhostDiaries.com. The movie will retrace the footsteps involved in investigating the case, documenting the trials and tribulations involved in exploring a case so shrouded in mystery and darkness. Featuring re-enactments, real footage from inside the Cecil Hotel, and an excellent collection of interviews with a broad variety of people involved in the case, the documentary is already set to be the ultimate go-to for anyone interested in this real-life modern mystery.
With a storyline uncannily similar to that of the horror movie, Dark Water, the Elisa Lam case took the internet by storm back in 2013, and since then, the hype has only diminished very minimally. What with the release of 2015’s American Horror Story: Hotel, which was heavily inspired by the history of the Cecil Hotel, and the ever-growing list of synchronicities associated with this mystery (the LAM-ELISA test; the Black Dhalia; the connections to Aleister Crowley and the demon named LAM etc.), it comes as no surprise that the public has not yet lost interest in this case. This, really, can only be viewed as a positive thing, given that the case still remains unsolved (in the eyes of the general public, police reports aside), and that the majority of people still feel that Elisa Lam is still due to receive some justice. Alas, with this documentary, it is hoped that some further light can be shed on the case; at very least, we keep our fingers crossed that it will help to draw attention to the unjust death of Elisa Lam, and that society, in general, perhaps ought to pay more attention to those in need of psychological help. Mental disorders are still taboo in most societies and cultures around the world, and that is ultimately something that needs to be changed.
Surveillance camera footage released by the LAPD shows Elisa Lam in one of the Cecil Hotel's elevators -- this was her last known sighting.
The movie continues to garner interest, from both industry professionals and hobby-investigators alike, which comes as no surprise given that it is likely the most well-known unsolved mystery of its kind in recent years. Of course, the phenomenon of bizarre and inexplicable missing persons cases is not new, certainly not in the true crime and Websleuths community; however, few have gained as much notoriety and fascination as the Elisa Lam case. As Anderson puts it, “There’s so many different angles, […] there’s synchronicity involved; you have a true crime murder mystery; you have this haunting case of a woman with bipolar disorder […]; a haunted hotel where dozens of people have killed themselves; anyway you look at it, it’s like the Shining Hotel.”
This is a serious case that we are always fascinated to explore, and that we will continue to explore. We hope you enjoy our talk with Jake just as much as we did.
If you have information regarding the Elisa Lam case, please contact: GhostDiariesBlog@gmail.com
