Derren Brown ?
Discussion
He wrote a book about how he does most of his tricks.
As for the NLP thing it seems to me to just be using emotive language and creating mental images, something people flogging stuff have been doing for years. Only a few of his tricks have any psychological basis and as someone here mentioned on his TV show they screen people to find the ones that are most complaint with subtle suggestions.
As for the NLP thing it seems to me to just be using emotive language and creating mental images, something people flogging stuff have been doing for years. Only a few of his tricks have any psychological basis and as someone here mentioned on his TV show they screen people to find the ones that are most complaint with subtle suggestions.
its all tricks i tell you:
"I went up on stage to phone my brother. The three numbers Derren predicted were ‘734′. The first three number my brother said were ‘369′ and the second numbers were ‘219′.
After he got these wrong Derren padded out the time by talking to him and trying to get himn to guess another 3 numbers - still wrong (these were not written on the board). He then went back to the paper board (remeber how close it was to the curtain). I believe at this point he was handed a £10 note which had just had my borther’s numbers printed on it by an ink jet printer. He then gave me the £10 note and thanked me, just as I was about to walk off stage he called me back to open the note which had the 6 numbers exactly and in the correct order. He then let me keep the £10 note.
I was amazed for a couple of days until I realised how it was done. I was fixed on the fact that the £10 was real which meant I must have somehow got my brother to say the 6 numbers….Wrong!
On closer inspection of another £10 note there are actually 2 serial numbers, one horizontal and one that runs vertically (go and check now!). On the note was written ‘I will make him say these numbers’ all in capitals. Coincidently the first ‘I’ covered up the horizontal 6 digit serial number. Also on closer inspection the original vertical serial number has been been removed as the paper is slightly thinner and some of the image has been removed (probably chemically). The numbers that have been re-printed are slightly larger than the true £10 and have also bleed a little (due to being printed on an inkjet printer). I did see a guy in the wings of the stage but I thought he was just there for the power point show etc…..but maybe not!"
"I went up on stage to phone my brother. The three numbers Derren predicted were ‘734′. The first three number my brother said were ‘369′ and the second numbers were ‘219′.
After he got these wrong Derren padded out the time by talking to him and trying to get himn to guess another 3 numbers - still wrong (these were not written on the board). He then went back to the paper board (remeber how close it was to the curtain). I believe at this point he was handed a £10 note which had just had my borther’s numbers printed on it by an ink jet printer. He then gave me the £10 note and thanked me, just as I was about to walk off stage he called me back to open the note which had the 6 numbers exactly and in the correct order. He then let me keep the £10 note.
I was amazed for a couple of days until I realised how it was done. I was fixed on the fact that the £10 was real which meant I must have somehow got my brother to say the 6 numbers….Wrong!
On closer inspection of another £10 note there are actually 2 serial numbers, one horizontal and one that runs vertically (go and check now!). On the note was written ‘I will make him say these numbers’ all in capitals. Coincidently the first ‘I’ covered up the horizontal 6 digit serial number. Also on closer inspection the original vertical serial number has been been removed as the paper is slightly thinner and some of the image has been removed (probably chemically). The numbers that have been re-printed are slightly larger than the true £10 and have also bleed a little (due to being printed on an inkjet printer). I did see a guy in the wings of the stage but I thought he was just there for the power point show etc…..but maybe not!"
jackal said:
its all tricks i tell you:
"I went up on stage to phone my brother. The three numbers Derren predicted were ‘734′. The first three number my brother said were ‘369′ and the second numbers were ‘219′.
After he got these wrong Derren padded out the time by talking to him and trying to get himn to guess another 3 numbers - still wrong (these were not written on the board). He then went back to the paper board (remeber how close it was to the curtain). I believe at this point he was handed a £10 note which had just had my borther’s numbers printed on it by an ink jet printer. He then gave me the £10 note and thanked me, just as I was about to walk off stage he called me back to open the note which had the 6 numbers exactly and in the correct order. He then let me keep the £10 note.
I was amazed for a couple of days until I realised how it was done. I was fixed on the fact that the £10 was real which meant I must have somehow got my brother to say the 6 numbers….Wrong!
On closer inspection of another £10 note there are actually 2 serial numbers, one horizontal and one that runs vertically (go and check now!). On the note was written ‘I will make him say these numbers’ all in capitals. Coincidently the first ‘I’ covered up the horizontal 6 digit serial number. Also on closer inspection the original vertical serial number has been been removed as the paper is slightly thinner and some of the image has been removed (probably chemically). The numbers that have been re-printed are slightly larger than the true £10 and have also bleed a little (due to being printed on an inkjet printer). I did see a guy in the wings of the stage but I thought he was just there for the power point show etc…..but maybe not!"
Yes I noted that the numbers , when shown, were down the edge of the note not across it as normal."I went up on stage to phone my brother. The three numbers Derren predicted were ‘734′. The first three number my brother said were ‘369′ and the second numbers were ‘219′.
After he got these wrong Derren padded out the time by talking to him and trying to get himn to guess another 3 numbers - still wrong (these were not written on the board). He then went back to the paper board (remeber how close it was to the curtain). I believe at this point he was handed a £10 note which had just had my borther’s numbers printed on it by an ink jet printer. He then gave me the £10 note and thanked me, just as I was about to walk off stage he called me back to open the note which had the 6 numbers exactly and in the correct order. He then let me keep the £10 note.
I was amazed for a couple of days until I realised how it was done. I was fixed on the fact that the £10 was real which meant I must have somehow got my brother to say the 6 numbers….Wrong!
On closer inspection of another £10 note there are actually 2 serial numbers, one horizontal and one that runs vertically (go and check now!). On the note was written ‘I will make him say these numbers’ all in capitals. Coincidently the first ‘I’ covered up the horizontal 6 digit serial number. Also on closer inspection the original vertical serial number has been been removed as the paper is slightly thinner and some of the image has been removed (probably chemically). The numbers that have been re-printed are slightly larger than the true £10 and have also bleed a little (due to being printed on an inkjet printer). I did see a guy in the wings of the stage but I thought he was just there for the power point show etc…..but maybe not!"
Also I spotted the change to gorilla.
The number on the badge. I couldn't be sure and did try and verify, but I noticed that he stuck the badge to the gramaphone at the end, meaning it was sticky or magnetic rather than pin on, which would obvioulsy make it easier to change over. So I tried to re-wind and read what was on the badge earlier in the evening. Unfortunately you never got a close up up the badge to verify the numbers before, they were always a but blurry, maybe on purpose.
As to the predictions in the box, simplest magic trick in the world to change the contents of a box like that, so nothing too scarey there.
AS to the mind-reading, you've got a list of credit cards from the bookings, not the most difficult thing to start looking people up on t'internet for the kind of info. he was using.... how many people have facebook? Then combine that with some basic knowledge of human nature and you get the 'medium' experience.
Fascinating stuff, mainly becuase I enjoy his debunking of mediums... you'd be surprised how many saddos out there believe in all that s
te!Piersman2 said:
The number on the badge. I couldn't be sure and did try and verify, but I noticed that he stuck the badge to the gramaphone at the end, meaning it was sticky or magnetic rather than pin on, which would obvioulsy make it easier to change over. So I tried to re-wind and read what was on the badge earlier in the evening. Unfortunately you never got a close up up the badge to verify the numbers before, they were always a but blurry, maybe on purpose.
He asked for people to write down the numbers before he 'collapsed' on stage and the curtains closed, then came back out and answered the 3 digit number trick hile wearing the badge.Surely he could of just got told what people wrote down while the curtains were closed?
In his book, Tricks of the Mind he clearly states that his act is old style music hall magic with a ton of misdirection (as a previous poster mentioned. Years ago I bought a DVD for about 30 quid by another "Mentalist" that showed how a number of these tricks are done. It was so disappointing as nearly 95% of the tricks required some elaborate prop. i.e the very expensive notepad with wifi technology detailed in the post above. I new it was nothing to do with being psychic but I was expecting more of it to be based on NLP type skills, cold reading etc.
The only good one was the trick where you get a random book, start to flick throught it, get someone to say stop then you are able to tell them what the first word on the page is with out looking at it.
The only good one was the trick where you get a random book, start to flick throught it, get someone to say stop then you are able to tell them what the first word on the page is with out looking at it.
PhantomHumper said:
Piersman2 said:
The number on the badge. I couldn't be sure and did try and verify, but I noticed that he stuck the badge to the gramaphone at the end, meaning it was sticky or magnetic rather than pin on, which would obvioulsy make it easier to change over. So I tried to re-wind and read what was on the badge earlier in the evening. Unfortunately you never got a close up up the badge to verify the numbers before, they were always a but blurry, maybe on purpose.
He asked for people to write down the numbers before he 'collapsed' on stage and the curtains closed, then came back out and answered the 3 digit number trick hile wearing the badge.Surely he could of just got told what people wrote down while the curtains were closed?
speedy_thrills said:
He wrote a book about how he does most of his tricks.
As for the NLP thing it seems to me to just be using emotive language and creating mental images, something people flogging stuff have been doing for years. Only a few of his tricks have any psychological basis and as someone here mentioned on his TV show they screen people to find the ones that are most complaint with subtle suggestions.
it is quite a bit more than that. When NLP is used well it can be a highly effective tool for as the NLP'ers will say 'modelling excellence'. When done badly, as is more often than not the case it comes across as a clumsy way of attempting to mimic body language and at times bludgeon peoples into creating the results you want. In that respect it works. An example that often works in sales is get people to say three "yes's" in a row, as it tends to break down resistance to a sale as the "customer's" internalised objection and negative self talk is defeated.As for the NLP thing it seems to me to just be using emotive language and creating mental images, something people flogging stuff have been doing for years. Only a few of his tricks have any psychological basis and as someone here mentioned on his TV show they screen people to find the ones that are most complaint with subtle suggestions.
The thing with NLP is often it is taught by those who have little understanding of using it subtly and effectively and at worst it is little more than psychological bullying of the worst kind. Most politicians tend to use it - very badly and it comes across as highly fake.
It is used in therapy rather a lot as a way of creating 'positive behaviours', with varying results. The mental imagery side is extraordinarily effective actually - stunningly so at times.
He did did a gig at our Christmas party just gone, awesome when you're pissed up. The closing trick was simply mind blowing!!
He got people to shout out 9 random numbers *1-9, then pulled back a black cloth covering a marker board, with a number writen on it.
He then added the random numbers up the people had called out, he had written them on a board, 3 across 3 down, they added up
to the number he uncovered going in each direction!! horizontal - diagonal and vertical backwards and forwards.
F**k knows how he did that.
He got people to shout out 9 random numbers *1-9, then pulled back a black cloth covering a marker board, with a number writen on it.
He then added the random numbers up the people had called out, he had written them on a board, 3 across 3 down, they added up
to the number he uncovered going in each direction!! horizontal - diagonal and vertical backwards and forwards.
F**k knows how he did that.
sstein said:
dwilkie said:
I've been watching it and trickery or no trickery, it's amazing. Not sure how he was guessing half the stuff he did from the audience when he was blindfolded either!
I'm guessing the people who had bought tickets got random phone calls a week or so before the show. Sort of, answer our questionnaire and have the chance to win a holiday etc..-
Stuart
He basically already knew the information about those individuals and simply called out their name and rough age to get them to reveal themselves.
Would not be at all surprised if all those people had pages on freely accessible social networking sites like Facebook.
I would also bet that all of those people were the ones who paid for the tickets directly rather than being the unknown guest/partner of the person who paid online.
He is brilliant and I suspect that he has a team of researchers digging out this basic information.
Horse_Apple said:
sstein said:
dwilkie said:
I've been watching it and trickery or no trickery, it's amazing. Not sure how he was guessing half the stuff he did from the audience when he was blindfolded either!
I'm guessing the people who had bought tickets got random phone calls a week or so before the show. Sort of, answer our questionnaire and have the chance to win a holiday etc..-
Stuart
He basically already knew the information about those individuals and simply called out their name and rough age to get them to reveal themselves.
Would not be at all surprised if all those people had pages on freely accessible social networking sites like Facebook.
I would also bet that all of those people were the ones who paid for the tickets directly rather than being the unknown guest/partner of the person who paid online.
He is brilliant and I suspect that he has a team of researchers digging out this basic information.
His talent is making something very complex look very simple.
We went to see this show live at the theatre a few days before the one shown on TV was filmed. I watched the show last night with the Mrs and there was a lot of similarities with the show we watched.
For example he pulled out a card from the bowl when answering questions from the audience and there was one that said 'cock' in our show too. When he was reading his 'notes' at the end of the show the 'Bracelet' also reffered to someone he had sent back to the audience when we watched it...etc etc.
For example he pulled out a card from the bowl when answering questions from the audience and there was one that said 'cock' in our show too. When he was reading his 'notes' at the end of the show the 'Bracelet' also reffered to someone he had sent back to the audience when we watched it...etc etc.
I saw one of his shows when he was trying to guess pictures that people had drawn.
I picked up on one of the pictures, when he was telling the person to draw something, his speech contained keywords like 'wave' and 'sail' (although not directly in context, something like "Let your thoughts come over you like a wave, let your mind sail into the distance to think of an object to draw").
Sure enough, the person drew a crude picture of a yacht, which Derren 'guessed' correctly.
I picked up on one of the pictures, when he was telling the person to draw something, his speech contained keywords like 'wave' and 'sail' (although not directly in context, something like "Let your thoughts come over you like a wave, let your mind sail into the distance to think of an object to draw").
Sure enough, the person drew a crude picture of a yacht, which Derren 'guessed' correctly.
I think the table moving was done by magnets. The tables were specially made with metal cores and a magnet used under the stage to move them / levitate them. I have some magnetic magic 'tricks' at home including a magnetised wedding ring that can pick up / move cutlery asnd stop watches...
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