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Merged Derren Brown - predicting lottery numbers

Interesting video telling you what all the events are - the others seem even more interesting to me, oh and a nice little throwaway line occurs at about 0:53.

 
Christian Klippel said:
They could have frozen it right where the scene starts or somewhen later, until to the point where the leftmost ball is suddenly raised. All that is needed is to freeze it for as long as is needed to swap/label the balls.

There was no motion to match at any time, since the camera simply didn't move at all. The composited image was "shaken" around by hand.

How they did that live? Do you really asking this seriously? Take a trip to any TV studio you want, and ask to see the video mixing desk. That should answer your question. How do they cut scenes live? How do they superimpose text over imagery live? The same way this trick is done: using a simple video mixing desk.
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Uh yes I know - I have used an Avid mixing desk myself.

I'm not saying it isn't the method, it probably is.
It's just not quite as easy as everyone is saying to do it live and so seamlessly.

And I also find it strange that if the image is artificially shaking, why does it seem to 'lock' for a second or two? That wouldn't need to happen.

Unless it is yet a further level of misdirection which I would't put past Derren.
 
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Ashles said:
Uh yes I know - I have used an Avid mixing desk myself.

I'm not saying it isn't the method, it probably is.
It's just not quite as easy as everyone is saying to do it live and so seamlessly.

And I also find it strange that if the image is artificially shaking, why does it seem to 'lock' for a second or two? That wouldn't need to happen.

Unless it is yet a further level of misdirection which I would't put past Derren.
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Well, i tend to think it is damn easy to do. Freezing the image is simply a push of a button. Doing the wipe is again a push of a button, if pre-programmed, or turning up a slider or stick halfway.

The shaking definitely looks artificial. Not only from the perspective/parallax side of things, but the movement itself. The way the shakes accelerate and decelerate just don't match what i have seen from free-hand cameras so far. If we assume that someone is fiddling with the joystick, a short locking can happen. If we assume it is done using a random number generator, it can happen too. But it could also be pre-programmed and then recalled, in which case the locking was put in there intentionally.

Imagery from a free-hand camera isn't shaky 100% too, there are indeed moments where the camera seems to be still.

Just because the whole thing was performed live does not mean they they didn't practice it beforehand. If they did practice it (which i'm damn sure they did), the whole thing could be automated (just programming the desk and then recalling the program), all that is needed is someone to push a button at the start, and again at the end maybe.

Sure, it might not be super-easy in overall, but i think that it is the easiest way to perform the trick. Stuff like hidden printers, laser beams, whatever, are far more complicated. And the more complicated something gets, the more points of possible failure there are. Going with the simplest of all things just makes sense.

But then, everyone is entitled to his/her own view of things.

Greetings,

Chris
 
Yep, good stuff coming up. I'm most interested in the Casino episode, god damn, I'm actually really looking forward to these :)
 
I am wondering if the lottery show was a prelude to a trick he is going to do tonight. Something such as predicting numbers written down by volunteers or audience members who watched the Wednesday show, and revealing that he planted the numbers in the broadcast.

A few things stood out, during the broadcast, first was when he said he was going to get at least 5 numbers (knowing that he was going to get 6), and the second when slipped on the jackpot amount saying 2000 (instead of 2 million).

Also he did mention "two" a number of times eg 2 camera men, "..a couple of minutes of the bbc..", "...we are going to come this in minute too" and that was in the first couple of minutes of the show starting.
 
odeed said:
I am wondering if the lottery show was a prelude to a trick he is going to do tonight. Something such as predicting numbers written down by volunteers or audience members who watched the Wednesday show, and revealing that he planted the numbers in the broadcast.

A few things stood out, during the broadcast, first was when he said he was going to get at least 5 numbers (knowing that he was going to get 6), and the second when slipped on the jackpot amount saying 2000 (instead of 2 million).

Also he did mention "two" a number of times eg 2 camera men, "..a couple of minutes of the bbc..", "...we are going to come this in minute too" and that was in the first couple of minutes of the show starting.
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Well spotted. His schtick is the psychology slant on his tricks, so it will be interesting if he points out what you noticed.

As of knowing how the trick was done, I saw Penn & Teller live for the first time in Vegas last week (also a first) and found that even when they explain the tricks I was still immensely impressed with their performances. The cup and ball trick was still impressive only because of their deft sleight of hand. Teller's fish bowl trick is a stunner. My wife had never *heard* of them and is still talking about Teller's skills - oh and she never saw the twist in the "Sawing a woman in halves" comingm, either.
 
If this is simply a split screen trick I find it suspiciously poorly executed. It is possible to make more real looking artificial camera shake than that. And as already pointed out, this is not a trick most viewers can try themselves.

(If they really wanted it to look real, they could track a hand held camera in real time and apply those movement to a second camera filming an identical room or a 3D representation of the left side image.)

And the rising ball, isn't it sloppy not to make sure that the balls stay perfectly aligned as that would be the number one giveaway...
 
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Ashles said:
The other thing that Derren has said it is a method the viewer can try themselves.
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Though I expect that's nothing but a tease to ensure people tune in, if he does follow through, which method is the one that has been duplicated by every nerd with a camera and twenty minutes of free time?

Certainly not laser etching or, you know, actually predicting the lottery!
 
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Asm said:
If this is simply a split screen trick I find it suspiciously poorly executed. It is possible to make more real looking artificial camera shake than that. And as already pointed out, this is not a trick most viewers can try themselves.

(If they really wanted it to look real, they could track a hand held camera in real time and apply those movement to a second camera filming an identical room or a 3D representation of the left side image.)

And the rising ball, isn't it sloppy not to make sure that the balls stay perfectly aligned as that would be the number one giveaway...
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As I said - lots of deliberate red herrings. To get us all arguing about it.
 
Asm said:
And the rising ball, isn't it sloppy not to make sure that the balls stay perfectly aligned as that would be the number one giveaway...
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Yes, this continues to trouble me. Why make a rack where the balls only just, and then in fact don't, fit in properly?! If somebody is replacing the balls hastily the last thing they need is a tight fit!
 
Since he does state he doesn't use magic powers, whatever technique he used "may" be duplicated by anyone. ;)

You just have to spend a quite a few years learning to be a magician, get a few good breaks and become the UK's premier TV magician, create several very successful series for a TV network, and then it's no problem.... :D
 
Kuko 4000 said:
Before going further, am I correct that you consider magic tricks that require virtually no skill from the performer to be a pointless waste of time?
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Yes, pretty much. Such tricks can certainly be interesting from an engineering or mathematical perspective, but they're not what I want from a professional performer. I like listening to pre-recorded, edited music at home, but at a concert I expect real musicians playing real instruments rather than just watching someone pretending to be a musician press the "play" button.
 
Cuddles said:
Yes, pretty much. Such tricks can certainly be interesting from an engineering or mathematical perspective, but they're not what I want from a professional performer. I like listening to pre-recorded, edited music at home, but at a concert I expect real musicians playing real instruments rather than just watching someone pretending to be a musician press the "play" button.
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Ok, now that we're on the same page, consider this effect:

I am in a closed room full of new age believers, all of them buy into "mind over matter", remote viewing, etc.

I take out a pack of cards, show them that all the cards are different, spread it on the table face down, ask one of them to pick one, look at it, show it secrectly to the others, and then put it in his pocket, while all the time being very careful not to show the card to me.

After that, I tell them that I have a friend who is very "sensitive" and in contact with the "spiritual world". I ask all of them to center their collective minds and try and channel the card to my friend who is in another town right now. I then call my friend, and when she answers I will give the phone to the person who picked the card, and when asked, my friend on the phone correctly states the card that is in his pocket.

I could teach this trick to any normal person in a few words, and they could replicate it without learning any new skills. I consider the trick very impressive and, maybe more importantly, a great piece to show people how easily they can be fooled. Imo, one of the most important things that many new age believers could ever learn. Even without the educational aspect, just doing this trick to my friends and family is excellent fun, far from a pointless waste of time in my books.
 
Hope everyone has remembered to tune into C4 now!!

Has anyone said why doesn't the TV have a refresh line going down it?
 
I suppose there's no way to watch this on the web if you're outside of the UK, is there?
 
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