[Calibans Dream]

Originally Posted by Inspiration

Indeed. I love it when he goes 'dark' and talks about something from history.. like the spirit cabinet. The audience go dead silent and you can just feel the atmosphere.

That is grand theatre and sadly we don't get a lot of that any more.

[Calibans Dream]

Originally Posted by ukool

Does the balloon get stuck in every show? or was tat just a one off?

Just a one off. Lucky it happened when they were taping wasn't it?

[Deserana 12]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

Just a question about the Elvis painting trick.

When the piece of paper with the name of Elvis Presley on it is taken out of the net, what happened to the rest of the names in the net?

Surely it wouldn't be too difficult once the remaining names in the net are taken offstage to deduce which one had been taken out and relay that information to Derren on stage?

Is that probably the most likely way of doing that trick?

The guy puts the paper in his pocket

[Calibans Dream]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

Just a question about the Elvis painting trick.

When the piece of paper with the name of Elvis Presley on it is taken out of the net, what happened to the rest of the names in the net?

Surely it wouldn't be too difficult once the remaining names in the net are taken offstage to deduce which one had been taken out and relay that information to Derren on stage?

Is that probably the most likely way of doing that trick?

They are just asked to write down a famous person so how can you deduce what the missing one is by looking at the others?

They could be anything including stupid ones.

[Alrightmate]

Originally Posted by Calibans Dream

They are just asked to write down a famous person so how can you deduce what the missing one is by looking at the others?

They could be anything including stupid ones.

Okay I missed that bit. I thought it was a bit like the DVDs in one of his recent shows, where there were preset choices to select from.
Obviously you're right if there was no way of him knowing what the options were going to be.

But I think I would be fair in saying that he wouldn't be able to simply paint any famous person would he?
Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, I think everybody would agree that he's more than probably painted these particular celebrities before?

They are quite obviously loaded names, but I simply don't know how he did it if the people in the audience weren't stooges or there was no way of him knowing beforehand who they were going to write down.

[egghead1]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

Just a question about the Elvis painting trick.

When the piece of paper with the name of Elvis Presley on it is taken out of the net, what happened to the rest of the names in the net?

Surely it wouldn't be too difficult once the remaining names in the net are taken offstage to deduce which one had been taken out and relay that information to Derren on stage?

Is that probably the most likely way of doing that trick?

The spectator takes name from bag before he even gets on stage.How would anyone know what had been taken out?

Edit to reply to last post:
I know how trick is done and its not a stooge.

[kdog2010]

Originally Posted by egghead1

The spectator takes name from bag before he even gets on stage.How would anyone know what had been taken out?

Edit to reply to last post:
I know how trick is done and its not a stooge.

the question i would ask is - why does a spectator choose somebody else's piece of paper from the bag? why doesn't derren just ask the audience member to think of their own celebrity and write it down - or better still not write it down and just keep it in their head?

[Calibans Dream]

Originally Posted by kdog2010

the question i would ask is - why does a spectator choose somebody else's piece of paper from the bag? why doesn't derren just ask the audience member to think of their own celebrity and write it down - or better still not write it down and just keep it in their head?

You do understand how a magic trick works don't you?
You are saying why doesn't he do it for real when no one on the planet can.
He has to do something a certain way or it doesn't work.

Why does this need explaining?

[Tt88]

Originally Posted by egghead1

I know how trick is done and its not a stooge.

Go on, im dying to know. I wont tell anyone you told

[kdog2010]

Originally Posted by Calibans Dream

You do understand how a magic trick works don't you?
You are saying why doesn't he do it for real when no one on the planet can.
He has to do something a certain way or it doesn't work.

Why does this need explaining?

um, yeah, just trying to give a hint to how it's done rather than ruining it by explaining the method. soz!

[kdog2010]

Originally Posted by Tt88

Go on, im dying to know. I wont tell anyone you told

there's only one way he can really do it, so think about why the celebrities are apparently written down and why the volunteer does't choose their own celebrity...

[Gawge]

I think that there is a lot more "traditional magic" behind his act than many realise. He uses the hypnotism, suggestion, 'dark stuff' etc... really well, but it is often the guise for a magic trick.

Is it just me, or after the "needle through the hand" trick, when the guy stands up - there are some stage hands clearing things up, I could swear I saw one of them take something like a fake hand with one of the chairs.

[Tt88]

Originally Posted by Gawge

I think that there is a lot more "traditional magic" behind his act than many realise. He uses the hypnotism, suggestion, 'dark stuff' etc... really well, but it is often the guise for a magic trick.

Is it just me, or after the "needle through the hand" trick, when the guy stands up - there are some stage hands clearing things up, I could swear I saw one of them take something like a fake hand with one of the chairs.

Derren bought the doll hand over to the table but the needle def went in the man.

Im still trying to work out the painting and the earlier reference to a trick not working if the man was blindfolded. Maybe magic isnt for me

[Tt88]

Originally Posted by kdog2010

there's only one way he can really do it, so think about why the celebrities are apparently written down and why the volunteer does't choose their own celebrity...

I thought they got loads written down so that it would look more impressive that there could have been say ten possible names out of hundreds of celebrities.

I also thought that the man not choosing his own was to prove it was random and that he could show the camera the name to prove he didnt just name who was in the picture.

I didnt think any of that led to how the trick was possible, just a way of making it seem even more impressive.

[egghead1]

Originally Posted by kdog2010

the question i would ask is - why does a spectator choose somebody else's piece of paper from the bag? why doesn't derren just ask the audience member to think of their own celebrity and write it down - or better still not write it down and just keep it in their head?

For dramatic purposes and because he's not "a fu***ng mind reader".

[Tt88]

Ive just spent ages googling how he does his tricks and found loads of people claiming to know but not telling. I guess ill have to carry on thinking!

[Calibans Dream]

Originally Posted by Tt88

Ive just spent ages googling how he does his tricks and found loads of people claiming to know but not telling. I guess ill have to carry on thinking!

Why not buy or borrow a magic book or DVD and start with the basics?

However, there is no book that will teach you to present it like Derren Brown, but why do we need two Derren Browns?

[performingmonk]

Sadly, there are really boring and mundane answers to how certain things are done during his shows. However, as long as the secrets are never revealed for definite, there's always that element of doubt...and that's all it takes for magic to work!

Like, when the guy from the audience is sitting, facing away from the doll. The simple fact is that he MUST be able to see the doll, unless he's suddenly gained psychic powers... The doll is on the huge screen at the back of the stage. All it would take is a mirror somewhere close to him, or a monitor in the guy's line of sight, just off stage, that's a duplicate of what the big screen is showing. Even though the guy is NOT a stooge, he would never admit that he could see the doll, cause that's 'ruining' the trick. Would you admit it???

[Alrightmate]

Originally Posted by egghead1

The spectator takes name from bag before he even gets on stage.How would anyone know what had been taken out?

Edit to reply to last post:
I know how trick is done and its not a stooge.

I'm confused that you asked.
Whether he got to the stage or not would be irrelevant.
What would matter would be the names left in the net after one had been taken out and what happens to them.

If they are loaded names, then it would be a simple process of elimination.
'We have a Marilyn Monroe, an Orson Welles, a Marlon Brando, ah, but the Elvis Presley is missing. Therefore the man must have taken Elvis Presley out of the net'.

[roddydogs]

Thought the doll bit was a bit naff as their were only two initials D & S that it could be, on the hanky not random, obviously the doll was programmed to point to those 2, OK it dosent detract from the trick just that the doll was irrelevant to this trick.

[globbits]

Originally Posted by roddydogs

Thought the doll bit was a bit naff as their were only two initials D & S that it could be, on the hanky not random, obviously the doll was programmed to point to those 2, OK it dosent detract from the trick just that the doll was irrelevant to this trick.

The doll added to the story and the drama, it provided some reason for the trick. This meant it was "Here is this haunted doll that can take control of people. Isn't it spooky?" instead of "Look, I made this man write something using hypnosis. Aren't I clever?"

[Tt88]

Originally Posted by Alrightmate

I'm confused that you asked.
Whether he got to the stage or not would be irrelevant.
What would matter would be the names left in the net after one had been taken out and what happens to them.

If they are loaded names, then it would be a simple process of elimination.
'We have a Marilyn Monroe, an Orson Welles, a Marlon Brando, ah, but the Elvis Presley is missing. Therefore the man must have taken Elvis Presley out of the net'.

When everyone put the names in the net did it go backstage at all or did he pick straight from it? If he picked from it then surely nobody backstage could know what names were written down.

[Tt88]

Originally Posted by performingmonk

Sadly, there are really boring and mundane answers to how certain things are done during his shows. However, as long as the secrets are never revealed for definite, there's always that element of doubt...and that's all it takes for magic to work!

Like, when the guy from the audience is sitting, facing away from the doll. The simple fact is that he MUST be able to see the doll, unless he's suddenly gained psychic powers... The doll is on the huge screen at the back of the stage. All it would take is a mirror somewhere close to him, or a monitor in the guy's line of sight, just off stage, that's a duplicate of what the big screen is showing. Even though the guy is NOT a stooge, he would never admit that he could see the doll, cause that's 'ruining' the trick. Would you admit it???

Thats risky though considering the people in the front could probably see if he was looking at something. Plus it relies on the man defying the instructions. If someone is willing to open their eyes when derren specifically said keep them shut, ate they always going to go along with the rest of the trick? Plus its a tour so its a different person each time, chances are at least one will keep their eyes shut.

[egghead1]

Originally Posted by performingmonk

Like, when the guy from the audience is sitting, facing away from the doll. The simple fact is that he MUST be able to see the doll, unless he's suddenly gained psychic powers... The doll is on the huge screen at the back of the stage. All it would take is a mirror somewhere close to him, or a monitor in the guy's line of sight, just off stage, that's a duplicate of what the big screen is showing. Even though the guy is NOT a stooge, he would never admit that he could see the doll, cause that's 'ruining' the trick. Would you admit it???

BIB.Not at all.Plus he had his eyes shut IIRC.

[kdog2010]

Originally Posted by egghead1

For dramatic purposes and because he's not "a fu***ng mind reader".

yes - i know. i was saying "if I wanted to work out how he did the trick, I would ask the following questions..."

I would imagine that Derren knows exactly what celebrity is written on the paper before doing the painting.

The "psychic" hand on his arm, upside down painting etc etc is for dramatic purposes.

Therefore, he must have some way of planting the paper OR all the bits of paper have the same name written on them.

How he does that isn't really important. It's a really impressive trick, but the point I was trying to make was:

Q) would the trick work if the celebrity was not written down?
A) no - so think about why not?

Q) why does a random person choose a piece of paper rather than choosing a celebrity themselves?
A) Because then Derren couldn't plant "Elvis" (or whichever celebrity he's doing that night)

also think about why he couldn't let just any old celeb get choosen - imagine if someone wrote 'Louis from One Direction' - even if Derren could mind-read, half the audience wouldn't recognise the painting and the trick would fall flat.