• Welcome to the Speedsolving.com, home of the web's largest puzzle community!
    You are currently viewing our forum as a guest which gives you limited access to join discussions and access our other features.

    Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community of 40,000+ people from around the world today!

    If you are already a member, simply login to hide this message and begin participating in the community!

Derren Brown to Predict Lottery

Toad

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
1,536
Location
UK
WCA
2009SMIT06
YouTube
Visit Channel
Dunno how he does it but just thinking of things I did notice.

Biggest thing is while the balls are announced he doesn't like react but looks like he's talking to someone through a wire in his hand... rather strange reaction tbh.

Anyone else notice this?
 

Toad

Premium Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
1,536
Location
UK
WCA
2009SMIT06
YouTube
Visit Channel
Me and a mate are pretty sure we've worked it out... Here goes:

1. It is obvious that he doesn't know what the numbers are before hand.

2. It is strange that he doesn't write down the numbers as they come up but instead waits for them all to finish and wastes quite a bit of time doing this.

3. The camera shakes around an awful lot and if you watch other channel 4 shows with their sophisticated mobile tripods it's easy to keep it more steady than this. These motions of the camera while he's doing it all are very slight the whole time and could very easily be done digitally.

Therefore... We reckon that it's like a split screen so the left half of the screen is solid (or looping a few seconds) while what actually happens is there is somebody there putting the balls onto the stand while he is voicing what balls to get to somebody else back stage. Then when he goes over the split screen thing is switched off and the camera is then controlled once more by a person zooming it in.

Bit weird why he introduces the fact there is two cameras at the start but only shows the shot from one of them during the trick...?

But yeh... any thoughts?
 

CharlieCooper

Premium Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
1,874
Location
UK - Bristol
WCA
2007COOP01
YouTube
Visit Channel
Me and a mate are pretty sure we've worked it out... Here goes:

1. It is obvious that he doesn't know what the numbers are before hand.

2. It is strange that he doesn't write down the numbers as they come up but instead waits for them all to finish and wastes quite a bit of time doing this.

3. The camera shakes around an awful lot and if you watch other channel 4 shows with their sophisticated mobile tripods it's easy to keep it more steady than this. These motions of the camera while he's doing it all are very slight the whole time and could very easily be done digitally.

Therefore... We reckon that it's like a split screen so the left half of the screen is solid (or looping a few seconds) while what actually happens is there is somebody there putting the balls onto the stand while he is voicing what balls to get to somebody else back stage. Then when he goes over the split screen thing is switched off and the camera is then controlled once more by a person zooming it in.

Bit weird why he introduces the fact there is two cameras at the start but only shows the shot from one of them during the trick...?

But yeh... any thoughts?

Okay...

Well, I like that theory except there are two problems.

1. That is not Derren at all, and almost anybody could do that.

2. If he had been writing the numbers out as they came out, he would need to know the order. Having said this, as the balls were whirring around, he could have written on a long strip of card his prediction very quickly, then just flipped it over.
 

MTGjumper

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
2,212
Location
Bath/Notts
WCA
2008CRAW01
YouTube
Visit Channel
Yeah, but he's done that before where he's explained bits and then left other bits unanswered, raising more questions (a good example is "The System"). I reckon he'll explain some stuff but basically tease us.
 

Kolraz

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
188
Location
Durham, United Kingdom
WCA
2008WHIT01
YouTube
Visit Channel
All of the theories I can possibly think of and have read just simply don't do it for me. He DIDN'T know the numbers beforehand, and thats the fact. Its also a fact that he only announced his prediction AFTER the numbers. However, none of the theories require Derren to do anything at all. Digital Balls/Projection Balls/Lasered Numbers, Split Screens. Anyone can do these things and I simply don't think this can be it. It takes minutes to plan these things, not a year.

Has anyone ever thought that maybe he is going to lie on friday? Perhaps he will feed us a false story about some so called predictions from statistics and such, but in reality he DID use some sort of gimmick? I'm starting to think that maybe what he says on friday will either not be the full picture like MTG said, or completely untruthful. =/
 

Edam

Premium Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Messages
433
WCA
2008WILL03
the most plausible explanation i've heard is that the footage is split screened. and an assistant puts the right balls in behind the 'fake' image. then the images are digitally knitted together again just before derren walks to that side of the room. I think that's how I'd do it.

But still, it doesn't quite seem his style. I'm hoping he gives a different story tonight (even if it's just a lot of smoke and he actually did it with digital camera trickery lol)
 

teller

REAL Fingertricks!
Joined
Dec 15, 2008
Messages
1,035
Location
West Virginia
WCA
2010COAT01
YouTube
Visit Channel
What if he filmed every possible outcome, and then put a greenscreen over the TV so that the live news broadcast appeared inside the previously recorded video, overlaid onto the TV?

There are a ridiculous number of lottery number combinations, but he sorted them, so order is disregarded, shrinking the number combinations down considerably, although my intuition says it's still in the millions...perhaps didn't shoot them all and would have been happy to get 5 of 6 correct...

And as the numbers are being announced, he stands very still...perhaps the video is switched at that moment. You would think it would be very difficult to stand in the exact spot, though, without it being noticeable.

I don't know! GAAAAHHH!!!
 

LarsN

Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
578
Location
Hvalsø, Denmark
WCA
2008NIEL01
Two danish magicians did the same thing to day. They went on a show today and placed 7 numbered balls in a safe. The numbers were not revealed to the audience, but simply placed in the safe. The lottery is to be drawn tomorrow, and on the next show this monday the safe will be opened and the numbers revealed. The safe can be seen on a live webcam until it is opened. supposedly only the lottery people have the key for the safe.
 

cookingfat

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2008
Messages
904
Location
Sheffield - UK
WCA
2009HARP01
YouTube
Visit Channel
Me and a mate are pretty sure we've worked it out... Here goes:

1. It is obvious that he doesn't know what the numbers are before hand.

2. It is strange that he doesn't write down the numbers as they come up but instead waits for them all to finish and wastes quite a bit of time doing this.

3. The camera shakes around an awful lot and if you watch other channel 4 shows with their sophisticated mobile tripods it's easy to keep it more steady than this. These motions of the camera while he's doing it all are very slight the whole time and could very easily be done digitally.

Therefore... We reckon that it's like a split screen so the left half of the screen is solid (or looping a few seconds) while what actually happens is there is somebody there putting the balls onto the stand while he is voicing what balls to get to somebody else back stage. Then when he goes over the split screen thing is switched off and the camera is then controlled once more by a person zooming it in.

Bit weird why he introduces the fact there is two cameras at the start but only shows the shot from one of them during the trick...?

But yeh... any thoughts?

Okay...

Well, I like that theory except there are two problems.

1. That is not Derren at all, and almost anybody could do that.

2. If he had been writing the numbers out as they came out, he would need to know the order. Having said this, as the balls were whirring around, he could have written on a long strip of card his prediction very quickly, then just flipped it over.

the most plausible explanation i've heard is that the footage is split screened. and an assistant puts the right balls in behind the 'fake' image. then the images are digitally knitted together again just before derren walks to that side of the room. I think that's how I'd do it.

But still, it doesn't quite seem his style. I'm hoping he gives a different story tonight (even if it's just a lot of smoke and he actually did it with digital camera trickery lol)

I fully agree, Derren definately does not do camera tricks or anything of the sort. We'll just have to wait a few minutes and we'll all find out
 

MTGjumper

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
2,212
Location
Bath/Notts
WCA
2008CRAW01
YouTube
Visit Channel
He says he averaged the predictions from 24 other people as they wrote without thinking (he gave it a specific name) but I'm guessing he ignored this and did it his own way, which he neglected to tell us. Either that or he fixed the lottery.
 

Kolraz

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
188
Location
Durham, United Kingdom
WCA
2008WHIT01
YouTube
Visit Channel
We still don't have a definate answer. Anyone feel severely dissapointed/annoyed?

Don't have time to fully explain, but he offered two explanations.

1. The "Wisdown of Crowds" theory. Where he got 24 volunteers to predict them based on the last year. He then averaged them out and got an average prediction for each ball.

Definately not possible...

2. He fixed the machine with weighted balls using an insider.

He sort of suggested at the second theory, asking us to make our own minds up.

None of the theorys makes sense, as the second would have him arrested.

We didn't even get an answer and I feel so annoyed right now. I think it's just a cover up for one of the other dumb theories.
 
Top