Derren Brown: Archive
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From: dale_kingstons_world_of_art
Date: Thu May 8, 2003 10:29pm
Subject: Re: You're all very attractive...
--- In a previous message, nxnzerx
wrote:
> I heard that Derren works out the name of a persons friend by
asking
> them off camera. When they film it he gives them ten pounds to act
> surprised.
>
> If you think about it, that would explain it.
Not quite.
That particular trick is one that looks far more impressive to
people watching than the participant.
Talking of acting surprised, it is interesting to notice how DB's
subjects react a lot differently on television than they do in the
live show. Remember Richard Madeley really going overboard the first
time Derren appeared on their early evening show? He was really
excitable and seemed ready to crown the bearded one the king of all
mentalists. The thing is, when they have a really lame guest on he
also acts in a similarly over-enthusiastic way. The same applies to
a lot of chat show hosts and radio presenters. They hype the guests
up and act as if whoever they are interviewing is the saviour of
their particular field. The viewer or listener senses this
enthusiasm and is subconsciously a lot happier to go along with it.
If the show's presenters seemed disinterested in their guests then
the audience will pick up on this. A good salesman is always ultra
enthusiastic about their product.
The point of this? Derren's subjects on TV chat shows are always
going to react more than most people. The people used on the TV
series can be selected and those who exhibit little or mediocre
reactions are going to end up on the cutting room floor. In the live
show, the responses of the audience helpers are an unknown quantity
so their reactions are a true measure of how much impact DB's tricks
have. Madeley (and Jonathan Ross and Chris Moyles and everyone else)
knew that there was more to Derren's tricks than was apparent to the
audience but they react well and everyone's happy. Cheaper and far
more reliable than a £10 bribe.
