Keith Barry

Humanists Harbor · 12th May 2006, 06:00 PM

Anybody else watching this magic special? Never really seen this sort of thing before - I'm a bit . . . perplexed.

Dinsdale Piranha · 12th May 2006, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Humanists Harbor

Anybody else watching this magic special? Never really seen this sort of thing before - I'm a bit . . . perplexed.

I missed it, what happened?

Do you know if it will repeat?

Humanists Harbor · 13th May 2006, 04:33 AM

Originally Posted by Dinsdale Piranha

I missed it, what happened?

Do you know if it will repeat?

One trick involved a Rubik's Cube. Barry gave one to Wilder Valderrama and kept one for himself. Valderrma hid the cube under the table and randomly twisted it around, while Barry put his cube behind his back and (apparently) did the same. They both put their cubes on the table at the same time and each one had the exact same configuration.

For another trick, Barry took a copy of a book (The Da Vinci Code) and had a quick chat with the hosts from Entertainment Tonight. He said something to the effect of "This book has about four hundred pages, do me a favor and pick one at random." So the male ET host picks a page (let's say it was page 257). Barry turns to that page and read the first line or so - had something to do with the Priory of Scion - and tears out the page, which he puts into an envelope that the female ET host signs and puts in her back pocket.

Barry then does some very quick hocus pocus where he sort of riffles the pages at them and makes them "forget" everything that just happened. They have no memory of selecting page 257 or discussing what it said and are shocked to find it in her pocket.

I've never seen Derren Brown but from what I've read I guess this is the same type of thing that he does.

Anybody know more about this kind of magic?

Azrael 5 · 13th May 2006, 12:18 PM

Keith Barry basically steals Derren Brown's entire act and performs it poorly.

Dinsdale Piranha · 13th May 2006, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Humanists Harbor

One trick involved a Rubik's Cube. Barry gave one to Wilder Valderrama and kept one for himself. Valderrma hid the cube under the table and randomly twisted it around, while Barry put his cube behind his back and (apparently) did the same. They both put their cubes on the table at the same time and each one had the exact same configuration.

For another trick, Barry took a copy of a book (The Da Vinci Code) and had a quick chat with the hosts from Entertainment Tonight. He said something to the effect of "This book has about four hundred pages, do me a favor and pick one at random." So the male ET host picks a page (let's say it was page 257). Barry turns to that page and read the first line or so - had something to do with the Priory of Scion - and tears out the page, which he puts into an envelope that the female ET host signs and puts in her back pocket.

Barry then does some very quick hocus pocus where he sort of riffles the pages at them and makes them "forget" everything that just happened. They have no memory of selecting page 257 or discussing what it said and are shocked to find it in her pocket.

I've never seen Derren Brown but from what I've read I guess this is the same type of thing that he does.

Anybody know more about this kind of magic?

This isn't really the kind of magic that I do. Since I didn't see the show I can't comment any further.

Thanks for the info., HH.

DeVega · 15th May 2006, 05:26 AM

It sounds to me like Azrael is right - I have seen Derren Brown perform all of those tricks here in the UK.

Does this mean Derren's tricks are commonly for sale - or is this guy infringing his copyright? As an author I'm very well aware of copyright infringement etc but I have no idea how magicians go about protecting their tricks if they devise them themselves...

alfaniner · 15th May 2006, 06:01 AM

BTW, it wasn't Wilmer Valderrama in the Rubik's Cube stunt -- it was the guy from Numbers. WV was in one of the mind-reading tricks.

I found it curious that, unlike a lot of magic specials I've seen, there was no disclaimer that "no camera tricks or editing were used in the show." I saw a definite edit during the hangman stunt, and a few other suspicious ones as well. It kind of ruined my suspension of disbelief.

Bob Klase · 15th May 2006, 07:33 AM

Originally Posted by alfaniner

I found it curious that, unlike a lot of magic specials I've seen, there was no disclaimer that "no camera tricks or editing were used in the show."

You just missed it. In the first 30 seconds of the showBarry says "I'll tell you right now, not one camera trick, not setup and not one stooge was used".

Originally Posted by alfaniner

I saw a definite edit during the hangman stunt, and a few other suspicious ones as well. It kind of ruined my suspension of disbelief.

An "edit" is not a camera trick. Pretty much everything you see on TV is edited.

NeilC · 15th May 2006, 08:19 AM

Working out tricks from descriptions is hard because often, by definition the describer missed the important bits.

I wonder if, using a cube with special setup of coloured labels and mabye a spot of glue to limit which parts can be turned whether you can limit the number of outcomes dramatically?

alfaniner · 15th May 2006, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Bob Klase

You just missed it. In the first 30 seconds of the showBarry says "I'll tell you right now, not one camera trick, not setup and not one stooge was used".

OK, I just realized that I probably missed that in the short time I was putting the tape in to record it.

Originally Posted by Bob Klase

An "edit" is not a camera trick. Pretty much everything you see on TV is edited.

Still, I tend to get much more involved more those performances where the camera does not cut away at all. Thank David Blaine for ruining that for me...

Bob Klase · 15th May 2006, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by alfaniner

Still, I tend to get much more involved more those performances where the camera does not cut away at all.

That's probably true for most people. Which is why in the past it was much more common (ie- David Copperfield, Lance Burton, etc) to use a continuous camera shot for most tricks.

Originally Posted by alfaniner

Thank David Blaine for ruining that for me...

Under editing, I would also include things that happened before the camera started filming (or were filmed but we didn't see them on TV). David Blaine uses that type of editing very often.

RestEasy · 17th May 2006, 07:03 PM

My guess on the Rubik's Cube effect; a hidden assistant and a great acting job.

12th May 2006, 06:00 PM	#1
Humanists Harbor Thinker Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 171	Keith Barry Anybody else watching this magic special? Never really seen this sort of thing before - I'm a bit . . . perplexed.
Humanists Harbor Thinker Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 171

12th May 2006, 06:19 PM	#2
Dinsdale Piranha A cruel man, but fair. Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In the conversation pit. Posts: 842	Originally Posted by Humanists Harbor Anybody else watching this magic special? Never really seen this sort of thing before - I'm a bit . . . perplexed. I missed it, what happened? Do you know if it will repeat?
	__________________ "Don't hit me with them negative waves this early in the morning." Oddball from Kelly's Heroes. "I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met." Steven Wright

13th May 2006, 04:33 AM	#3
Humanists Harbor Thinker Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 171	Keith Barry Originally Posted by Dinsdale Piranha I missed it, what happened? Do you know if it will repeat? One trick involved a Rubik's Cube. Barry gave one to Wilder Valderrama and kept one for himself. Valderrma hid the cube under the table and randomly twisted it around, while Barry put his cube behind his back and (apparently) did the same. They both put their cubes on the table at the same time and each one had the exact same configuration. For another trick, Barry took a copy of a book (The Da Vinci Code) and had a quick chat with the hosts from Entertainment Tonight. He said something to the effect of "This book has about four hundred pages, do me a favor and pick one at random." So the male ET host picks a page (let's say it was page 257). Barry turns to that page and read the first line or so - had something to do with the Priory of Scion - and tears out the page, which he puts into an envelope that the female ET host signs and puts in her back pocket. Barry then does some very quick hocus pocus where he sort of riffles the pages at them and makes them "forget" everything that just happened. They have no memory of selecting page 257 or discussing what it said and are shocked to find it in her pocket. I've never seen Derren Brown but from what I've read I guess this is the same type of thing that he does. Anybody know more about this kind of magic?
Humanists Harbor Thinker Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 171

13th May 2006, 12:18 PM	#4
Azrael 5 Philosopher Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Yorkshire,Uk Posts: 5,029	Keith Barry basically steals Derren Brown's entire act and performs it poorly.
	__________________ "I achieve these results through a mixture of magic,misdirection,suggestion and showmanship"-Derren Brown

13th May 2006, 03:39 PM	#5
Dinsdale Piranha A cruel man, but fair. Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: In the conversation pit. Posts: 842	Originally Posted by Humanists Harbor One trick involved a Rubik's Cube. Barry gave one to Wilder Valderrama and kept one for himself. Valderrma hid the cube under the table and randomly twisted it around, while Barry put his cube behind his back and (apparently) did the same. They both put their cubes on the table at the same time and each one had the exact same configuration. For another trick, Barry took a copy of a book (The Da Vinci Code) and had a quick chat with the hosts from Entertainment Tonight. He said something to the effect of "This book has about four hundred pages, do me a favor and pick one at random." So the male ET host picks a page (let's say it was page 257). Barry turns to that page and read the first line or so - had something to do with the Priory of Scion - and tears out the page, which he puts into an envelope that the female ET host signs and puts in her back pocket. Barry then does some very quick hocus pocus where he sort of riffles the pages at them and makes them "forget" everything that just happened. They have no memory of selecting page 257 or discussing what it said and are shocked to find it in her pocket. I've never seen Derren Brown but from what I've read I guess this is the same type of thing that he does. Anybody know more about this kind of magic? This isn't really the kind of magic that I do. Since I didn't see the show I can't comment any further. Thanks for the info., HH.
	__________________ "Don't hit me with them negative waves this early in the morning." Oddball from Kelly's Heroes. "I almost had a psychic girlfriend, but she left me before we met." Steven Wright

15th May 2006, 05:26 AM	#6
DeVega Critical Thinker Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Scotland Posts: 342	It sounds to me like Azrael is right - I have seen Derren Brown perform all of those tricks here in the UK. Does this mean Derren's tricks are commonly for sale - or is this guy infringing his copyright? As an author I'm very well aware of copyright infringement etc but I have no idea how magicians go about protecting their tricks if they devise them themselves...

15th May 2006, 06:01 AM	#7
alfaniner Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sorth Dakonsin Posts: 11,382	BTW, it wasn't Wilmer Valderrama in the Rubik's Cube stunt -- it was the guy from Numbers. WV was in one of the mind-reading tricks. I found it curious that, unlike a lot of magic specials I've seen, there was no disclaimer that "no camera tricks or editing were used in the show." I saw a definite edit during the hangman stunt, and a few other suspicious ones as well. It kind of ruined my suspension of disbelief.
	__________________ Science doesn't lie.

15th May 2006, 07:33 AM	#8
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,833	Originally Posted by alfaniner I found it curious that, unlike a lot of magic specials I've seen, there was no disclaimer that "no camera tricks or editing were used in the show." You just missed it. In the first 30 seconds of the showBarry says "I'll tell you right now, not one camera trick, not setup and not one stooge was used". Originally Posted by alfaniner I saw a definite edit during the hangman stunt, and a few other suspicious ones as well. It kind of ruined my suspension of disbelief. An "edit" is not a camera trick. Pretty much everything you see on TV is edited.

15th May 2006, 08:19 AM	#9
NeilC Graduate Poster Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 1,331	Working out tricks from descriptions is hard because often, by definition the describer missed the important bits. I wonder if, using a cube with special setup of coloured labels and mabye a spot of glue to limit which parts can be turned whether you can limit the number of outcomes dramatically?

15th May 2006, 08:23 AM	#10
alfaniner Penultimate Amazing Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Sorth Dakonsin Posts: 11,382	Originally Posted by Bob Klase You just missed it. In the first 30 seconds of the showBarry says "I'll tell you right now, not one camera trick, not setup and not one stooge was used". OK, I just realized that I probably missed that in the short time I was putting the tape in to record it. Originally Posted by Bob Klase An "edit" is not a camera trick. Pretty much everything you see on TV is edited. Still, I tend to get much more involved more those performances where the camera does not cut away at all. Thank David Blaine for ruining that for me...
	__________________ Science doesn't lie.

15th May 2006, 01:25 PM	#11
Bob Klase Master Poster Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Largo, FL Posts: 2,833	Originally Posted by alfaniner Still, I tend to get much more involved more those performances where the camera does not cut away at all. That's probably true for most people. Which is why in the past it was much more common (ie- David Copperfield, Lance Burton, etc) to use a continuous camera shot for most tricks. Originally Posted by alfaniner Thank David Blaine for ruining that for me... Under editing, I would also include things that happened before the camera started filming (or were filmed but we didn't see them on TV). David Blaine uses that type of editing very often.

17th May 2006, 07:03 PM	#12
RestEasy New Blood Join Date: May 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 2	My guess on the Rubik's Cube effect; a hidden assistant and a great acting job.