The Lotto "miracle" performed by telly illusionist Derren Brown left millions mystified — but today a British newspaper revealed how he might have done it.
The Sun reckoned the slick magician used a "split screen" technique to make it look like he had correctly predicted the six winning numbers in the midweek National Lottery draw.
Their conclusion came after we called in experts who analysed footage of Derren's Wednesday night show — broadcast on Channel 4 at the same time as the draw was made on BBC1.
They believe the C4 screen was split in two — with the left side being a still image of the studio, containing a stand bearing Derren's "lottery balls," and the right side a live feed of the illusionist with a TV showing the Lotto draw.
One expert said, "This meant a member of the crew could write the numbers on the C4 studio balls as they were read out live on the BBC broadcast, without being seen by the C4 audience." Had Derren walked from one side of the set to the other, he would have "disappeared" behind the still image.
The expert said: "Once the draw was over, and the crew had written the numbers on the balls, the still image could be removed and Derren could cross the studio and show the balls to the audience."
Evidence includes a few seconds of the C4 show in which one half of the screen is static while a hand-held camera on Derren is slightly shaky.
Derren, 38, claimed he chose "his" numbers before the draw but was banned from revealing them by Lotto chiefs.
He has promised to reveal secrets behind the trick on television tonight. But fellow magician Paul Daniels said Derren would only give "gobbledegook" explanations.
Paul claimed there were 99 ways to perform the illusion, but added, "I'll never give away another professional's secrets."
Derren's show was watched by just over three million viewers — more than half a million more than the number who tuned into the actual draw.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)Bursting with a Lotto pride ... Derren Brown shows identical lines.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)1. Derren stands over 'his' lottery balls in the C4 studio before, our experts reckon, the left side of screen was cloaked by still image.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)2. The illusionist watches the start of BBC1's lottery show. Now the left side of C4 screen is thought to be a still image of the studio.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)3. Tension mounts as the winning numbers are chosen on Beeb. Derren watches in anticipation as the left of screen stays static.
(Click for full-size; opens in new window)4. Now he moves across the set, back to the ball stand on a live shot with the static screen removed. Hey presto, the numbers match.
Derren Brown is the best. Of course it is an illusion, I don't think he would deny that.
Here is a video
YouTube - Derren Brown's Lottery Predictions: BBC/C4 Split-Screen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmxua_V1AcM
I keep saying this over and over..Nobody can predict ping pong balls..nobody!..It's a trick and he is very good at what he does..Chris Angel and David Blaine do tricks and are very good at what they do..No one can predict ping pong balls..Just enjoy the illusion..
obviously...
I realized that his trick would be an illusion but I thought it would be done in front of a live audience but if the trick was done with cameras in a studio with only his crew and assistants then it's not much of an illusion.
I also thought it would be done in front of a live audience. I agree, it wasn't much of an illusion. And I really hope, that most people didn't believe that this "mind reader" really picked the winning numbers.
Drats! This is like finding out that there is no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy! (which I only found out about last week!)
Now I am really depressed....
Until I win the jackpot powerball :)
If he can pick'em, why didn't he play'em
I don't believe that there is no Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. Prove it!!!
This is unbelievably dumb.
Like someon mentioned, if he really could do it, he would buy a ticket.
Watch Derren Brown videos on YouTube and you would see that it is called entertainment.
He's incredible at what he does and he entertains. This has nothing to do with winning the lottery. There is nothing unbelievably dumb about it.
DB said he used 24 volunteers and got them to guess some numbers and divided their guessed numbers by 24 and that how they came up with the answer, he is going to elaborate on it some more next friday
He also said he was unable to buy a ticket because channel 4 wouldn't let him, which I feel is a lot of bull cause any of his staff could have gone out to buy a ticket and channel 4 wouldn't have known if he brought a ticket secretely or not, if he had brought a ticket with the guessed numbers on it then everyone would have been wowwwwww
.....I totally agree.
maybe we all missed the whole point of what he was really trying to do.......maybe his trick wasn't about him showing us that he could pick the winning numbers but maybe it was about him showing us that if he could trick us by doing what he did in the video then the lottery commission could be doing the same thing to draw the numbers
*spooky X-Files music playing in the background*
At the end of the day people there is no way the national lottery in the UK would allow DB to show people how to win, he did try to predict before and offered this suggestion to camelot which they didn't allow him to a while back, so why would they allow him to do this so called exciting prediction now?
Camelot are not going to be that stupid to allow this guy to sink the UK lottery to the ground, as the UK lottery would be no more as there would be so many people that would be winning big time on every single lottery draw, and the lottery wouldn't have enough to share around to the many causes, it donates to
DB to me what he is showing here is that if you believe in your mind that you are going to win and believe in yourself then you will win, its all about beliefs and prayers and nothing to do with maths or trying to suss out the least numbers used in a while