Derren Brown: Apocalypse

So, did anyone watch this last night? I've just watched it now on 4OD and it's all very well and good. However, I think it is fake. I'm interested to see what others who saw the programme think though. At points to me it seemed too obvious that Steven was in fact an actor, just the way he spoke and some of the things he said seemed quite scripted. And they may well have hacked his phone amongst other stuff but surely he would have been speaking to people at work etc about this meteor strike and they would have rubbished it as there would have been nothing in the news for them.

Fake or not it's decent entertainment and that is the main point of the programme. It would just be a shame if it was fake though as it would cast many doubts over other things Derren Brown has done in the past.

I found it entertaining. However, I started to doubt it's integrity when:
1. Deren put that guy to sleep by putting a hand over his face...
2. When I noticed how cinematic some of those camera shots at the end were, especially for a secret camera.

I love Derren Brown, however after watching this on 4OD this afternoon, I thought this looked a little..... fake?

I couldn't help but think of how much of an awesome scare maze that setup would be though! I would love a run through on that!


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dominoes said:

I found it entertaining. However, I started to doubt it's integrity when:
1. Deren put that guy to sleep by putting a hand over his face...

Click to expand...

This can be done, its a snap induction, its used to put someone asleep as quickly as possible, Its when someone does an action to someone else that confuses their brain (Like breaking a handshake or suddenly coming up behind them) and in the short time that the brain is confused it is open to suggestion, a hypnotist would use this moment to tell them to sleep, the "hand on face" thing is to bring someone into their sleep by shutting out all light, with practice it can be done by anyone.

I'm still in two minds about whether it's fake or not. Ultimately though, it's an argument that ends up ruining the programme if you ge too involved in it, so I don't really care.

If I was in his shoes, however, as soon as I was outside I think I would have realised where I was, all of this has been filmed at (formerly) RAF Bentwaters, somewhere that has been used in quite a few different TV productions and has some quite unique buildings. I don't know whether that means I'd have seen through the setup, but I'd have been aware of that. I look forward to next week's though, it's a good watch, although I'm finding that Derren's pieces to camera have a few too many different effects and noises applied.

I'm enjoying it I mean that part where all the zombies started chasing them out of that building would make a great end to like a Swarm counterpart attraction (like the Sub-Terra scaremaze) but more scarily done !

It's kind of like Scare Tactics although on a bigger, more impressive scale.

I did watch it and found it interesting but every Derren Brown programme has made me doubt it at some point.

I loved watching Derren Brown: Apocalypse!

It had all the cinematics and interesting content of a good Derren Brown show.

I don't believe much if any of it was faked in any way to enhance the viewing experience, as Wonka said, the 'hand over face hypnosis' can be done, and I believe Derren has done this before in live shows that have been later televised. I really liked the acting from the made up characters we have seen so far - they have made Steven's experience so far a very immersive post-apocalyptic scenario.

I'm glad Channel 4 are broadcasting more of Derren Brown recently, with Svengali and now this. Keep it up Channel 4! ;D

It was actually the only DB that I really enjoyed recently, but a few (dumb) questions...

1. Was the *fainting* after Steven picked up the phone at the end put on for effect?

2. Why didn't they tie up the other characters stories, it was actually a good drama?

Keep up with the craziness C4, loving the placement of the programming as close to December 21st as possible. Really makes you think about life. The starting and the ending seemed a bit fake but its Derren Brown, you don't question him. The cage reminded me of Sub-Terra if it was just a scaremaze.

Re: Derren Brown: Fear and Faith

The trailer for the next two of Derren Brown's specials, Fear and Faith, sees Derren follow the journeys of the first people on the planet to test a pill that "removes fear".

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1LRcbHUjRU[/youtube]

I have to say, I've gone off Derren's more recent style of shows, I enjoyed this one when watching it, but I couldn't step back and start to think about things in depth, especially after reading lots of things on the internet between watching part 1 and part 2 being broadcast.

With regards to your questions, Stelios, number 2 is an easy one, it doesn't matter. They were only characters to Steven, to us they were actors playing characters, as far as an audience is concerned we're not supposed to consider them real in any way. Their story is irellevant to the overall plot of the programme once Steven isn't involved.

Question 1 is an interesting one, because if the answer is 'yes', it throws everything into question. What else was 'for effect'? This is one of my biggest issues with this special, there are far too many crucial things placed into uncertainty by the way the programme works, and far too many things that feel 'produced' rather than genuine. Next week's show sounds interesting though, sounds a little bit more like classic DB.

Re: Derren Brown: Fear and Faith

I think I could certainly test this pill, then give Poccy at Drayton a go

Alexsutton said:

If I was in his shoes, however, as soon as I was outside I think I would have realised where I was, all of this has been filmed at (formerly) RAF Bentwaters, somewhere that has been used in quite a few different TV productions and has some quite unique buildings. I don't know whether that means I'd have seen through the setup, but I'd have been aware of that. I look forward to next week's though, it's a good watch, although I'm finding that Derren's pieces to camera have a few too many different effects and noises applied.

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Ah yes, Bentwaters. The location for that other great Chanel 4 hoax, Space Cadets what epicly funny TV that was.
It was also the location of the UK's most interesting UFO sighting, the so called "Rendlesham Forest Incident".

Oh, and it was the inspiration for Gruntpuddle Park

I agree, it's a very recognisable base to anyone with an interest in that sort of thing. But he was probably chosen because he did not have any military knowledge. Space Cadets did just that, I'm sure Derren Brown does the same thing.

Space Cadets was fantastic, and a far more interesting hoax than Apocalypse, I thought. It's been used for loads of TV stuff (Driving Wars on Dave, X-Fire on C4, as well as Space Cadets) which so I presume it's a relatively easy location to get hold of for their needs.

"This is the most nuttiest space thing I've ever been on..."

Space Cadets was amazing... 'We can't open the windows on the simulator to show them our vey expensive television screens showing the Earth because we can't get a fly out of the room...' On the subject, so was X-Fire.

As for Derren, well, I thought it was fantastic! Just watched part 2 on 4oD and thought it was a great bit of television. I like to be believe its true, though I agree with points made above about it seeming staged in parts... However, you can't help but believe the man! I did watch the whole thing thinking 'this is just like some uber scare maze isn't it?' though...

Wonka said:

This can be done, its a snap induction, its used to put someone asleep as quickly as possible, Its when someone does an action to someone else that confuses their brain (Like breaking a handshake or suddenly coming up behind them) and in the short time that the brain is confused it is open to suggestion, a hypnotist would use this moment to tell them to sleep, the "hand on face" thing is to bring someone into their sleep by shutting out all light, with practice it can be done by anyone.

Click to expand...

Just catching up on this topic, addressing this on the way through.

Technically that's correct and incorrect. You can indeed perform such an induction, but it is not that easy. Also, you need a highly suggestible subject in correct surroundings. I'd argue however, that (having not watched it yet, as I'm not a fan of DB) the set up and prior research/setting up would result in very favourable conditions.

DB would essentially be able to "frame" (create the tone/settings of the moment) the circumstances, and there will be much suggestion and "anchoring" prior to recording, to pretty much ensure success. Also, without seeing the show yet, if it didn't work, unless it was a Live recording, no one would know anyway.

Magic and Hypnosis/Mentalist based work on TV always makes me wonder, it's just so easy to edit and manipulate.