Hey guys-- I need your opinion

[shwooddotcom]

Can't say all the details yet, but I've been working for 2 weeks on a pretty kickass mind-control trick that I'm planning to give to you guys for free, in the hopes it goes viral and promotes "scam school."

With any luck, it should go live tomorrow, and I'll teach you guys how it works here in the forums before anyone else. (Later, we'll make a full-fledged Scam School episode about it).

At any rate, when you perform the trick, you'll begin by showing the mark what's supposed to be a "mind control video," allegedly embedded with all manner of subliminal hypnotic commands and "neuro-linguistic triggers." (what comes next is the trick itself, which I'll explain in a day or so...)

I put up a rough draft of the "mind control" video here:

mind control rough draft (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5lj7i_hypnotron-rc1_people)

I'm just looking for feedback as to how creepy/realistic the video plays, and whether you'd be tempted to buy the idea that it's really trying to control your mind, or if there's a couple of shots too distracting of goofy.

[xibalba]

Looks like something an actual cult or something would play for their followers.

This seems like it is going to be very interesting.

[travislopes]

I would definitely buy into that controlling my mind.

Sidenote: Is this (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5isgq_youtube-card-trickmain-setupedit-ma_people) going to be a future episode of Scam School?

[shwooddotcom]

I would definitely buy into that controlling my mind.

Sidenote: Is this (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5isgq_youtube-card-trickmain-setupedit-ma_people) going to be a future episode of Scam School?

um... you probably should pretend you didn't see that. :)

Don't worry. All will be explained in the next couple of days.

Glad you like the mind-control vid, though.

[blooblood]

The video piece is pretty good, maybe need to make each image just a little shorter in duration. The mushroom cloud is good, but might be better a little larger or more developed and very short duration. With the whole mind control thing, I think I would bookend the video with something sweet and non-threatening, like a field of daisies with birds singing in the background. Mind control should leave you uncomfortable, but unsure why - "did I just see...oh, never mind, it's just a cute puppy."

Audio sounds too much like a poem being played at slow speed. Try more whispering, played at high speed - gives the impression of subliminal messages.

Looking forward to the whole package.

[shwooddotcom]

The video piece is pretty good, maybe need to make each image just a little shorter in duration. The mushroom cloud is good, but might be better a little larger or more developed and very short duration. With the whole mind control thing, I think I would bookend the video with something sweet and non-threatening, like a field of daisies with birds singing in the background. Mind control should leave you uncomfortable, but unsure why - "did I just see...oh, never mind, it's just a cute puppy."

Audio sounds too much like a poem being played at slow speed. Try more whispering, played at high speed - gives the impression of subliminal messages.

Looking forward to the whole package.

There's whispering throughout the entire piece (maybe it's too quiet?), and yes, (good ear!) it is a poem being spoken at slow speed. Again, I'll explain this in full when the trick officially launches, but we wanted the "mind-control" trigger to be something that could be either be show (the video) or spoken (so you could do the trick over the phone to a friend).

I love the puppies and daisies idea, though I don't know for sure if I'll have the time to find the footage before we launch. In fact, once we do go live (possibly in a matter of hours), the trick will work in such a way you can make your own mind-control video with whatever you think works best, as long as it has the lines of poetry in it.

***getting excited!***

[nextgenxbox]

Needs quicker cuts. Like those subliminal videos with the cut 1 second flashes of images.

Aside from that it's pretty trippy...

[shwooddotcom]

Needs quicker cuts. Like those subliminal videos with the cut 1 second flashes of images.

Aside from that it's pretty trippy...

all right. that's two votes for more cuts. I'll get right on it.

but the audio sounded okay?

[astx813]

Dude, I'm dying waiting for this. Have a hunch on where you're going with it, but I'll wait patiently... (some of your tweets gave a hint or two)

[nextgenxbox]

I would definitely buy into that controlling my mind.

Sidenote: Is this (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5isgq_youtube-card-trickmain-setupedit-ma_people) going to be a future episode of Scam School?

I think you just ruined it. ;)

[nextgenxbox]

all right. that's two votes for more cuts. I'll get right on it.

but the audio sounded okay?

Audio is fine because it "confuses" people... the video cuts are quick "boom boom boom" and you would expect audio to match tempo but instead it's slow so it works... it's weird/unusual which is perfect for this.

[shwooddotcom]

okay, I put up three versions. maybe we can vote? What's the best creepiness-to-speed ratio?

Normal Speed (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5lj7i_hypnotron-rc1_people)

Faster Speed (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5ll7m_hypnotron-rc1-faster_people)

Fastest Speed (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5ll8e_hypnotron-rc1-fastest_people)

thoughts?

PS - things are looking good as far as the project launching tomorrow-ish. If we get this done tonight I'll clue you all in as to how this thing'll work. You'll be the very first to steal fire from the gods.

[travislopes]

okay, I put up three versions. maybe we can vote? What's the best creepiness-to-speed ratio?

Normal Speed (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5lj7i_hypnotron-rc1_people)

Faster Speed (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5ll7m_hypnotron-rc1-faster_people)

Fastest Speed (http://www.dailymotion.com/shwooddotcom/video/x5ll8e_hypnotron-rc1-fastest_people)

thoughts?

PS - things are looking good as far as the project launching tomorrow-ish. If we get this done tonight I'll clue you all in as to how this thing'll work. You'll be the very first to steal fire from the gods.
I would vote for the fastest speed version. It seems more believable because the images go by so fast that you can't register what they are.

[xibalba]

Yea the fastest was best to me

[ezxen]

yeah fastest seems good

[delrio]

I would have to agree with fastest.

[godmode]

Keep the audio in at the end of the fastest one (that rapid popping sound)

[Shinigami052]

I like the fastest one too.

[shwooddotcom]

Wow! The fastest one just doesn't seem creepy enough for me. But then again... I bet I grew up with slower paced movies than a lot of you. (feeling old now!)

That's 4 votes for fastest...

[travislopes]

Wow! The fastest one just doesn't seem creepy enough for me. But then again... I bet I grew up with slower paced movies than a lot of you. (feeling old now!)

That's 4 votes for fastest...
Unless you're aiming for a certain length, I think it could use a little bit of a speed increase. It is pretty fast now, but making it a bit faster would make it a bit more believable.

[shwooddotcom]

Unless you're aiming for a certain length, I think it could use a little bit of a speed increase. It is pretty fast now, but making it a bit faster would make it a bit more believable.

you mean faster than the "fastest" setting?

[xibalba]

The fast one is ok too probably be best in between it and the fastest.


Totally off topic but here is a creepy video/speech. :D
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fws4RxWtnOg

[nextgenxbox]

Maybe try adding some more weird/ambient noises... some piercing sounds and static type sounds.

[aaronsaund]

they're all fine with me

[travislopes]

you mean faster than the "fastest" setting?
Yeah. Kick it up another notch.

[MrPopular]

I'm going to give the other side of the spectrum

I like the quick cuts But i would just choose Fast. i would think (depending on the Scam) that people wouldn't believe they are truly getting a mind control in 15 seconds. I think the longer the video The more people will think that the illusion or trick will really be working.. But your the Scam Pro!!

[shwooddotcom]

I'm going to give the other side of the spectrum

I like the quick cuts But i would just choose Fast. i would think (depending on the Scam) that people wouldn't believe they are truly getting a mind control in 15 seconds. I think the longer the video The more people will think that the illusion or trick will really be working.. But your the Scam Pro!!

I'll probably release both versions, with different titles to them. You guys will be the ones doing the trick, so you can pick which version fits your victim. Even better, you'll all be able to make your own hypnotron videos to replace mine.

[atomspace]

If this is still open for discussion, recommendations, I also like the fastest version.

Now, if I understand this correctly, you are trying to make people THINK that this is some sort of mind control/subliminal sugg. video, so, I feel like you should put things in the video that make people think that things are being suggested to them that they do not understand.

The first time I watched it, I thought that the audio (voice) was saying something in reverse, which immediately sparked the old idea that some album being played in reverse "will make you kill your parents" (just some old urban legend that I heard in high school; maybe someone can clarify what that was all about?). The second time I watched the video, I realized that it was playing the correct direction, just slowed/pitched down, which just seemed mostly "weird" to me. I would recommend putting some reversed speech in there, because, again, immediately when I *thought I heard backwards speech, I thought "what is being said to me that I cannot consciously understand?".

One more suggestion, how about some fast (literally 1,2, or 3 frame) screens with text only, flashed so quickly that you cannot read it (except maybe 1 or 2 seconds later you realize that you saw text, but have no clue what it said).

Both of these techniques have been used/tested in previous decades in attempts at mind control and subliminal suggestion.

....just my 3 cents, yes, thats right, I have THREE cents

[nextgenxbox]

....just my 3 cents, yes, thats right, I have THREE cents

LIAR!!!!

[Fade2gray]

The Flashing text idea sounds perfect! That is exactly the kind of thing I think of when I think of subliminal video messages. Perhaps even text flashing over the footage playing in the background.

[travislopes]

The Flashing text idea sounds perfect! That is exactly the kind of thing I think of when I think of subliminal video messages. Perhaps even text flashing over the footage playing in the background.
If there is going to be flashing text, my suggestion is for it to say "Watch Scam School!"

[Razor1138]

I think the speed and cuts of the Fastest one looked good...but the speed helped was some what clearer. Not sure if on 1st views you want people to know exactly what was said or not. If not, I would say do the fastest cuts with the faster sound...that way fast cuts and kinda slow talking.

[astx813]

That's 4 votes for fastest...
And one vote for the "faster" speed. Still fast enough to be hard to register some (but not every) image you're taking in. Plus in the original, the voice was slowed so much it was almost goofy.