He has a great personality and a ton of talent, I think his character 'Captain Disillusion' just lacks immediate appeal. I never liked the silver paint. Unfortunately it's too late for him to change the character. I hope he keeps making videos and climbs into the millions but if he doesn't get the subscriptions he should still keep making the videos and maybe Hollywood or the TV networks will give him a start in the big time.
That intro sequence was genius. Worried you might get anxious talking on stage? Make an excuse to "act" anxious, problem solved! Very nicely done, the Captain would be proud I'm sure.
That might be the case, but I've seen him on stage before and he seems very comfortable with it. I wonder if he was making an excuse to not wear the makeup?
you call that "in character"? This is like off the street in the late 80s/early 90s acting. Reminds me of the terrible acting in themepark videos of that time period.
44:05 ;) The irony. He talks about the comments pointing out his small mistakes and here I am pointing out a small mistake that he did at exactly that moment in his presentation.
You are, as always, criminally underrated and a fantastic showman. Somebody needs to boost you into the millions, Cap - you deserve it like nobody else.
Alan has been mentioned in at least one video. I think one of his newer ones. Or maybe it wasn't a newer video but rather one that I just watched recently.
Alan's dedication and love for his work is so inspiring. I'm discovering him at 46, and I'm as blown away as a 12-year-old me would have been. This is amazing stuff. Of *COURSE* he's going to freeze-frame during a live presentation.
I dont get it. Im on the internet since 2002 and Im on youtube since 2006 and I MISSED CPT DISILLUSION? Im discovering him in 2017? Im into VFX since I was 10 and I never came across him? How is this possible? How many other great genius-like creatos am I missing?
I just discovered him today and I'm so thankful that I did because this kind of content in RU-vid and all of the social media are kinda missing, the effort, quality and time to make a single video.
Same here and i'm even more blown away how good his in vfx. Most of the B class movies and indie movies barely if even can produce quality of vfx his doing for shits and giggles O.o Sometimes his quality is even better than in big buck feature movies...
Politeness and common interest in the audience ensures that he has 90% chance it will just go fine. And if not, he is thorough enough to prepare an escape plan that ends differently. He doesn't seem to be a confident person (like many smart people actually) and the last part of his show explicitly deals with that issue. So the escape plan is practically a given.
Hey Alan, I have to say that it's one thing getting in front of a camera and performing but to be able to do that in front of a live audience is on a totally different level (especially as being a VFX artist you're usually just sat in a darkened room) And you totally smashed it. Well done it must have taken a lot of time an effort to get everything to work together so well and the fact you kept the same feel and look as your videos in the presentation really took it up a notch. And totally agree with the point on, is it worth doing. It's so easy to take the negative comments to heart but when you know you're making the difference in someones life, even if it's just one person, then it's worth it. Keep up the great work.
Bubblegummonsters I think that's why he did not come on stage as Captain Disillusion. If he was a little awkward and our out of his depth it would make sense since he's just an intern thrust into an unfamiliar situation. I also think he would like to be more natural rather than trying to portray a character
I love how he is able to use the guise of an intern to mask any mistakes he makes. The audience will just think its part of the act if he makes a blunder or rambles off topic
thekickbot remember that part where the captain spoke with him ‘privately?’ That was all prerecorded and he did all the acting. He spends a lot of time making sure everything is perfect
Alan, I'm an ex university lecturer in a lot of your subject matter, I also have a huge interest in film FX and it's been my whole life to a degree, I'm 50 this year. Never made the big time, never wanted to work that hard, but this stuff has always fascinated me. What you do is great, well presented, clear and concise as well as entertaining and bursting with sarcasm. Keep it up, I'm your newest fan.
1. Don't Stop making videos. 2. I speak for the 99% of viewers who enjoy your videos and say nothing. They're great, you're great and ignore the haters. People like to feel good about themselves even if they only way they can is by mocking others. 3. I don't comment often because I'm in a hurry. I only sub to stuff when I want to see every new video that they publish because I get excited when they publish something new, and I'm sure that's how all your other subs feel as well. Good Job Capt.
I mean how intelligent can one get? He built his character in such a manner that if he has stage fright, stutters, or anything that can ruin one old fashioned presentation, his character absorbs all of that because he supposedly does feel like that. Genius.
Wow this was honestly really inspiring! Your presentation skills are top notch and I've come to respect your video editing on a whole new level. Really enjoyed this talk, I hope you do even more!
nickexile I've thought long and hard about a reply to your comment and I've decided to go with: "That's my name! Don't wear it out!" (It was either that or "Yes...?")
The way ALAN is explaining on stage reminds me of that one smart scientist in action movies who tries to convince the government of some impending doom.
Your humour is not cringey, your content is not a cheap version of real scientific research, and your overall contribution to society is not understated. Keep going, because if you don't, you will make the world a worst place.
What a very well done talk. Your unbelievable talent for PSP even went into your live talks. Pacing in particular with your "interactions" with the captain. The ending was a brilliant idea too.
This talk was f'n awesome. In a world of content constantly fighting for screen time. I sat though your entire 46:56 minute talk, completely amazed! Thank you! -Doc
Dude is fucking so horrible at comedy, he sucks shit. Every single joke is ultimate cringe, and his nervous persona is fucking unbearable. He'd be so much better if he just stuck to the facts instead of trying to be funny which he fails beyond belief. Like seriously one of the unfunniest people to ever live.
How have the TV channels not picked this guy up yet? He's doing cable-quality work, mostly by himself, and creating his own paycheck. He literally pays for himself. He has the whole package: acting, humor, wit, knowledge, showmanship, and more. This is literally free money for any cable network. I know I would love tuning into Captain Disillusion on daytime television! I mean, the Science channel already has "Incredible Acts of Science" or whatever where a panel literally just sits and watches RU-vid videos and provides trivial commentary. Captain D would be way more engaging than that show. This is such a no-brainer.
I think it's better for him to work at his own pace and own time without a boss telling to finish or do an episode, censor craps and basically filter his content.
Same, I thought it would be boring. But hell no. The beginning where the Captain is screaming at Alan and the end where they had that stupid Hallmark moment - just amazing
Judging by the comments, I feel like the part where he gives the super awkward talk between 11:02 and 14:35 was somehow too subtle of a point about the importance of delivery during a presentation for a wide audience who aren't nerdy skeptics. As if putting on the glasses wasn't enough of a visual cue, he switches to a clearly more confident tone and posture straight after, and he also explicitly says he's acting especially awkward to make a point. I think the confusion comes from the decision to act as a nervous intern to begin with (whether as a guise for actual nerves and/or not wanting to be in costume the whole time) which makes the transition seem less stark and just part of the character. Which is a shame because it's an otherwise cool demonstration of his point that takes a good bit of talent to pull off.
Personally, my favorite bit of that whole segment was him putting the glasses on so he could see...then right before he takes them off, he rubs his eye through the lens of the glasses, making it obvious they're just the frames.
Oh, the freezed frame at the end killed me!!!! My god, I don't know if you think you're not as good at visual effects as others but man believe me you're great at entertainment! This conference is brilliant and I'd love for more people to see you and recognize the effort made here! From one skeptic (and also engineering student :P) to another, thank you!!
He underplayed his VFX tallents, look as his videos again and deconstruct what's actually going on. They are simply brilliant, the film makers youtuber...
Some people might think your geekish humour is "cringe" (I hate that that word is so common in comments and playlists and vocabularies...) but I've always loved the sense of earnestness and naive fun that your tone brings to your videos. Especially given the educational/ cartoonish style. I think it's very fitting, and a key part of the most consistently fun, fresh & interesting video series on youtube. Rahspect.
I believe it's a part of his act however I also believe it's based on real life anxiety of performance and the fact he is very introverted. So, an act to an extent, bit to mimic real life allowing him to cope and do this the way he does. Most likely he didnt realize it would grow like it has! I found him here just a year ago and really dig Allan so much o now tell EVERYONE about him!!!
Just randomly found this channel, at first i was like errrrrr what the F* ? And then i watched another video, and another one, and another one, and i'm now addicted.
I'm really glad I finally had the time to sit down and watch this! Absolutely incredible. I've been watching Captain Disillusion for almost 9 years! You were the first real skeptic channel I found, and you remain the most entertaining. One of the reasons I became a journalist was to help dispel ignorance. Sure, local news is by and large car crashes and fluff features, but there is still something satisfying about telling the truth, no matter how mundane the topic may be.
***** I know he's the Captain but I'll admit that I thought for a bit that he was actually nervous. I would say that I don't think he was trying to make us think he was really nervous though.
Your comedic timing, your editing skills, your end goals, everything about this channel is everything I would require of myself. Keep being the great person you are.
Foot was going to watch for 2 minutes and stayed for all it's entirety. Fantastic. Came in late to this CD team. Hope there are many more years left. I guess Foot is off to the patreon site next.
That was entirely engrossing and entertaining. You are without a doubt one of the most talented people on this whole website and it's a shame more people haven't realised it yet. I'd like to see you do an episode on the "Barenstain Bears parallel universe" theory. It's the theory that the original spelling of popular brands has somehow changed, proving that we now live in an alternate timeline. It's absolutely bizarre.
I like the snopes article about it, because the same as all conspiracy theories, they serve nothing but mind-masturbation since you just can't advance in explaining anything since we don't even have technology to prove existence of inter-dimensions. So it's a fun idea, but a useless one if you truly care about an explanation. Here's a site that has common explanations (and more occam's razor's ones if you will) for the effect.
That's not really in the Captain's field of expertise. He debunks internet videos and things that involve digital editing and visual illusions, not conspiracy theories.
I was kinda thrown off by the fluctuating degrees of awkwardness throughout the presentation but when it got more awkward I honestly forgot it was an act and genuinely felt bad for you, so I guess that says something about your acting abilities
every presentation is either awkward or boring at some point unless it has really good jokes and this was not a 10 minute fucking ted talk but a 50 minute presentation, and I want to see you give a 50 minute entertaining presentation all by yourself that is not boring or awkward at some point and manages to crack the audience like 20 times throughout the whole thing.
I'm pretty sure he was referring to the personality of "The Intern" that is awkward and nervous in nature but the central point in the comedy of this video. You guys are basically saying the same thing: Capt. D is amazing and he has excellent acting and showmanship capabilities!
This gentleman is a genius. Even if he HADN'T made all his great videos, just this one presentation is impressive enough. Uniquely funny, entertaining, and educational. What the hell more do you want?
It’s one I already knew, but it’s so ridiculous that anyone would even try that, never mind that it actually works, it’s hard to believe that it isn’t fake.
It must have been a windless day. When it first lifted up I thought it was plausible, but when it kept going perfectly straight and the smoke stayed in the spiral, I changed to thinking it was faked.
I felt very stupid. It looked real when it was down at ground level, so I imagined it must have gone up a certain way and stopped and that the edit had made it look like it went all the way. The motion looked really unnatural once it got beyond a certain height.
ohmigosh I just came up with the best idea ever. I am going to be Captain Dissilusion for Halloween next year. also BTW Captain, you're like the coolest ever and I love you even more after sitting through all 46 minutes of this.
when i reached the end of the video, i was skeptical of if there really was an audience... then i went to the first minute of the video and saw the people :p
My god this man can do anything and everything.... Write, Shoot, act, edit, VFX, draw, animate, edit sound, music composition... A one man filmmaking army! No wonder the captain has him on as his unpaid intern!
New subscriber here! I’ve been binge watching your videos and I know I’m commenting on an old video, but I have to say that for me your work is worth a lot! I really enjoy them because they’re both entertaining and educational, and done with a wink in the eye. Please keep making them, they’re are most needed in these times of hoaxes and fake news. Thank you!
Why on Earth this channel doesn't have millions and millions of subscribers is honestly beyond me. The production value is fantastic and the videos are so engaging and entertaining. It's just so interesting and well done.
Was this a 46 minute presentation? Seriously? I didn't even feel the time passing. This is the perfect example on how to do interesting presentations and have the audience engaged. Thank you Captain Disillusion for all your content and for this marvellous presentation, it's so inspiring!
God that ending was incredible. You start saying the humor is cringy and then end with a freeze-frame straight out of a 90s sitcom, which both illustrates your point and shows why that can actually be a good thing. Cringe humor is still a completely valid form of humor. I laughed so hard my brother demanded to know what's so funny.
I'm sitting here scratching my head wondering why these have to be called original comments sarcastically. I mean the very premise of meme theory is that ideas spread and proliferate.
Captain! This talk was AWESOME! It even brought at tear to my eye when you read out the comment by Ryan. I've been watching since like 30k subscribers and am so pleased that after 8 years you are finally starting to make traction. Please don't ever stop. The only annoying thing about this video is that you were in my home town, at a a place I've seen many conferences and didn't know! Bad Captain! Never stop doing what you do, you are a breath of fresh air and keep RU-vid honest. The only way is up! Love you CD!
44:20 Are you wasting your time? Dear Captain, I am a moderator of reddit's Explain Like I'm Five group. I also frequently post and share information on science and critical thinking to demonstrate to curious minds how to arrive at truth. When they ask me "Where can I go to learn more?" I tell them. Carl Sagan, The Amazing Randi, Penn and Teller, and Captain Disillusion. Your name in the same sentence as the others; that's why you are not wasting your time. The fact that you are entertaining is almost a bonus. Cheers
Just discovered this channel yesterday, not even sure how it's alluded me for so long, but this content is great. I've binged watched hours already. An excellent presenter, hugely creative and obviously very talented. Please do keep it up!
I just discovered you and I have to say that you have instantly become one of my favorite RU-vidr-, no one of my favorite content creators on any platform because of how amazing your content is, the sheer production value + inspiration and skill is just beyond compare. Thank you Captain Disillusion, you're easily one of the greats
Hi Captain D! If you're reading this, please know that I really do enjoy watching your videos. I'm a 35 yr old woman, mom of 2 young boys, living in Wisconsin, who grew up with a healthy crush on Beakman (I loved your show with him!), Bill Nye the Science Guy and Mr. Wizard. I think your videos are amazing, and totally on par with the greats I mentioned above. I have never been a "tech savvy" person; the fact that you make your own videos, including editing, sound and they look so professional, blew my mind. So, I'm taking your advice from this video. My sons, 8 & 7, both really want to make YT videos. We watched this video together, and now they are writing scripts! As a family, we're going to explore the adventures of making a video and all that it entails. Thank you for all of your hard work! Please keep up the great job!
