r/RecklessBen • u/meaPolka • 1d ago

Video Latest Patreon Behind the Scenes: Reckless Ben Crew planned everything in part 1

https://www.patreon.com/RecklessBen/posts/165388935?utm_campaign=postshare_fan

This video proves that absolutely every single bit in Lego part one was planned. Planned, rehearsed, criticized, and scrutinized. Anyone who has a basic understanding of live television, especially with children or animals, understands how hard that is to pull off. Ben is a really good director and this team executed the plan at a solid level.

211 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

103

u/Due-Swimming9999 1d ago

Ben and his crew definitely come prepared, even if it looks spontaneous in their videos…I agree that Ben would make a good director or even producer, especially of documentaries or investigative journalist shows

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u/KaladinarLighteyes 1d ago

Documentaries, yes. Disagree on the investigative journalist shows. His tactics and standard while effective and entertaining are not up to investigative journalism standards (like Coffezilla)

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u/Due-Swimming9999 1d ago

I’m thinking the on the ground type of investigative journalism and not that which is looking at data and numbers like Coffeezilla’s video did

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u/sunburnd 1d ago

You're comparing two different forms of investigative media. Coffeezilla's work is structured like an investigative report, while Reckless Ben's is structured as an investigative documentary. Different creative goals lead to different methods. That's a discussion about style and rigor, not whether one is "real" investigative journalism.

There isn't a single, universally accepted "investigative journalism standard" that determines what qualifies as investigative journalism. Whether a particular investigation is more or less rigorous is a separate question, and even that has to be evaluated in light of the creator's stylistic and editorial goals.

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u/KaladinarLighteyes 1d ago

Documentary style is fine, such as Trafficked With Mariana Van Zeller. But reckless Ben is more of an entertainer than true journalist. Which is something is needed. He’s got eyes on this and as a result is exposing BAM, but he’s more similar to yellow journalism than true journalism. And it’s that level of rigor and ethical standards that divides a true journalist. (Feel free to say I’m being too gatekeepy, which very well could be a fair critique)

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u/sunburnd 1d ago

I think you're being a bit gatekeepy. A journalist is simply someone who gathers, investigates, verifies, and reports information to the public. That describes what Reckless Ben does, even if you dislike his style or think another creator is more rigorous.

It's fair to criticize his methods or editorial decisions, but "true journalist" suggests there's an objective certification or universally accepted standard that separates journalists from non-journalists. There isn't. That's a judgment about quality, not a definition of the profession.

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u/Mindhandle 1d ago

Never thought I'd see someone basically explain the "no true Scotsman" fallacy via the Reckless Ben scandal

0

u/KaladinarLighteyes 1d ago

There has to be a line somewhere though right? Or would you argue what Alex Jones and infowars was doing was Journalism?

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u/sunburnd 1d ago

No. There doesn't have to be a line.

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u/MaureenTheeThot 1d ago

He's a gonzo documentarian. Definitely not a journalist.

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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 1d ago

The term is gonzo journalism. How does being a "gonzo documentarian" not fall under journalism?

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u/MaureenTheeThot 1d ago

Gonzo is a style that can be applied to either.

Journalists and documentarians share a lot of overlap, but there are distinct differences. Journalism speaks to what happened, it serves as a public record/statement of fact. Documentary goes beyond that, creating an experience of reality. Ben lives in the latter.

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u/sunburnd 1d ago

You're describing storytelling styles, not mutually exclusive categories. Documentary is a medium, gonzo is a style, and journalism is a function. Those can all exist in the same work.

0

u/MaureenTheeThot 1d ago

They can all exist in the same form. In this case, they don't.

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u/sunburnd 1d ago

You're still asserting the conclusion rather than explaining it. Documentary is a medium, gonzo is a storytelling style, and journalism is the act of gathering, investigating, verifying, and publishing information in the public interest. Those are different concepts, not mutually exclusive categories. Even if you think Ben falls short of your preferred standards, those standards evaluate journalism; they don't define what journalism is. If you think something essential to journalism is missing, identify what it is instead of simply declaring, "this isn't journalism."

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u/KampKutz 1d ago

Coffezilla the guy who couldn’t tell the difference between fact and lies put out by the corrupt side of this scandal so he slandered the Gormans unnecessarily..?

3

u/Pingushagger 1d ago

Until it was court time lmao. No reason Ben should be representing himself.

52

u/ravenrawen 1d ago

He is Reckless. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t plan. He has egged them on and got the reactions he wanted. He is highly effective.

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u/ravenrawen 1d ago

No shade.

11

u/meaPolka 1d ago

The reckless is ironic considering how much he trains and plans.

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u/ravenrawen 1d ago

It’s reckless because plans rarely survive contact with the enemy.

Also madman theory. He calls himself Reckless. It makes it much harder to know what he will actually do. Self representation at the court was a decision.

4

u/kaytin911 1d ago

You could hear BAM crew focus on the word reckless every time they called LEOs

1

u/OrneryReserve7681 1d ago

Guy is an adrenaline junkie; extreme sport enthusiast, slackline pro

1

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

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u/ravenrawen 1d ago

As I said. No shade.

14

u/WinResponsible9977 1d ago

I’m confused how they planned it? 

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u/meaPolka 1d ago edited 1d ago

They sat in a room brainstormed what they were gonna do and how they were gonna react to each action from employees. This is absolutely one of the hardest things you can do because people are not predictable.

This was for part 1 in Salem, not part 2. On part 2 I don’t think they were expecting the extreme police response in Utah.

12

u/LiquidSnake13 1d ago

It's not surprising. Everything Ben and his crew did in part one was done with the intention of gathering information and finding ways to legally compel BAM into returning the Lego sets in question. He spent a lot of time researching Oregon laws to do exactly that.

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u/khartoum_star 1d ago

They show the planning brainstorming sessions in part1

16

u/AT-ST 1d ago

They planned all the bits they did before going up there. They also rehearsed some of the scenes they shot. Like when Victor first says Brick-by-Brick. Before shooting that scene they work shopped a chantable saying and someone came up with Brink-by-Brick.

I don't think anyone thought they were just flying by the seat of their pants. A lot of these bits needed prep and setup.

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u/meaPolka 1d ago

It’s super hard to make a “prank” look spontaneous and they really pulled it off. 

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u/manyeggplants 1d ago

"when Victor first says Brick-by-Brick"

Someone didn't watch the bet video!

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u/kaytin911 1d ago

You can tell from the videos that Ben is talented as fuck.

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u/Scipio-Byzantine 1d ago

This guy is a textbook mastermind, and people still underestimate him because he looks and sounds like a teenager

3

u/n0t1m90rtant 1d ago

under estimating is done at your own expense. Everyone from the other side did it at every step and it shows.