Magical Disappearances

[DavidUK]

How do magicians make things like the Statue of Liberty and the Spaceshuttle disappear then re-appear?

[Pinotage]

Mirrors

[Ant]

revolving platforms, and probably mirrors too

[Cactus]

When Claudia Schiffer agreed to marry David Copperfield - that is the moment i began to believe in the power of magic. Anyway DavidUK, you'd have to prove to me that you are a member of the Magic Circle before i could tell you the answer to your question, and if you were then you'd already know the answer! ;)

[geofbob]

The magician tricks the audience into looking the wrong way. For example, he puts a frame of some kind in front of the object (eg the Eiffel Tower), so the audience can see the Tower through the frame. The magician then switches off the lights or diverts the audience's attention, swivels the frame slightly, and places something else between the audience and the Tower - in practice, very little lateral movement is required if the object is some distance away. The audience don't notice the swivelling of the frame or the movement of the curtain, and the Eiffel Tower or whatever sieems to have disappeared. (You can try it yourself if you have a window with small panes of glass. Look through one pane and you see, for example, a tree. Swivel your eyes slightly so that you're looking through the adjacent pane, and the tree has gone.)

[sft42]

The term most seem to be searching for is "misdirection" much used by magicians and illusionists, make the audience look one way while something important is happening in another direction. Having said this just to say mirrors hardly explains away how you make something as big as the statue of liberty disappear, and can anyone explain how david blaine levitates?? or how daivd copperfield flies?? or how paul daniels still manages to get on TV?? Check out Derren Brown who's on Channel 4 a lot for a really good illusionist.

[DavidUK]

I think that they have us believe that they're just magicians performing tricks but, in reality, they are using highly developed supernatural powers to simulate magic tricks. I was expelled from the Magic Circle, Cactus, because I revealed that my tricks are performed using supernatural powers and they expect you to keep it secret! Anyway, must disappear ....

[smorodina]

The David Blaine levitation is a simple trick that anyone can do at any time. When shown on tv, however, it is enhanced by camera trickery to make it look more impressive than it really is. Far from saying that they do not use illusions, this is the favoured description of these large scale effects, most magicians of this type being classed 'illusionists'. The real skill of most of these performers is in the art of the presentation. Despite knowing how most of the illusions work, I can still enjoy a good act. As to revealing the secrets - that would just spoil the fun!