# David Blaine, street magician **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592 "2001-09-30T04:43:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![billblock76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/94ad74/32.png) [@billblock76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billblock76)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/1 "2001-09-30T04:43:00Z")
David Blaine does a lot of incredible tricks. But there’s one thing he does that I can’t figure out. He levitates. Most tricks are soome sort of prestidigitation; this one stymies me. Does anyone know how this feat is accomplished? Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/2 "2001-09-30T04:47:20Z")
It’s pretty simple and lame and your friends **won’t** fall for it, but if you _must_ know, search the archives. This has been done. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/3 "2001-09-30T04:52:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > \*\*It’s pretty simple and lame and your friends **won’t** fall for it, but if you _must_ know, search the archives. This has been done. \*\* **Cisco** , I searched the archives for “Blaine” and for “street magician” but found nothing. What am I doing wrong? -Sue ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/4 "2001-09-30T05:04:06Z")
[Enjoy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=84224) It starts off about David Cop-a-feel but slips into a Blaine discussion. BTW, it’s been a while since I read that thread so I can’t remember exactly everything that’s in it so just read it and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, search google for: **Balducci Levitation**. P.S. Blaine uses camera tricks. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/5 "2001-09-30T09:35:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Another Primate \* > **Cisco** , I searched the archives for “Blaine” and for “street magician” but found nothing. What am I doing wrong? > -Sue Make sure you set the “Search Forum” list to General Questions, and set the “Search by Date” list sufficiently far back. I frequently come up empty because I forget to check these settings. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/6 "2001-09-30T09:42:03Z")
It is pretty lame and I would tell you but others here seem so reticent about mentioning how that it makes me nervous too. So as a hijack can I ask them why? I will say that the trick is VERY VERY sight line specific. Meaning that if you view him in any other direction other then the one he wants you to see you will see through it very easily. And as an extra clue there’s an interesting pun in your OP. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/7 "2001-09-30T11:59:51Z")
😃 Good one, **Osiris**. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/8 "2001-09-30T14:28:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Does anyone know how this feat is accomplished? Sleight of post-production. ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/9 "2001-09-30T16:29:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > \*\*[Enjoy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=84224) > > P.S. Blaine uses camera tricks. \*\* Thanks, **Cisco**. I saw a mention of his use of limited angle of sight, but had already noticed how he tells the audience to move closer together. Then, I read this posting (within that same thread) by **ianzin** , and decided not to look further, because I realized that I really didn’t want to know: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cisco \* > **I respectfully submit that exposing how magic tricks are done is not "fighting ignorance’, it is “spoiling good entertainment” and undoing some very good work by skilled and hard-working entertainers.** I agree. I’m comfortable knowing it’s a trick, and it’s more fun trying to figure it out by yourself, even if you never do figure it out, than by knowing. Ooh, and I’m covering my ears and humming, if you’re going to be saying that he uses camera tricks. (Yes, I believe you, I just don’t want to believe you.) Thanks, Sue the happy gullible p.s. I didn’t find this when I searched the archives, because I figured you meant the columns that were archived. Not that that’s a good excuse – I should have searched in GQ before I asked in the first place. :😊: ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/10 "2001-09-30T16:31:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*And as an extra clue there’s an interesting pun in your OP. \*\* I can’t see it! Where’s the pun? Sue ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/11 "2001-09-30T16:33:36Z")
pun = “feat”? ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2001, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/david-blaine-street-magician/84592/12 "2001-09-30T16:35:49Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Cisco_ > **I respectfully submit that exposing how magic tricks are done is not "fighting ignorance’, it is “spoiling good entertainment” and undoing some very good work by skilled and hard-working entertainers.** Oh, bleep. Really, honest, I did use Preview! Just didn’t notice that I hadn’t fixed my pasting. **Quote above should say “ianzin”, not “Cisco”.** Sorry to mislead. Sue p.s. Yes, I do mean to say pasting, as in cut-and-paste.