Here’s one person’s explanation (of the Copperfield version), with a diagram. Of course, as Ianzin says, we have no way of knowing if it was the method used, but it matches similar tricks. And as others have emphasized, the audience is in on it.
The audience is not in on it!
Is too!
Is not!
Is too!
Sorry, gotta go now, Mommy’s calling me for dinner and my sister’s pulling my hair! 
O.K., a question for you and all the other “magicians” who won’t reveal “secrets”. How the heck did you learn how to do those tricks if no one would share with you?
If the audience is in on it, how come they didn’t all rush home and tell everyone they know all the secrets? Or did they?
I would have thought that with most magicians being so precious about not giving away their tricks (um, hello, you’re one step away from tying balloon animals at kids’ parties - stop acting like you’re a member of the Illuminati) they would never allow a whole audience to be in on the secret.
Also, I would have thought that by watching the audience you could tell if they were faking, since someone would give it away.
Well the magician’s code is that you’re not supposed to share magic secrets with anyone who is not pursuing magic as a serious hobby or as a profession. And since I’m not a magician…
While I am not familiar with Harare, the information given above regarding David Copperfield appears to be correct. William Poundstone deconstructed this trick at length in his book **Big Secrets[/B.
As he explains it, the audience was seated on a large stage surrounded by curtains. It moved slowly enough that the audience was unaware of the motion–everything they could see was keeping its relative position to everything else which was visible. When the curtains parted, the statue was just out of view of the opening.
There were also cameras in place to take flash pictures of the statue. Thile these were still directed at the statue, the camera flashes were much too weak to photograph the statue at such a distance.
We do share information with others who are taking an active interest in learning the art and whose interest is obviously sincere. That’s how the art gets passed on, and grows and develops. This is quite different from divulging information on a message board just to sate a passing curiosity, which tends to spoil the fun. It’s also unfair to those who put the work in to devise and present these illusions… and very often there is a lot of work involved.
As for the Poundstone book… yep, we know about it, and we’ve had a good laugh about it. Dream on.
As I said before, those who know aren’t going to tell, and those who tell aren’t the ones who know (Poundstone included). So it’s a bit pointless asking.
They don’t have a choice, now do they?
Patting ourselves on the back a bit much? Sorry. The statues and things don’t really disappear, as everybody knows. So logical explanations are going to leak out. I guess one issue is that if it’s all smoke and (more often) mirrors, it’s not much of a trick to make anything disappear, be it a large building or some playing cards. So it follows that people like Copperfield, et al don’t actually possess any kind of talent- other than perhaps being good showmen.
I saw the shuttle disappearance on TV. IMO the illusion was weakened by the inclusion of “audience members” behind the shuttle high up on a cherry-picker who had full view behind the curtain during the illusion. When the curtain was drawn back the camera showed their astonished reactions.
The problem was I know the shuttle didn’t disappear. Therefore the people on the crane are shills. And, of course, I immediately think the people in front of the curtain are shills, too. So it goes from a decent illusion to me being aware that every on camera is being paid to act. Poor choice.
OK, Ianzin, I’m calling you out on this one. Two questions:
[ol][li]Why did you appear on the TV show, repeated many times on some cable channel, showing how several tricks are done? (I can’t recall the show’s title or the channel, so sue me. :o ) One trick I remember was the psychic’s technique of using his coffee to reflect the underside of a card briefly passed over it. The voiceover said, “And that’s why a magician always orders his coffee black!” That was you, wasn’t it? (If not, I apologize)The Fox (I think) show with the “masked magician,” in which a handful of illusions were shown, then revealed in exact detail, including making a chained-down tank disappear: Are you saying the reveals were phony?[/ol][/li]Inquring minds want to know!
[sub][sup]And if you’d prefer to answer these in a email instead of this forum, I’ll understand.[/sup][/sub]
Just regarding the audiences being in on it.
Maybe they were other magicians who already knew and wouldnt tell anyone?
We do… We Do…
Oh, that’s choice, Mr S.
The more mundane explanation is that they signed contracts and NDA’s and were compensated.
Sorry, ianzin, sometimes the truth must be told.
Can’t answer for whether or not that was Ianzin (though I’d be interested to know), but your information is wrong in at least one other way, I believe. If it’s the special I’m thinking of, the voiceover said, “And that’s why a PSYCHIC always orders his coffee black!”
Therein lies the difference. That special was about revealing tricks of PSYCHICS, not magicians. It is more than a matter of being nitpicky, as well – revealing the tricks of psychic frauds is a public service, and maybe it will keep a few gullible folks from parting with their money … or investing their emotions in a phony psychic (think John Edward). As a sometime magician, I’ll gladly give up a few of those little secrets like the ones revealed on that show in order to debunk psychic hoaxers.
Audiences for magic, on the other hand, KNOW they’re being deceived, and allow themselves to be so for the purpose of entertainment and wonder.
It’s for that reason that I’m in agreement that magic secrets, as a matter of course, should not be revealed to the general public on message boards and the like. Most people who want to know how an illusion is done don’t REALLY want to know how it’s done. For most, the temporary satisfaction of learning the “cheap trick” is far outweighed by the wonder of not knowing.
The ones who really do want to know should have to do a little more work. It’s all out there, published in book after book. Do some research. Have an appreciation for the generations of magicians who’ve built up a pretty impressive array of trickery and illusion.
You’re probably quite right, PRNYouth, and point well taken. I was drawing from a fallible memory (too much trouble to dig up the video that I’m sure I have in those boxes over there somewhere).