How the heck is this magic trick being performed?

[LostinVA]

I can usually kinda guess... but not with this one.

(warning: it's really freaky)


http://www.snopes.com/photos/people/pullapart.asp

[Ravenseye]

1. I'm guessing an amputee

The woman he uses is in on it. She's an amputee with no legs. The lower half is either another person of short stature (hence the long black dress on an apparently hot day). He has the person in the audience, picks a volunteer purposely who is too short, has them lay down, then says no, picks the 'tall' woman in on it, and then proceeds to pull them apart.

Freaky, but pretty easy to explain. Simliar magical tricks have been used for years using midgets and amputees for just such tricks.

[LostinVA]

4. I was thinking an amputee, but the legs are freaking me out

Because they don't look like "midget" legs... or is there a fake lower torso and legs???

[Ravenseye]

6. could be a fake lower torso

I don't know the technology. I suppose there could be something that complex that an amputee could 'wear' and walk around in.

I think it's deceptive with the legs though. Could easily be a midget in there. The long dress will play tricks with your eyes.

[LostinVA]

7. I just re-watched -- the legs and toes move!!!!!

[Beetwasher]

9. Realistic, Manipulable Prosthetics

Possibly w/ a midget under the dress manipulating them. Remember, cost is no issue, this guys got a sizeable budget, I'm sure.

[Beetwasher]

8. Yup, You Got It

Also remember, this guys got quite a sizeable budget I'm sure, so expense is not an issue. The legs w/ moving toes are probably very realistic prosthetics manipulated by a midget under the dress.

[anarch]

2. I don't know, but those volunteers from the crowd are hilarious

I think that one woman pissed herself.

[LostinVA]

5. I know!!!

[progmom]

3. that's totally freaky

:o

[Nailzberg]

10. That's not a trick.

It's an illusion.

(I miss Arrested Development)

[Beware the Beast Man]

18. "A trick is something whores do for money."

"Or...candy!"

:rofl:

[giant_robot]

11. Shills, camera angles, and editing to make it look good.

Magicians are only slightly less annoying than clowns. x(

[jobycom]

13. Not editing or camera tricks

Snopes says the trick can be done live, and even links to a hilarious story about one magician doing it live and horrifying the audience so badly that he never did the trick again.

[giant_robot]

15. After watching the video again, I'd say the trick is definitely

helped by some biased editing. After the woman is pulled apart, notice that there is a jump cut to a reaction shot of the woman watching her bottom half stand up. However, all we see of her bottom half is the waist of the skirt entering the shot on the lower left. Then, another jump shot to the woman's toes wiggling on the bottom half, which we only see from the knees down.

God magicians annoy me. Did I mention that?

On edit: Redundancy. D'oh!

[jobycom]

17. There are two cameras

You can see each when the other is filming. So I'm sure the films are cut together to best advantage. I just meant that Snopes says you can do this trick so that the live audience will see basically what the camera shows. I don't know how much of his audience is his crew (maybe all), so I guess there could be gaffs that the film splicing covers and the audience pretends it didn't see. Still, there are stage shows that have pulled off this basic trick without camera or film editing.

[jobycom]

12. Notice how he makes the volunteer "pick up" the feet?

When the volunteer grabs the woman's feet, she has to pick them up. They are robotics or puppetry. Notice also when the woman lays on the bench, her dress falls over the edge, blocking the view underneath. I suspect something happens there. Someone crawls out of the dress, or something is rigged.

Cool trick. I love the woman's expression when she sees her feet, screams, and crawls away. Great acting!

[jobycom]

14. Also, notice when the woman lays back on the bench, Angel holds her head

and lowers her down. Either an amputee or a contortionist on top, and probably a contortionist or short person on bottom. The dress could cover the head and torso, and just let the feet show. Also, he tells both volunteers to pull, but the one holding the feet doesn't. The lower part never moves, only the top half is pulled off the bench.

[LostinVA]

16. True, true....