HalMajik.com

CHRIS ANGEL

IS THIS GUY REALLY A MAGICIAN???????

He claims he doesn’t use camera tricks….but he sure uses many “Video Edits”. This technique dates back to old TV shows like “Bewitched”, where people disappear simply by stopping the film, moving the people, starting the film, and editing it together, trying to make it appear as a continuous shot. It’s almost impossible to do this perfectly, as people cannot remain in exactly the same position for an extended time. If you tape his shows, and watch the position of people and articles, you can see that many of his tricks are nothing more than using accomplices and “Video Edits”. Here are some examples:

Trick on the Bus. Girl chooses card from deck, signs back of card, puts card back in deck. He fans out deck and asks her to verify that card is in the deck. He then throws card

At the windshield and her card sticks to the glass. He then gets off the bus, and the card is on the outside of the window.

CHECK THE TAPE:

After he asks her, (accomplice, as are the other people), if the card is in the deck, they cut to a different camera angle. You can see his hands are in a slightly different position. During this edit, the chosen card is placed on the top of the deck. The force of the whole deck caused the top card with wax on it to stick to the glass. The camera zooms in on the card…you can see all around the card…they cut to the next shot where his finger is right in front of the card. (Clearly another edit). Then, they don’t even show him getting off the bus, they just cut to the outside. Did they, by chance, just move the card to the outside???? This is certainly an amazing trick, if you’re 8 years old.

Chain around neck. The chain is wrapped around his neck, tied in a knot. Assistants pull the ends of the chain, resulting in a knot in the chain, but not his neck.

CHECK THE TAPE:

There is a clear edit between the rear shot where you see the chain wrapped around the back of his neck, and the cut to the front shot. Notice the position of his left arm. It’s in a different position. During this edit, they simply stretch out the chain, and lay it over his shoulders, making it appear to be around his neck. When they pull, it just closes the knot.

Four cups with knife placed under one while he looks away. He then crushes all cups except the one with the knife.

This trick was originally done on a table with 3 holes. An audience member would put the knife in one of the holes. The table was rigged with rods through it, that would be pushed out the back of the table, telling the magician which hole the knife was in.

I think Chris found an easier way. With all the people there, simply have an assistant signal him with body language which one has the knife.

Dejavous ..Couple disappearing in hallway.

Notice how the couple is right near the recessed part of the hallway, and the re-appearing couple is right near the opening further down. I think this trick was well done, but doubt if they got it in one take. In the very short time he blocks the picture, the couple moves behind the recess in the wall. At the same time, a twin couple moves out down the hallway.

Walking through glass window of store:

Possible method: When paper is held to block area, glass shown in diagram is lifted in window frame creating opening..then lowered before paper is removed.

TRICK: LANCE BURTON…(HERD OF ELEPHANTS DISAPPEARING IN DESERT) You’re looking through the window of a small stage. You see elephants, an assistant, a car, and LanceBurton. The camera zooms out showing the little stage. After walking out of the picture, Lance walksto the side of the stage….The curtain lowers covering the opening for about 3 seconds..curtain rises,and the elephants are gone.

SECRET: Several things give this trick away. Look at the belt worn by the assistant while heintroduces the trick..it hangs to her left side. The cut to the shot looking through the stage…the beltnow hangs to her RIGHT. A mirror is angled behind the stage window..you’re actually seeing to the sideof the stage, not through the window. This is why he steps out of the frame, you would see that he’s not walking straight to the stage. When the curtain lowers, they simply drop the mirror, now you see a twin assistant, car, but no elephants. If you look at the top left corner of the stage window, you’ll see that it has changed.

TRICK:
LANCE BURTON…(STEALTH BOMBER DISAPPEARS). You see the plane with a group ofpeople and a car. He walks toward the camera, which of course, never cuts away. He steps on a platform, the doors close briefly, open, and the plane is gone.

SECRET: This was done so sloppy. When the doors close, the platform is turned..You can’t see this because the camera is also on the platform. When the doors you’re looking at a duplicated area. All
you have to do, is look at the car in relation to the parking lines on the pavement. The angle of the car has changed about 90 degrees after the plane vanishes.

 

TRICK: LANCE BURTON…(MIDDLE OF BODY DISAPPEARS).

He steps into a large box…puts clamps over his knees…pulls clamp over his head..the doors close, open again, his body between his neck and knees are gone. The rear panel of the box opens..you can see right through the box. Assistants put poles lit with fire through the box. The doors close, open, he’s back together.

SECRET: When he pulls the clamp over his head, the clamp contains a FAKE head which is hidden behind the clamp until it’s pulled down. He puts sun glasses on so you can’t see that his eyes don’t blink. When the doors close, he lays behind the rear panel. This is given away also, you can see his pant legs rise right after the doors close, and lower before he re-appears. This same method is used when a man and woman step into a larger box, their heads spin around, and when the doors open, their clothes are twisted together.

 

TRICK: KELLY PACKARD (of Baywatch) is tele-ported across the Grand Canyon.

She lays on a table, which is covered by a top, which now looks something like a coffin. The magician tells her to put her hand through a hole in the side. The camera never cuts away. The magician, and cameraman get into a helicopter, fly across the Canyon to a Similar box where she appears

SECRET: An assistant is hidden in the top of the box. It’s her hand you see. The camera moves in, and for about 6 seconds, you can’t see the bottom of the box. At this time, one of the assistants pulls her out. While the magician goes through his routine, she is flown by a second helicopter to the re-appear location.

 

TRICK: LANCE BURTON (and others) Your card disappears.

He holds up five cards..tells you to think of one. He folds the cards together, discards one, opens them, and your card is gone.

SECRET: Each card is different on the top and bottom, what on top is the king of hearts, is the queen of diamonds on the bottom, etc. By turning the cards upside-down, all five cards have disappeared.

 

TRICKS FROM THE “CHRIS ANGEL” street magic special. ( Can anyone be worse than David Blaine?…This guy is

TRICK: Levitation of girl on street. He puts this “stranger” into a trance, several people lift he up, they move back, and she’s suspended in air.

SECRET: This trick was a joke. There is clearly a VIDEO edit between the time they pick her up, and move back. Her left ankle is resting on her right ankle…they cut to another shot before letting her go..her right ankle is now on top. The people are surely a part of this trick..he couldn’t possibly do this with people that close without them knowing how it’s done. I suspect she was simply laying on a platform which was digitally removed.

 

TRICK: CHRIS ANGEL…Trash can escape. People cover him with large trash can. On the count of three, they turn trash can over, he has vanished

SECRET: Again, the people are assistants. Notice how after they cover him with the can, they all crowd around so you can’t see behind the can. He simply crawls out a trap door in the can.

 

TRICK: Fork moving on sidewalk.

SECRET: This like so many moving is invisible thread. The fork breaking was explained long ago by James Randi..You simply bend it till it’s ready to break, move or shake it, and it falls.

TRICK: CHRIS ANGEL (and others). He fans through a deck of cards..tells you to think of which card you remember. He flips a card in the air…it’s your card.

SECRET: If you have this on tape, you can see for yourself. Flipping through the deck this fast, each card is visible for about 1/30 of a second. You mind doesn’t really see any of these cards. He used
the ten of clubs. What you do is put 6 ten of clubs on the top of the deck…Flipping through, you see this card much longer..it’s the only card you can really see. He then simply flips the top card in the air..WOW.. it’s your card.