Does anybody know how it's done or if theres any mechanics in it?..Just been watching him on the telly and I'm sure he must have some kind of gadget that comes out the front of his shoe to lean him forward.....

Saying that, the blighter actually goes straight upwards though :huh: :huh:

I did notice some kind of ( without trying to sound gay ) weird thing in his trousers he seemed to adjust.:hihi: :P

So, hows it done?...anyone?

Here you go! http://www.1streetmagic.com/david_blaine/david-blaine-levitation.htm

It's a camera/viewing angle trick. He's actually standing on the toes of his right foot - the foot furthest away from the camera. The nearest foot is entirely off the ground. All the camera sees is one foot and one heel which gives the impression of levitation. David then films an added sequence with him being suspended about a foot off the ground, giving the impression that this is part of the normal street film sequence. If you watch carefully, he places the public in a very specific spot behind him.

Does anybody know how it's done or if theres any mechanics in it?..Just been watching him on the telly and I'm sure he must have some kind of gadget that comes out the front of his shoe to lean him forward.....

Saying that, the blighter actually goes straight upwards though :huh: :huh:

I did notice some kind of ( without trying to sound gay ) weird thing in his trousers he seemed to adjust.:hihi: :P

So, hows it done?...anyone?

Yep that has puzzled me, but not seeing it "Live" rather than through an edited TV program doesn't help. I've seen a good levitation act in front of me but that was purely done by clever feet placement.
I favour something like a very strong magnet that Blane has mastered to create his effect. You notice that he only performs the levitation for mere seconds, any longer suggest that onlookers might discover how he does it.
I still can't explain how David Coperfield flies through the air though or how Criss Angel (The new David Blane) cuts his body in half whilst audience members inspect his body close up!:huh:

Here you go! http://www.1streetmagic.com/david_blaine/david-blaine-levitation.htm

That doesn't really show it being done though fox.... The bit I saw him on was on a footpath with 3 ladies stood behind him. His feet didnt look like they were bent, or he was stood on his toes!... the soles of his feet were straight!

I'll see if I can find it on youtube somewhere.:cool:

It's here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxWeaevzc9o).

It's a short clip of a longer piece - there was a program a few moths ago on Sky made by the producers revealing how the tricks were done. There's a continuity error if you look carefully. Next to the bus three or four people can be seen watching. When the camera cuts back two seconds later, the people are gone - that was from the original sequence whilst the girls were watching.

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlxL6ZeACaM) clip actually shows what the public and camera see, which is very different from the dramatic insert where he's lifted on a rig. Notice where he's positioned the kid and the camera.

That doesn't really show it being done though fox.... The bit I saw him on was on a footpath with 3 ladies stood behind him. His feet didnt look like they were bent, or he was stood on his toes!... the soles of his feet were straight!

I'll see if I can find it on youtube somewhere.:cool:
That's done by editing together two separate sequences.

1. Blaine lifts himself off the ground using one foot in the way Ant describes after carefully positioning the passers by to get their reaction shot.

2. They dress a member of the crew in the similar clothes to one of the 'witnesses' and then shoot Blaine being lifted on a rig keeping the side of the crew member dressed as a witness in the foreground.

They then edit together the 'levitation' from the 2nd sequence with the shots of Blaine interacting with the witnesses from the 1st sequence.

Did you never wonder why they always use such a closeup shot at waist height with half the frame supposedly taken up by a witness? Do you really think a professional camera man would repeatedly shoot something in such a flawed manner unless they were specifically supposed to?

This is criss angels version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKTFXud-GUQ

This is criss angels version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKTFXud-GUQ

Ahh a false leg.

Criss Angel's really good. If you get a chance, if you haven't already take a look at the trick he does sawing himself in half in full close view of some audience members inspecting both parts of his dissected body.
It's obviously an illusion as he would be dead for sure but how he does it, I'm damned if I know but it's great entertainment.

Still doesnt explain Blaine's version, since he's not doing it like that as theres no box infront of him or anything..

and the 'editing' doesnt work either, since i have seen this done before by someone else, in the middle of the street, stood with a circle of people..

Still doesnt explain Blaine's version, since he's not doing it like that as theres no box infront of him or anything..

and the 'editing' doesnt work either, since i have seen this done before by someone else, in the middle of the street, stood with a circle of people..

The "editing" does work, it's on the record that that's how David Blaine did it. It depends what you saw. If they rose about a foot off the floor, they'll have used Criss Angel's false trouser leg & shoe technique without a stand.

He switches his ego off momentarily. Once the weight of that has been lifted from him, he rises effortlessly into the air... :P

StarSparkle

Blaine does it like this then uses double camera takes and actors to make a better illusion.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/287454/learn_how_to_fly/

Still doesnt explain Blaine's version, since he's not doing it like that as theres no box infront of him or anything..
John Hope made no claim about how Blaine did his trick, he simply posted a video of Criss Angel explaining how he did his version of the trick.

and the 'editing' doesnt work either, since i have seen this done before by someone else, in the middle of the street, stood with a circle of people..
And you know that this other person used exactly the same method as Blaine how exactly?

Is it beyond the realms of possibility that this other guy did a similar trick using a different technique?

David Blaine uses a method called the Balducci Levitation, if you google this you'll find decent instructions.

David Blaine uses a method called the Balducci Levitation, if you google this you'll find decent instructions.

I did a google and found this:
http://www.magiclearn.50megs.com/photo2.html

Very interesting to hear the comments about David Blaine's magic.

And there was me thinking it was real.

And there was me thinking it was real.

Like any illusion, once you know how it's done it always loses it's magic (no pun intended) the next time you see it being performed.
Like they say there's no mysterty like a mystery unsolved!;)