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M$5 December 19, 2008 06:58 PM

How does Criss Angel do the building levitation illusion?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlIwcVAxZsU


This is one of the best magic illusions I have ever seen and I would love to know how it was done. Someone out there must know or have a pretty good guess.

I'm assuming this did not involve trick photography and Angel could actually do this live (he claims he can).
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December 19, 2008 07:10 PM
I have found a few "reveals" on YouTube.

First one explains at 1:32

Asker's Rating:
• Still some unanswered questions, but this gets the closest by far.


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December 19, 2008 08:54 PM
So video one says Criss is moved by crane -- but no explanation is offered for how the crane is cloaked from sight. That's kind of a gaping hole in this explanation, imho.

(The explanation of the microphone being used to conceal wires in the street levitation, however, is a very good one -- I buy that.)

The second video claims video compositing is used -- that multiple performances are edited together. I think the case this video makes is pretty compelling for compositing. However, there is no explanation offered for how the individual levitation performances were achieved. Sure, they may be glued together, but how were THEY done?

So: there are still gaps in the explanations offered here.

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December 19, 2008 09:09 PM
How's your Russian? I think the same principals would apply. Let's assume the "audience" are paid actors.

http://www.noob.us/entertainment/david-copperfields-levitation-trick-revealed/

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December 19, 2008 10:52 PM
So: pretty much some sort of wires-based contraption.

I'd say this is not totally solved yet: Criss is able to conceal where his contraption is located -- but this is the best answer -- so I'm giving it up for lynemma.

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December 21, 2008 03:50 AM
OH, man! Great video clips!

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December 19, 2008 07:05 PM
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/how-criss-angel-does-his-building-levitation/953463144

That is a video that apparently describes how he does it with effects, I would check it out, im no master of hollywood camera tricks, but it seemed to make a bit of sense to me :)
Source(s):
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/how-criss-angel-does-his-building-levitat...


Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip afterlife for this answer
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December 19, 2008 07:11 PM
I think this will do it. It goes into pretty explicit detail.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1296661/criss_angel_may_be_an_illusion_levitation/
Source(s):
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1296661/criss_angel_may_be_an_illusion_levita...


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December 19, 2008 07:17 PM
The attached video gives what is probably the best explanation for this 'illusion'.

Edit: saw someone else already posted it.


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December 19, 2008 08:03 PM
look at the cuts and clouds. camera edits show the same group of clouds over and over.

Helpful Answer?  (0)   (0)    Tip onlinegeek for this answer
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December 19, 2008 08:53 PM
There is definitely some video hokey pokey afoot here, but it does not explain everything.

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