David Copperfield's stage magic revealed - 3 tricks

here are 3 video clips revealing David Copperfield's stage magic tricks. Explanations are in Russian but the visual is enough to reveal to you how it was done. Enjoy!

Trick 1


Trick 2


Trick 3

Follow up: Daniel Chesterfield's easy to do magic

Back in July, I posted an interesting video on how to learn some COOL magic super duper fast. Here's a few more from the same magician. Check them out!

And before you know it, some are following in his footsteps.

Cup Levitation

This cool levitation magic trick looks like you are levitating a paper cup. Check out the amazing video demonstration..

Effect: The magician announces that they are going to make an empty cup float. They release their grip on the cup and it appears to float in mid air.

Method: Take an empty large paper or styrofoam cup. Carefully make a hole in one side of the empty cup, big enough for your thumb to stick through. If the empty cup is made of styrofoam, you could even push your thumb straight through it.

Hold the empty cup with both your hands and facing the others in your party, announce that you are going to try and make the cup float in mid air. Have one thumb pushed through the nearest side of the cup to you, out of view of your audience. Then, appear to be concentrating your mind on the cup and gradually open up both hands at the same time. While doing this, push your hands slightly forward as if you are following the floating cup and eventually grab the cup with both hands. Now, discreetly slip your thumb out from the side of the cup.

This is a simple illusion but it looks great when done at the right angle. Practice in front of a mirror to make sure that you get the angles and the timing right.

1)Magicians view with thumb through cup. 2) Spectators view, thumb not visible.

Anti Gravity Magic Ketchup Trick

Amazing but incredibly easy trick, where you command a ketchup sachet to rise and fall, inside a bottle at your command with a simple hand motion. Very visual and amusing levitating trick. SCROLL DOWN PAGE TO VIEW VIDEO DEMO AND SECRET.

Sachet is floating at top of water filled bottle. A downward hand motion, commands the ketchup to sink to the bottom. " name="ketchup-3.jpg" height="150" width="150"> Up and down hand motions can stop the ketchup at will. Looks amazing.

Method:

1) Take the label of the bottle so as to make the contents clearly visible.

2) Fill the bottle, near to the top with cold tap water.

3) Insert the sachet into the bottle, it should float at the top of the bottle.

4) Holding the base of the bottle, as if to steady it, apply gentle squeezing pressure to the base. The increase in pressure inside the bottle should cause the sachet to float slowly downwards. Releasing the grip on the bottle will allow the sachet to float upwards.

5) To make the sachet stop in the middle of the bottle, you need to apply just the right amount of pressure, this can be found with practice.

The beauty of this trick is the audience are completely unaware of the technique as their attention is drawn to the motions of your other hand, beckoning the sachet to rise and fall. Add an interesting line of patter and you have a great impromtu levitation trick that is easy to set up and can be used in a wide variety of places or as a pub trick.

David Blaine And The Balducci Levitation

Effect: The magician raises his arms up by his sides and slowly appears to rise a few inches off the ground for a little while before returning to earth quickly.

Balducci Method: The Balducci method involves positioning your audience about 8 to 10 feet away at a 45 degree angle .You need to keep your audience small so they are within this field of sight.

This is a very restrictive angle trick and it is essential that the angles are practiced, preferably with a friend or in front of a mirror.

The Balducci levitation involves pretending to float off the ground by going on to your tip toes on just one foot ( the one furthest from their view ) while the nearest foot is raised a little off the ground.

This looks fantastic as the foot on your tip toe is hidden by your trousers, the nearest foot and the angle they are watching at. You only rise a few inches off the ground but the impression is fantastic. This trick is all in the presentation with you appearing to rise slowly, wait for a second or two and then return to the ground quickly so as the audience do not have time to figure the trick out.

The picture here shows the beginning on the left and the climax of the trick on the right .

David Blaine Version : David Blaine used various camera shots in his TV special with the audience reaction being filmed close up and linked to other clips of him in mid air with some of the angles showing the Balducci levitation .

The view that shows him rise a good few inches in the air and does not show the audience, would possibly have been done with a bar attached to a pivot like a seesaw.

The end of the pivot could have had a hook which clipped onto a harness attached to his belt and a member of the crew would have pushed down on the other side of the bar lifting David up in the air. The camera angle would have hidden the props.

This film would have been mixed in with the audience clips in the studios later.

Hot Shot - Blaine Style Card Jump Technique

A card is made to jump out from the deck into your other waiting hand and jump back. This card sleight is awesome, when mastered.

You Will Need :

A deck of playing cards.
A nice bit of patter.

How To Do the Trick :

This card sleight can be used as a trick on its own or used to boost the visual impact of another trick. Just ensure that the card that you wish to "jump" is at the top of the pack ( use your favourite card force to ensure this).

The deck is shuffled while being held, bottom long side of the deck, resting against the fleshy part of the thumb. ie biddle grip.

The spectator is asked to choose a card and return it to the pack. ( This card should be forced to the top of the pack, using your favourite force. )

Hold the deck as seen in the photo. The deck should be held lengthwise between you and the spectator, thumb supporting one lengthwise side and your middle, ring and small finger supporting the other lengthwise side. Your first finger should be touching the short side of the deck, nearest the spectator.

Create some misdirection by bringing your free hand over the deck and appear to be squaring it up. Use this cover to slide your first finger under the top card. At the same time, apply pressure to both long sides of the top card by using your middle finger to push the card against the base of your thumb, causing the card to arch like a bridge

The top card should be pushed slightly further forwards towards the spectator so as to cover more of your first finger. The deck should also be tilted slightly downwards to hide the fact that your forefinger is under the card.

Straighten your first finger quickly. This will release the sprung top card which should jump into the air into your awaiting other hand.

The card can be made to jump back to join the deck in your other hand by repeating the spring move with one card ( much easier) . Press long sides of card with thumb and middle finger. Curl first finger underneath card and straighten first finger when you wish the card to jump

Magnetic Fingers Trick

This trick appears to be like hypnotism - Is your patter good enough to convince them ?

Ask your friend if you could try a little "instant hypnosis" on them. Assure them that it's safe and nothing harmful can or will happen.

Next, ask your friend to fold their hands together, weaving the fingers and clasping them tightly. After a few moments of doing this, tell them to raise their two index (first) fingers so they are sticking up and they should be about an inch apart ("church and steeple" kind of thing).

Now, slowly move your hands over their hands (don't touch their hands) and say, "Your fingers will touch. Try to fight it, but they will still touch!"

Slowly, but inevitably, your friends fingers will start to move together. Tell them to concentrate on their fingers (just ham it up, okay?) and soon their fingers will touch.

This is self-working, but it should still be practiced! It's a great bar trick, to. Have fun!

1) Spectator closes hands together. 2) Spectators fingers are irresistibly drawn together