There are only six methods to all kinds of magic tricks: performances never use stooges.
Magic has evolved countless times since then, with numerous effects. Many people ask magicians, "How many magic tricks do you know?" A novice once told the great magician David Devant , "I know three hundred magic tricks." Devant replied, "I only know about eight."
The difference between the two lies in the fact that the former describes the effect, while the latter describes the method. Magic effects are numerous, but their methods can be summarized into only a few. British psychologist Richard Wiseman and historian Peter Lamont wrote a book called * Magic in Theory *, which summarizes six methods of magic: 1 ) Concealment: An object is hidden at a certain stage; 2 ) Smuggling: An object is secretly transferred; 3 ) Impersonation: An object is not present at a certain stage, but appears to be there; 4 ) Copying: A second, identical object is used; 5 ) Substitution: An object is secretly replaced with another; 6 ) Disguise: An object is disguised as another object at a certain stage.
They categorized the effects into six types: disappearance, appearance, movement (an object disappears in one place and appears in another), transformation (an object transforms into another), restoration (an object is destroyed and then restored), and penetration. Taking penetration as an example, it typically uses a combination of movement and restoration. Movement usually uses methods 1+3 , 2 , and 4 mentioned above , or a combination of disappearance and appearance (both using methods 1 , 2 , and 3 ). Restoration uses methods 4+5 and 6 .
However , Devant makes a good point: a good magician understands the difference between "knowing how to do it" and "knowing how to do it." Many people get caught up in "how to do it" after watching a magic trick, and once they know the method, they exclaim, "Oh, that's how it is! So simple!" and run away. But in reality, magic is far more than just "how to do it"; a magician needs to know "how to do it."
I personally admire the effects British magician Derren Brown achieves on television; he truly masters the psychological manipulation of his audience. His use of television as a medium is also superb. I had a fascinating conversation with him, recorded for the television program " The Enemies of Reason," in which Brown discussed many of his performance techniques.
Brown has also been criticized for being dishonest in explaining the principles behind his magic tricks. He addressed this in his book with the following statement:
I'm often dishonest about the techniques I use, but I'm honest about my dishonesty. As I say in every show, "I mix magic, suggestion, psychology, deception, and performance techniques." I'm happy to admit that deception is present throughout the show. I hope part of the audience's enjoyment comes from not knowing what's real and what's not.
He also stated that he had never used actors or "plants." He said that doing so was "artistically repulsive and unnecessary."
Scientists are already studying the cognitive science behind magic tricks. For example, in the video at the beginning of this article, because the viewers were focused on the basketball, if you asked them afterwards, "Did you see the gorilla?", about half of them would likely reply, "Did I?" These people didn't even notice the gorilla walking across the middle of the court. It was such an obvious gorilla!
If even the gorilla couldn't see it, then if the magician made the noise even quieter, the audience would be even less likely to notice. This gorilla video is material from a famous cognitive science study that also explains why many people involved in car accidents say afterwards, "I didn't see the car at all."
You definitely won't be able to see it.
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Liu Qian's Lantern Festival magic trick has been deciphered and revealed; props are available online for as little as 100 yuan.
"Mind-controlled screws" being sold online.
Screw magic: all thanks to props ?
Solution 1: The first screw trick utilizes the principle of electromagnetic induction, much like an electric motor, controlled by its own electromagnetic components. The screw that can be attracted is made of magnet, and both the magnet and the screw used in the performance are made of iron. All of this equipment is available on Taobao for around 100 yuan .
Ring magic trick: Was there a shill involved ?
Solution Two: Liu Qian's ring magic trick is a modified version of the old ring-to-ring magic trick. The stuntman provided the last ring. The ring has a small hole on it. During the show , the hole is covered first, and when putting it on, it's loosened and slips in naturally when you're not looking. Then, with a little force, it falls off.
Last night, in the "My Favorite Spring Festival Gala Program" poll, Liu Qian unsurprisingly won first place in the folk art category once again. Liu Qian, visibly excited by his victory, once again delivered incredible magic tricks to the audience: a screw trick and a ring trick. However, just minutes after the performance, countless posts debunking the trick flooded the internet, with some even posting tutorial videos. No matter how masterful Liu Qian's performance was, everyone seemed to think: "There's a plant! There's a plant!" Some even claimed he had performed the ring trick years ago.
Zhao Benshan acted as a "plant": He dared not look directly at the camera.
Because many people questioned whether the people around Liu Qian were "plants" after the Spring Festival Gala, Liu Qian was extra careful in last night's show. He didn't wear anything on his hands and cleverly invited Song Zuying, Zhao Benshan, Jiang Kun and others as guest performers. He also randomly searched for props in the audience to make the magic tricks more realistic.
When Liu Qian invited Zhao Benshan to be a guest, Zhao Benshan jokingly said, "You chose the wrong person. I'm a person who always tells the truth. My greatest pain in life is keeping other people's secrets." His words immediately amused the entire audience, somewhat stealing the spotlight from Liu Qian. However, Liu Qian wasn't giving up. Before performing his magic trick, he asked Zhao Benshan to choose an item. Zhao Benshan's comment, "Don't regret it if you choose the wrong one!" became another source of laughter. But when Liu Qian actually started the magic trick, Zhao Benshan watched intently, chin in hand. Although Zhao Benshan's performance was incredibly realistic, some netizens pointed out that Zhao Benshan, under the guise of being honest, chose the longest screw! Zhao Benshan avoided looking directly at the camera and even touched his nose, indicating he was lying!
Screw magic trick: Props are available online.
Liu Qian asked Zhao Benshan to perform an on-site inspection for him, and twice the nut tightened between the screws automatically fell into the cup. Various explanations of Liu Qian's screw and nut tricks circulated online. One netizen wrote: "Did you notice that Liu Qian only tested the bolt for magnetism, not the nut? The nut is likely a magnet. If a device that generates an alternating magnetic field is placed in a hidden place, the nut will rotate. If the nut isn't magnetic, there's a coil inside, which will also rotate under the influence of the alternating magnetic field. This is no different from the principle of a regular electric motor. The power supply is hidden in an unseen place, which is also where the alternating magnetic field is generated." Another netizen speculated, "The screws and nuts are specially made, taking advantage of people's perception that screws are ordinary and small, and therefore unlikely to be fake. In fact, the screw and nut are fake, specially made." Another netizen pointed out: "The screw magic trick is just a high-tech prop. I bought a set last year; the good ones cost over 800 yuan , the cheaper ones over 100 yuan. You can buy them online." They even posted a link to buy them on Taobao. "Just Google 'mind screw,' and you'll understand everything. This junk has been sold everywhere for ages."
Ring magic trick: Foreigners stopped doing it years ago!
On stage, Liu Qian asked three audience members for three rings. The last audience member was the famous director Chen Weiya. Liu Qian turned the three rings into a "chain" in front of everyone, and then unchained them one by one. Even Chen Weiya, who was standing next to him, was a little surprised. However, some netizens pointed out that apart from Chen Weiya, the first two audience members were probably shills. One netizen posted: "I won't go into detail about the ring magic trick. Foreigners stopped doing this a few years ago. I have several sets of props. You can check out the complete tutorial. Just watch it yourselves. It would take a lot of typing to explain it clearly in words. I can answer any questions you have." The post included a tutorial video, which attracted a lot of clicks. One netizen analyzed: "Except for the ring on the bearded man's (Chen Weiya's) ring, which is genuine. You can tell it's real just by looking at the bearded man's expression. But the other two are definitely props."
Finally, one netizen summarized it in two points: first, they're all shills; second, they're all props! Real magic doesn't need shills, just props and some professional angles and techniques. Magic with shills isn't magic; it's stage play.