Levitating monk on Americas Got Talent Series 8

I have just finished watching this and I really cannot see how it is done. I thought it would be interesting and good to ask you guys what you thought & to get many different opinions.

In the America's Got Talent Series 8 Episode 1, at about 1 hr 05 minute mark there is a monk-like guy who levitates in front of 2000+ people, and I would like everyone's opinion on what is happening in that audition.

I have stopped the video and I cannot see any wires or supports breaking up the reflections in the floor of the stage lighting, so I am wondering how it is done. At the moment, I am inclined to think it is genuine. I know that Transcendental Meditation claims that some of the sidhis cause this levitation to happen and I have seen the video clip of their levitation as trainees 'hopping' but not yet 'flying'.

Any ideas?

I cannot give a Youtube link since I cannot get Youtube from where I am. Maybe someone else who can, can give us a link to this please?

reply to post by qmantoo

At the moment, I am inclined to think it is genuine.

Any wires? Anomalous shadows? Is it genuine? Or can it only be genuine if it's a "monk'?

reply to post by qmantoo


See this ATS thread.

The answer is there.

He's an exceptionally talented guy ...for a magician. That takes nothing away though. I was very impressed with it myself and my wife had called me in to see it on replay as she'd watched the show. It is a talent show after all, not a Supernatural or Metaphysical show. He doesn't have to be genuine to be VERY talented and he is that. The fact so many can't tell, even with today's skepticism makes him a success in my book.

He's a street performer.

'Nuff said.

Peace

reply to post by qmantoo


This was posted all ready. He has an frame and seat that hooks to the staff watch his left hand. Still amazing balance. levitating yogis

It has already been discussed but here was my observations on the other thread - I am convinced this was a well performed illusion:

The support is definitely up his left sleeve - watch his left hand through the whole performance, he never significantly moves it & is definitely "cuffing" something when it's empty Also Notice how he uses his right hand to put down & pick up the staff for his left & how stiff he is when he walks on stage When they zoom in on the staff after he puts it down you can almost see a notched or concave area where the frame probably clicks in & you can see him trying to work it in with his fingers right after he picks it back up with his right hand & puts it in his left Also - right before the smoke & when he puts his feet down - watch when he pulls up the staff - it is definitely in the ground - probably a metal plate with an inset hiding under the rug Another tell is that @ the moment he pulls his feet up the staff flexes to the left ever so slightly under the additional weight

watch the moment he pulls his staff up right when he puts his feet down & throws the smoke - I'd say there's at least a 1/2" in the ground & he's probably setting it in a hole that's been drilled through a 3x4 or 3x5 steel plate laying under the carpet (don't know the size obviously..just trying to give some dimensions to help visualize it)

ETA Thread Link:

So did anyone see that guy levitate?

OK, sorry about that.

Please go to the other thread for any further discussions.

one trick pony. he won't be winning a million..its not really a talent..its a single trick he does well..but ya, after watching the vid a bunch of times..actually it was his street performance trick, I noticed (frame by frame) unnatural jutting out of his robe right below the..cheeks. aka, a sitting platform.

So ya..good little trick. fun for a one off..thats about it though.

and of course it was an illusion.

Here you go fellows :

I have seen this done before by street performer's

The one's i saw used a cane and were dressed as London Gentlemen and done it for tourists.

its a pretty cool trick but its still just a trick

like mentalists who claim to be "psychic", its still just a trick

this guy has obviously learned this trick and part of his act is pretending to be a monk.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by qmantoo

 

At the moment, I am inclined to think it is genuine.

Any wires? Anomalous shadows? Is it genuine? Or can it only be genuine if it's a "monk'?

edit on 6/9/2013 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Has there ever been any explanation as to how David Copperfield did that? I have seen it so many times over many years and never been able to think of an explanation!

EDIT: Wikipedia answered my question in less than 1 minute. Now I wish I never found out.

John Gaughan described how the trick works in US Patent #5,354,238.[1][2] According to the patent, the performer is supported by two fan-shaped arrays of fine wires that remain invisible to the viewing audience.[6] The wires are about ¼ mm thick, and support about 10 kg each; the arrays contain more than enough wires to support the performer's weight. The wire arrays are mounted at the hips, near the human center of mass, to a harness worn under the clothing. This creates a balance point facilitating a wide range of movements while suspended. The wires are attached to a complex computer-controlled rig above the stage that maintains the tension in each wire, and keeps each array of wires perpendicular to the audience's line of sight so that the wires never overlap one another, which might allow the audience to see them. During the later phases of the performance, two hoops are used simultaneously, which aids the deception as the hoops do not come into contact with the wires. Instead, each ring is brought flush to the wires before being twisted under Copperfield. In the glass box demonstration, the top of the box is threaded between the two sets of wires in a vertical position, before being rotated ninety degrees and lowered into place. The wires remain in place while the performer is in the glass box, passing through crevices between the lid and the sides. Since the box limits movement and he is only able to rotate on one axis, he stays side-on to the front of the audience while in the box. When flying with a volunteer, he holds her in front of him, and she does not come into contact with the set-up.

one trick pony. he won't be winning a million..its not really a talent..its a single trick he does well..but ya, after watching the vid a bunch of times..actually it was his street performance trick, I noticed (frame by frame) unnatural jutting out of his robe right below the..cheeks. aka, a sitting platform.

So ya..good little trick. fun for a one off..thats about it though.

and of course it was an illusion.

We don't know that yet. He could have other illusions, the question is, will he continue in the "character" of this monk while performing them? This was a take on the classic Hindu Yogi trick, of course, but it was very well performed. Even knowing the trick, I had to rewind a couple times to get exactly when and where he set things up, such as the moment he set the staff into a socket, and the moment he attached the sleeve bar to the staff. He executed it flawlessly, and the illusion isn't that well known to the main stream audience of the show.

Has there ever been any explanation as to how David Copperfield did that? I have seen it so many times over many years and never been able to think of an explanation!

If you watch closely, especially early in the vid, you can see the wires reflecting the light. Still, Copperfield is of course one of the master illusionists, and his designs and performance of it is still an art form, no matter how you slice it. (and he's adaptable, taking full advantage of modern advances to push the art of illusion).

Google LEVITATION STICK TRICK. Its been explained with diagrams and more that a few videos. GOOGLE IMAGES as well.

I really hope we see more magicians on this year, but doesn't seem like it. AGT has really shown some very good ones throughout the seasons. There are at least one or two illusions I still haven't 100% figured out yet (around 95% sure, but still a little uncertain). My methods would work, just not sure if they did that or not, etc.

Some general illusionist tricks....

Use TWINS (great for those "teleport" style tricks

Trap doors (of course, especially if any backing is BLACK, making it harder to see on stage or on camera)

Forced perspective platforms (those tables things are on, are hollow, and made to look thinner than they are, and rise up higher and sit lower in the backside, giving enough room to conceal a person).

Palming and substitution. This is how they do tricks where you write on something, then they pull it from somewhere sealed, strange, etc.

Misdirection...getting you to look at one thing while their other hand (or assistant) does something else.

Confusion. Lots of people on stage, things turning around, etc. Great distraction for getting someone offstage, onstage (generally a quick change into or out of a uniform of the mass of people onstage). You'd have to count them to see one is missing.

There are a lot of others, of course, but these are some of the basics that most illusions use, in one form or another.

reply to post by qmantoo


thought you may like this hes the best dancer i have ever seen in my opinion anyway

here you go and ENJOY

reply to post by maryhinge


He was pretty fun to watch. I just wish they'd nix dancers and singers from the show though....there are plenty of other shows that feature these kinds of acts. For example, had he gone to So You Think You Can Dance, he'd likely get further.... The nice thing about AGT is when they feature some truly unique stuff, vs. a White Guy With Guitar, for example.....