How do magicians perform the illusion of sawing a body in half?

Question

What creates the appearence? Mirrors?

Answer 1

Sawing a Woman in Half

Horace Goldin wanted to keep people from stealing the magic trick he invented, so he took out a patent. It worked, but ultimately it cost him a magician’s greatest asset—secrecy.



Okey , here is what actually happens:

The audience watches a stage assistant climb into a large box resting on a platform. What it does not see is that the platform is actually a second box, in which another assistant is concealed. At some point during the illusion, the bottom of the first box, from which the first assistant’s feet protrude, is temporarily hidden, either by rotating the apparatus on stage or by nonchalantly blocking that end of it with a panel or prop. The first assistant takes this opportunity to withdraw her feet and retract her body into the upper half, where built-in footrests ensure that she will remain in one piece. The second assistant then pushes her feet—clad, of course, in an identical pair of shoes—through the vacated holes and scrunches down in the bottom end of the box.

When the performer starts to saw, the audience seems to see the blade penetrate the body of the woman. In fact, it is passing harmlessly between two assistants. Once the sawing is complete and the two halves of the box, after being pulled apart to heighten the illusion, are pushed back together, the substitution process is reversed; the first assistant’s feet are again extended through the lower end of the box, and she is able to emerge in one piece.

Answer 2

Sawing A Woman In Half

Answer 3

Sawing In Half

Answer 4

Okay....is what I've picked up on from watching magicians. I could of course be wrong, and some people have kind of hit on it. They do use "fake" feet, but it's usually a screen. They put their feet in and move them around, then whthey do the little spinny thing with the box, she tucks her feet and they slide that down. It was shown on TV by ummm.....those two fmaous men. One's tall and fat and the other is short and never talks. Anyway, that's how they showed it done.

Answer 5

there is a pair of fake feet or part of the feet and leg in the box and when the person goes in he/just pushes the feet out so everyone thinks it his/her feet... then when the magician saws the box, he/she just moves his/her body upward or bend just so he wont get sliced up (take note: everyone still sees the fake feet)....

Answer 6

i think the only people who know the answers are magicians that have done that before...

but

"A true magician never reveals his(or her) secret."

Answer 7

a magician never reveals her secrets ;p

Answer 8

it is all a trick to your eyes well it is really easy real sall real legs a box with some tricks and thats all i am saying

Answer 9

someone mentioned fake feet and legs then how come u can see the *fake* legs and feet move?

Answer 10

i do'nt know the ******* thing