My Favorite Magic Trick of All Time: David Copperfield's "Portal" (2001)

[@SilverSergeant]

I have seen Mr. Copperfield do this in person a couple times. It is, by far, the best trick I have ever witnessed.

[@christianj80able]

I saw this live and it is ever more incredible to see in person. Thank You David!

[@SilverSergeant]

Agree 1000%! This is a magnificent performance live!!!

[@sylwesterjuchno]

Pierwszy raz gdy widziałem ten numer to właśnie na żywo Po kilku dniach po występie zobaczyłem dopiero ja w telewizji Nie ma porownania❤

[@animalanimation5110]

Far more incredible in person. I've seen it twice in the same city. Different people, drawings and initials each time. I sat in different places so I saw the platform of the disappearance from completely different angles, and close to it. Completely impossible. You can appreciate how shaky and thin the platform is. No one on the internet has even the slightest explainable theory as to how this may be done!

[@LL-bl8hd]

​​@@animalanimation5110 I realize it's probably too long ago to remember this detail, but was the person who wrote their initials wearing something memorable when you saw the show? I thought it was extremely convenient that the ball happened to be caught by a young, good-looking guy wearing a shirt that would be easily recognizable in the photo.

[@larkenlech9662]

I saw this live…only he moved 8 random people to the beach (and I caught the ball to be on stage). I still have no idea how he did jt

[@DavidM1337]

Backstage he gets filmed standing in front of the beach video. Sometimes it's him in the video, sometimes it's him standing in front of the video (showing the tattoo and polaroid).

[@thenakedsingularity]

You just have to love the human spirit expressed in this show.

[@TCBElvisAPresley]

I saw him do this live. It's the most brain-busting thing I've ever seen. I have respect for David Copperfield because he refers to himself as an illusionist, not a magician. He doesn't claim to have supernatural powers. That shows respect for his audience. Anyway, this teleportation illusion is amazing. I have no idea how it's done.

[@tarnum113]

When did you see this?

[@TCBElvisAPresley]

@@tarnum113 probably the 90s or maybe 2000s?

[@tarnum113]

@@TCBElvisAPresley I want to see him when I visit Las Vegas. Hope he still does that teleportation trick.

[@TCBElvisAPresley]

@tarnum113 I bet he still does it -- it was the pretty much the showstopper. It's very impressive. I wondered at the time if maybe the "live" camera crew on the beach was pre-recorded, with careful verbal timing to make it appear Mr. Copperfield was speaking to them. I figured the audience volunteer was likely a plant, wearing the same clothes and hair that she wore when pre-recording her beach segment. I'm speculating of course. In the version of this that I saw live, _only_ the audience volunteer "teleported," with Copperfield "remaining" on the venue stage. In any case, his show is very entertaining and interesting and he states straight up that he's performing illusions, which is commendable imo...

[@LL-bl8hd]

​@@TCBElvisAPresley That's interesting. Did the audience member bring anything to the beach to "prove" it was "live," like the photo and initials in this version?

[@pacopaco897]

This is the greatest trick ever 😳😳😭😭😭

[@baillargeonnmario345]

The incredible timing AND the amount of people involved in this trick is crazy!! He must have had almost 30 to 50 people in the audience. Great trick though.

[@animalanimation5110]

Huh? Those balls could literally be thrown anywhere by anyone. If the balls are caught by anyone other than a "plant" that you claim is there, the whole trick would be ruined. Even if someone aims their ball directly at someone else, anyone could intercept it! He would have to have basically everyone in the audience be a plant in every show he does😂 And even if that was the case, it still wouldn't explain the most amazing part of the trick: disappearing from a suspended platform with literally nowhere to go.

[@TheHorrorNerd]

What the heck is with the voices in the background? It's so distracting.

[@calebjackson99]

To my knowledge, I think it was a German translation or something for a particular broadcast

[@mandurrudnam7632]

can confirm, it is german narration/translation of the things happening/being said

[@billgreen4003]

Now you see me movie's Co producer is David Seth Kotkin Copperfield born again Christian brother in Christ illusionist magician

[@blaster-zy7xx]

I don't know how all of it was done but I did notice a small detail. When the guy on the beach says "Hi TJ", so we know it is live from "Hawaii" , noticed the lack of clouds in the sky. Just a few moments later when David and the young man appear on the beach, the clouds are very different, telling me that this part was pre-recorded. BUT I don't know how the Polaroid was done.

[@bestsnowboarderuknow]

pretty sure the polaroid was green screened. The ball throws were fake af. Obviously have several plants in the crowd. the first throw the wrong girl grabbed it so she flicked it to the right person, then on the second throw it seems really weird that only one person reached for the ball. telling be that all the people in that small section are plants too. In real life several people would be trying to catch it, just like at a baseball game.

[@JordanBesser]

@@bestsnowboarderuknow It is live but there is no “Hawaii”. It’s just a set with real sand and real water

[@APRICEPRODUCTION]

@@bestsnowboarderuknow Everything you see on the screen side is prerecorded, yes they do use plants in these tricks. As for the photograph, it's taken much earlier with the plants before the trick and the prerecorded footage. When DC takes the Polaroid, and hands it over to the girl Amber to write her name on it. It's not the same photo that's handled back, but swapped for the earlier photo taken before the trick and the prerecorded footage was filmed. As for the Hawaii elements, easy enough to do with a beach plant a few palm trees and it could easily look like somewhere in Hawaii... As for the Marker pen on the arm, could easily be faked, with the marker already written on his arm earlier, and covered with a layer of flesh tone makeup, close up to the plant he can see where he has to guide the marker. Then the specialised marker simply removes the flesh tone makeup off the arm, revealing the marker underneath.

[@StephenWong14]

It's a mixture of both pre-recorded footage and live action on green screen. The part where they showed DC's mark and the photo was live action, and the others pre-recorded.

[@hanzgerandong5629]

The coconut trees more like a toys

[@travelistic3558]

The part in Hawaii is easy to explain. It's a mix of prerecorded sequences and David and Michael standing in front of a rear projection of the prerecorded footage. The interesting moments are when the camera zooms in e.g. on the "TS". At that moment, the actors switch from "live" to prerecorded. But I still have no explanation for the disappearance from the platform. I think it's extremely unlikely that they disappear together with the curtain. There are suspicious "wobbles" of the platform as soon as the curtain is closed. Presumably they leave the platform, the only question is how this can be done without the audience seeing it. Perhaps the bridge is thicker than it appears...?

[@erhhsdhh2099]

Yea I completely agree with you, the Hawaii part is a mixture of pre recorded and live choreography that he’s practised with the other guy lots of times. As for the platform disappearance, one theory I have seen is that the bridge is made of a spandex like material and both of them crawl underneath it. The position of the camera and the lighting makes it difficult for the TV audience to tell, whilst it would be hard for the live audience to tell anyway. One theory I saw is that both of them get pulled backwards on the platform in a cart like structure, but I don’t buy this. There’s people behind them and a cart like structure propelling backwards at speed doesn’t seem safe.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

No, That would not work. That is why as soon as they both appear on the beach, the kid runs into the water showing it isn't a rear screen projection. I'm baffled, but I also don't know how much of this is really seen live and how much of this is standard hollywood editing. If it really is done live like this, its pretty impressive.

[@travelistic3558]

@ this scene in the water is prerecorded, when he comes back there is the „real“ DC showing his arm… every time the camera zooms in and out it is possible to switch between prerecorded person and „live“ person.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

@@travelistic3558 Once they appear on the beach, it is one continuous shot with a hand held shakey camera and no edit cuts, making a transition from pre-recorded to live, a bit tricky. You can't give me an exact time stamp where the shift happens. I beleive you need to rethink how this was done. ALSO, the kid comes diectly back from splashing in the ocean and hands him the poloroid picture with the recent picture on it.. That handoff would have had to be from the pre-recorded kid to the live DC in front of a set. And the lighting would have to match between the real scene and a backstage studio. Don't think that is it.

[@milesflatt4835]

It all has to do with the way in which that curtain gets pulled away like it does. That's what it all comes down to. They leave that platform in some truly amazing mechanical system using the curtain, light, and sound as a cover.

[@sinclairj7492]

No it’s magic

[@happinesscompilation5252]

About the curtain pulling, there's no way can 2 adults be pulled with such speed/G force to come out unharmed. So the curtain isn't the secret

[@carolmahabeer7485]

AWESOME❤

[@billgreen4003]

You all can freely make copies of all my videos I upload to KZbin videos search engine even VBS skits church activities and magic TV specials and magic TV shows and Rubik's cube puzzles extc

[@Nick-m7r]

David your the best,can I see my dad in Wisconsin pls.or can I talk to him at least.thanks David

[@Peter_1986]

I believe that they had a green-screen prepared for the video of Hawaii, and they arrived there by being pulled backward from the platform very quickly (through the blanket and the smoke), and then ran to another room and entered "Hawaii" through a door that was concealed by sand. This would also allow them to pick anyone from the audience.

[@MuchMoreMatt]

I recall reading about this elsewhere on the internet a few years ago. In the video on the beach, we are watching two different versions of David and of Michael, namely a prerecorded and live (but in front of a green screen) version. Starting at 6:22, prerecorded David and Michael appear on the beach. Prerecorded Michael runs toward the ocean. Prerecorded David is out of shot. Then at 6:44, live David appears for the first time. The camera zooms onto live David's arm. Prerecorded Michael is out of shot. The camera zooms out and we see live Michael and live David together. At 7:07, live David gives live Michael the camera. This is the last time we see live David until his appearance in the theater. The camera follows live Michael up until it pans to his father. Then at 7:22, prerecorded Michael embraces his father. Afterwards, prerecorded David disappears from the beach, and live David appears on stage. Rewatch it, but pay close attention to the camera angles. We see prerecorded David and Michael's feet on the beach, but never live David and Michael's feet. That's because they're in front of a green screen. As for how they disappear from the platform, appear and disappear from the beach? I don't know those mechanisms.

[@animalanimation5110]

I saw this trick live twice in person, maybe five feet away from the platform on the second time. Other audience members were right next to it, and below it. The top and bottom of the platform is visible at all times. Even if they could be pulled fast enough to not be seen under a floppy flying blanket, that would be bigger whiplash than in any car crash. Do you think they are superman?? They would have to also be pulled THROUGH the support wires crisscrossing the top of the platform...maybe they are that liquid terminator from Terminator 2?

[@animalanimation5110]

@@MuchMoreMatt There is just one problem with that theory. The clouds in the background look exactly the same in the ONE CONTINUOUS shot from Hawaii, since the moment the guy starts repeating everything Copperfield says (including the initials from the randomly-selected audience member), until we see their feet in the sand running towards the waves. The shot from Hawaii is visible the whole time. There is no place to cut away when the camera pans down to the cover on the sand and then to them running in it. Any cut would be obvious. Then those SAME CLOUDS are seen behind the TS AND POLAROID REVEAL, as the camera jerkily moves around. You couldn't do this in a movie this seamlessly today, let alone over 20 years ago: and this would have to be done INSTANTLY, with no time for processing. Also Copperfield literally says that he is NOT doing any green screen effect, camera, or computer trick. I doubt he would go out of his way to literally lie like that, when he doesn't have to.

[@MuchMoreMatt]

@@animalanimation5110 [I'm copying and pasting my reply to you from another video.] The clouds look the same because they are the same. The clouds are part of the prerecorded footage. That footage was displayed on a greenscreen. The camera movements were choreographed to be synchronized with when David and Michael reveal the photo and initials. The greenscreen setup is essentially the same as a meteorologists greenscreen for showing the weather. All you need to do is point a stationary camera at a greenscreen, but play the footage from the beach instead of a weather forecast. Then with careful coreography and synchronization, David and Michael step in front of the greenscreen to give the reveal, then step away and let the rest of the footage play out. The camera pointed at the greenscreen never once moved throughout this. The choreography was done during the footage from the beach. There is no need for edits, cuts, or transitions. As for David's remarks on the integrity of the illusion, all I have to say is that he's a magician. His job is to lie to the audience to fool them, because that's what magicians do, fool us.

[@pacopaco897]

Magic is a wonder in the moment how is it done how could you do that when you find out how no way really

[@Nostalgicus]

???

[@AbandonedMines11]

Jacked up audio. Trying to avoid a copyright strike? LOL

[@barbouille4060]

Vu en live lors de sa venue à Zurich en 2001. C’est je pense le tour le plus impressionnant qui ait été créé

[@AngkolRanie]

Using OBS live then remove background. Green screen Hahaha

[@Nostalgicus]

5:46 ... hint , hint . 😜

[@Zoundshine]

Can you explain the disappearance?

[@animalanimation5110]

Are you implying that the camera angle is hiding that he just runs into the back. You are aware that this is performed live and people could see if he was running on that super long platform from all sides, right? (Including myself, having seen this live twice) Also, there isn't even a "back" to run to: the entire contraption is in the middle of the stage with audience being able to see behind it (it was like this when i saw it twice also) AND there are literally suspension lines he would have to pass through on the top of the platform. That really was an unfortunate camera angle which reduces the awesomeness of the disappearance slightly to anyone who hasn't seen it live.

[@rmm1920]

The live color should be red, not white. that's the real live broadcast. what was shown there on tv was not live scripted.

[@aujohnverano6542]

Magic is real

[@blaster-zy7xx]

As the old saying goes, real magic is fake. Only fake magic is real.

[@naihlyrics]

And where is he now?? I will not be surprised if he take to government

[@niemandschuldet]

If there is any honest human being, who was sitting under or close to the platform, where David with the guy vanished... have you ANY logical explanation despite that it must be REAL??? For over 20 Years I am trying to figure it out. And nobody else did the same trick ever... Maybe I am stupid. But I think, this was real, and people think: this is a fantastic illusion. I my opinion 95% of his tricks or more, are easy to explain. But some... I mean... SOME parts of his show may not be illusions. ... And then the music: kills me every time, when they appear on the beach. The rest ist show, and the guy MUST be involved. He must be.

[@CharukaSandaruwan_0532]

IT'S FINALLY REVEALED..!! 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZvCZYRsp6iEadksi=UVG_G7Pjx3HxFYUd

[@chukiecharleshernandez7674]

Look at the letter T and analyze it it gets smaller 😅

[@theperegrinator8007]

The "TS" are different !

[@WilldyPS3]

I was the black man who was sent to the beach, I thank David every day for what he's done for me and my father. He brought us together.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

No you weren't. He was a plant.

[@miscellaneouslyric]

Lmao 🤣

[@loremipsumpj3567]

You're all wrong. The beach is real Hawaii. There is a magician named Marco Tempest who does another version of this trick using the same method. The secret is actually much simpler than you think. Most of you could probably do this trick using things in your home right now. No special effects.

[@clicheguevara5282]

I could do it by hopping in my car and driving about 3 minutes to Kahaluhu beach. Lmao

[@animalanimation5110]

If you knew the secret, you would say it.

[@kidus_1010]

Care to explain?

[@loremipsumpj3567]

@@kidus_1010 I gave you a major hint in my comment. You just have to research.

[@loremipsumpj3567]

@@animalanimation5110 This guy did it using the exact same method. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIfVh4Von76SebM

[@Owner_NailTechnician]

This I easy, no visa needed. Can I be too please? 😅😅 😅

[@mistermindahenziandalasnus3754]

4:04 5:10

[@animalanimation5110]

Can you be more specific? What happens at 4:04 and 5:10??

[@mohammedelhadihassounet2965]

فيلم هندي

[@billgreen4003]

Princess Tenko princess Tenko TV cartoon show series episodes Bill Bixby as the magician TV show series episodes and Hal Linden as Blake's magic TV show series episodes movies quicker than the eye movie sleight movie now you see me movie's Co producer is David Seth Kotkin Copperfield born again Christian brother in Christ illusionist magician

[@billgreen4003]

Happy Halloween happy Thanksgiving Jesus Birthday Party ⛄🎄 time New year Eve New years fun John 3:16 Holy King James Bible verse

[@billgreen4003]

Lance Burton LanceBurtonFan born again Christian brother in Christ is one of the judges on Criss Angel magic with the Stars

[@billgreen4003]

Be safe in Christ God Bless everyone

[@THeFaraday232]

wat de fak is hi du ing?

[@HENZI-cv7re]

3:51 4:14 5:14 5:29

[@AngelaNavares-rq7iz]

scripted

[@billgreen4003]

Donny Osmond the great osmondos illusionists magician born again Christian brother in Christ illusionist magician TV show series episodes the Donny and Marie show series episodes and TV specials

[@Schjoenz]

They're putting up their hands like worshiping the God but NO! Every magic humans can do is a work of EVIL!

[@pilotstu4411]

Staged

[@hanzgerandong5629]

That's green screen aso obvious

[@FirstLast-cd6vv]

"Scam artist" is an understatement.

[@HullzOSRS]

This may be the cringiest thing I have ever seen. Americans are built different.