How to Make a Person Disappear

The act of vanishing someone from thin air doesn't require real magic. It's all an illusion. Despite how elaborate you are, the key to success is in convincing your audience. Perfecting a vanishing trick will require practice and potentially help from an experienced magician. The most believable tricks and techniques are reserved for the magician community.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Disappearing Someone with a Sheet

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This person is required to go along with the act and appear to be clueless as to how you did it. They are crucial for the trick. Explain in detail the trick to them and their role to see if they're willing.^{[1]XResearch source}
Location is an important aspect of every magic trick. If you're performing in your house, find a location with long curtains. You could also use a location with a door nearby.
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Prep your volunteer. Explain the lowdown of the trick's entirety to your volunteer. Go through a few practice runs of where she'll hide and when she'll hide. Prepare trigger words like "kazaa" or "presto" to indicate when your volunteer hides and when she reappears.
- Run a simulation of the trick with your volunteer so that you're both on the same page.^{[2]XResearch source}
Set up a performance space in front of the location you've decided on. Set up chairs at a vantage point that blinds them for the behind the scenes activity. Gather willing people to be part of your audience. It may be best to practice this trick in your home to your family.^{[3]XResearch source}
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Hold a blanket in front of your volunteer. Make sure the blanket is long enough so that it covers her feet. Immediately after you've secured the blanket, your volunteer should make her move and hide. Silence is key to being believable.
- Say your first trigger word once you've secured the blanket. This will let your volunteer know it's time to hide.
Count in your head to 5 while they silently hide. Talk to the audience briefly as your volunteer hides. This will give off the impression that less time has passed. Don't take too long or else your audience may suspect something.^{[4]XResearch source}
After giving your volunteer around five seconds to hide, show your audience the empty space. Announce to the audience that your volunteer has disappeared.
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Hold the blanket up. Once you've secured the blanket up a second time, say your other trigger word. This will signal for your volunteer to resume her original position. Make small talk until she is back in place. This should take about 5 seconds or less. Keep a calm demeanor while holding up the blanket.
- It's up to you if you want to say magic words for her to reappear. This is a preference that will vary for each magician.^{[5]XResearch source}
Now your volunteer will appear standing in the same place as before. It will seem as though you've brought back your volunteer from some unknown abyss.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using a Mirror

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Mirrors are commonly used for magicians' allusions. Using a mirror requires more practice and patience from the magician. For this type of trick you'll need a fairly large mirror. Essentially you need one large enough for you to hide behind.
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Set up a location. There are different approaches of using a mirror to disappear. For this technique you'll need a table, blanket, and your mirror. This trick will rely on lighting and positioning of the mirror. It won't be perfect on your first attempt. You're trying to create a foreground reflection of the ground underneath the table.
- A cheap, fold out table will work well for this illusion.
Set up the mirror so that it lays on the ground horizontally. Make sure that the mirror doesn't overlap with the top edge of the table. Test this set up both indoors and outdoors, and see which looks the most believable.
This trick can be performed by yourself. You could also use a volunteer, but it all depends on your comfort level. Having an assistant will help you to reappear.
Set up a performance space in front of the location you've decided on. Set up chairs at a vantage point that blinds them for the behind the scenes activity. Gather willing people to be part of your audience. It may be best to practice this trick in your home to your family before bringing to the streets.
Stand on top of the table with a blanket in your hands. Make sure you stand close to the edge of the table. Raise the blanket above your head. Say some magic words if you want. Then jump off the table and land in a crouching position behind the mirror. Let the blanket naturally drop with you and release your grip once you hit the ground.
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Use a volunteer. Stand on the table with your volunteer. Drape the blanket so that it covers her from the audience. Once the is blanket up, your volunteer should lightly jump off the table into a crouching position behind the mirror. As your volunteer jumps from the table, drop the blanket.
- Practice with your volunteer before performing for the best results. Timing is crucial for this trick.
Hold the blanket up again. Have your volunteer carefully climb back onto the table. Stand in a location on the table that is sturdy. Your volunteer climbing onto the table could shift the balance of the table and spoil the trick. Once your volunteer is back in position, drop the blanket down and dazzle the audience.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Vanishing Someone on Camera

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This trick is an easy way to vanish someone from a video. It doesn't require a live audience but can look professional. You can incorporate this trick into any type of video project you're working on.
You'll need a standard video camera and a tripod. If you don't own a tripod you can set one up on a study surface for your video camera. The idea is to not change your camera's the location.
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Shoot the initial footage. For a realistic effect, weave the vanishing effect into your video, so it appears seamless. For example, your video is about a futuristic society who teleport for transportation. In this scenario you'd script the dialogue in a way that the characters are talking about teleporting somewhere, or are preparing to teleport.
- Shoot the footage up until the moment that you want the characters to disappear.
- It might help if they countdown, 3-2-1 and then cut the scene.
Have everyone in the shot leave the camera's eye. Check on the camera's display monitor to ensure that the shot is only the background.
If you roll the film from exactly where you left off, it'll appear as though the characters disappeared from their location. If you want them to reappear: cut the scene and gather all the characters back into their original positions and continue filming.
Another way for you to perform magic tricks is by using the camera to relay your magic tricks. Follow the above steps to incorporate various approaches to making somebody disappear. You could even expand beyond people and cause cars to disappear! Be creative and have some fun in the process.

Expert Q&A

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Question
Do you have any tips on distracting the audience while performing a magic trick?
Barry McDonough
Professional Magician
Barry McDonough is a Professional Magician based in Boston, Massachusetts. He is an experienced magician and entertainer, bringing excitement and fun to audiences of all ages. Barry performs for children's birthday parties, corporate gatherings, and a variety of other types of events. His work has been recognized by The Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.). Barry now runs a Magic School and Workshop to teach tricks and techniques to those eager to learn the art of magic from a professional. He received a BS in Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He also received a JD from Suffolk University Law School in Boston.
Barry McDonough
Professional Magician
Expert Answer
You have to practice your routine and execution extensively, focusing not only on the mechanics of the trick but also on the delivery of your performance. Whether you're memorizing a script or working from bullet points, practice until your presentation feels natural and second nature. Then, during your performance, maintain a confident demeanor and engage with your audience through dialogue or scripted interactions. This helps draw their attention away from any secret movements you may be making. You can also utilize strategic elements of misdirection, like changes in vocal tone, movement across the stage or room, and sudden gestures, to redirect their focus away at key moments.
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Question
Can I do this outside?
Community Answer
Yes, you can do it outside as easily as you can inside.
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Question
How could I make a vehicle disappear?
Community Answer
Show the camera with the vehicle in front of it, stop the camera, move the vehicle out of the camera's view (it is important to keep the camera in the same place the whole time), then record again.
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