Not So Tiny Bubbles...

[Craig Browning]

Yesterday I went to see "Now You See Me" . . . a fun flick but not overly impressive. BUT, there was one very simple bit I fell in love with and would like to track down -- the Bubbles.

I'm not talking about the Levitation sequence where the girl is in the bubble, I know about that. What I'm curious about are the bubbles that one of the boys was making appear in his palm and then growing them to huge globs of floating soap. . . I love the idea of making such a creation and seriously hope it was legit and not just excellent CGI.

I'm not after the secret just a source, name of the effect, where it came from, etc.

Thanks!

 

[rocket92]

This isn't exactly like the bubbles in the movie, but as soon as I get off work I'm gonna go home and try this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EggLt90-SX8#!

 

[WyattSB]

I'm sure there is some smoke device that could be adapted for this.

Also, someone like James Hydrick could have made the technique in the video^^ look pretty awesome.

 

[ZachMueller]

You should pester David Kwong, the magic consultant on the film, about it on Twitter. He's a pretty accessible guy, so I'd imagine he'd help you in the right direction.

I'm still wondering how Jessie Eisenberg's character got a girl to come to his bedroom. That trick was good.

 

[Ady01]

It was 'excellent CGI'. I don't know if there are any real ways of doing it, but in the movie it was done on the computer. There was a video posted in the media section with ~20 minutes of BTS footage which included that scene too. No bubbles there.

 

[Craig Browning]

It was 'excellent CGI'. I don't know if there are any real ways of doing it, but in the movie it was done on the computer. There was a video posted in the media section with ~20 minutes of BTS footage which included that scene too. No bubbles there.

I'll have to see what you're talking about Ady01 but I know that the levitation sequence is legit, it was done in the S&R show so why would they fake something they could rent or purchase?

I've come up with some of my own ideas as to how to do it but if there is a legit way to do it that's been introduced, I'd love to find it. . . those bubbles were far too good for me to accept CGI.

 

[WyattSB]

I'll have to see what you're talking about Ady01 but I know that the levitation sequence is legit, it was done in the S&R show so why would they fake something they could rent or purchase?

I've come up with some of my own ideas as to how to do it but if there is a legit way to do it that's been introduced, I'd love to find it. . . those bubbles were far too good for me to accept CGI.

Probably for the same reason they faked 3 bits of magic that can be done for real in the first 4 minutes of the movie.

 

[ZachMueller]

Probably for the same reason they faked 3 bits of magic that can be done for real in the first 4 minutes of the movie.

THOSE FLOURISHES WERE CGI?!

Perhaps not faked, but rather modified for the movie. Christen and I actually spoke at length with David Kwong, the magic consultant on the film, and he said he was gunning for as much practical magic as possible, but ultimately he had to trust the directors vision. Totally understandable as 99.9% of the audience watching the film are laymen, but I agree that more practicality would've been cool. Sequel, perhaps?

 

[SinCera]

Perhaps not faked, but rather modified for the movie. Christen and I actually spoke at length with David Kwong, the magic consultant on the film, and he said he was gunning for as much practical magic as possible, but ultimately he had to trust the directors vision. Totally understandable as 99.9% of the audience watching the film are laymen, but I agree that more practicality would've been cool. Sequel, perhaps?

I would agree to this. If I were the director, I would've done the same. The movie was to sell, to be watched by everyone, and of course, to become a box office. It is not only to promote magicians.

 

[WyattSB]

THOSE FLOURISHES WERE CGI?!

Perhaps not faked, but rather modified for the movie.

I said magic, not flourishes, or pickpocketing for that matter. And yes, I realise this, however they are performed under impossible conditions, or like in the first case, as you said, modified, so that it would also work on the audience a little better.
That isn't a complaint either, I do understand why they have done it.

 

[ZachMueller]

Yeah I totally get where you're coming from Wyatt - to see some 'real-world' Apollo Robbins style pickpocketing would have been awesome to see.

 

[WyattSB]

Yeah I totally get where you're coming from Wyatt - to see some 'real-world' Apollo Robbins style pickpocketing would have been awesome to see.

Indeed; an episode of House comes to mind, where while treating a magician he does some tricks, and they actually show them, with all the real stuff on camera, good stuff.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Indeed; an episode of House comes to mind, where while treating a magician he does some tricks, and they actually show them, with all the real stuff on camera, good stuff.

The one with Steve Valentine? I liked that one. Except the one trick that isn't physically possible. But I like the ending to that one a lot.

 

[ZachMueller]

Agreed, and Steve Valentine is awesome - anyone see the Clue themed Psych episode a few months ago? So. Darn. Wait for iiiiiiit - good.

Leverage also had some pretty nice real-world stuff on it as far as pick-pocketing goes, and I believe Apollo was actually a consultant on that. Anyone else know of other shows/movies that pay practical homages to sleight of hand?

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Agreed, and Steve Valentine is awesome - anyone see the Clue themed Psych episode a few months ago? So. Darn. Wait for iiiiiiit - good.

Leverage also had some pretty nice real-world stuff on it as far as pick-pocketing goes, and I believe Apollo was actually a consultant on that. Anyone else know of other shows/movies that pay practical homages to sleight of hand?

Yes, he was a consultant for that. He's also been in a few episodes. They did a whole magic episode as well.

 

[Tokyo]

Anyone else know of other shows/movies that pay practical homages to sleight of hand?

The only one that comes immediately to mind was The Prestige, obviously some of the larger illusions were special effects but a majority of the sleight of hand was real.

 

[Colin]

There was a fun show in the mid 80's called Blacke's Magic staring Hal Linden, from Barney Miller, and Harry Morgan, from Mash, as Father-Son Magician detectives. Harry Morgan may have been more of a con artist. It was a lot of fun though probably wont have aged well. I think it was a summer replacement show and only lasted one season.

 

[WyattSB]

The one with Steve Valentine? I liked that one. Except the one trick that isn't physically possible. But I like the ending to that one a lot.

Huh, didn't realise he was actually a magician, thats pretty cool. I guess my memory is failing here, but what did he do that isn't possible?

 

[Craig Browning]

You'd be surprised how many TV & film actors are magicians but think about it, Who's the President of the Magic Castle? Who was on the founding board of the Castle?

The first time my parents came to visit me in L.A. I took them to brunch at the Castle, it was one of those very odd times when about a dozen major celebrities were there. It was so prolific that my father insisted we leave and go "somewhere normal to eat" so we left and went to a Denny's on Sunset Blvd. where it literally ran into another noted actor from yesteryear fame.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

Huh, didn't realise he was actually as magician, thats pretty cool. I guess my memory is failing here, but what did he do that isn't possible?

He did a card through window. But the way he did it, the card ended up stuck to the opposite side of the glass, with another card stuck perfectly aligned with it on this side of the glass, with no prep and no one near enough to assist.

Not quite possible. You could come very close to that, though, so I give them the leeway.