How does zigzag trick work

The magician spins the box all the way around so that the audience can see that the swords really have pierced through the box from one side and out the other. For the final part of the effect, the magician slowly removes the swords one by one from the box, until all have been pulled out and carefully put away. The magician presents a box which is similar in size and proportion to that used in the Selbit sawing but which is already in a horizontal position.

An assistant climbs into the box and lies down. In the process her head and hands are seen to emerge from holes in one end of the box and her feet from the other.

Illusion: There are six bags on the table, one of them has a nail in them. A member of the audience mixes them up and then signals Derren which bag to slam his hand on. He slams his hand on all the five bags without the nail, leaving only the one with the nail. When lifting an object heavier than a few pounds, you want to lift with your legs instead of your back.

This prevents back strain. In recent years, following exposure of the basic illusion by the Masked Magician , a number of magicians have begun performing variations on the basic illusion.

In some, rather than the assistant's face being visible through a hole in the front of the cabinet, their entire head projects out of the cabinet through a hole in its upper surface. In another variation, rather than being divided into three pieces, the assistant is instead divided into five - This variation is commonly referred to as the "Five-Way Zig-Zag".

The trick hinges on two things: People will not suspect the woman is actually responsible for the trick, and the box is larger than it appears. Optical Illusions Wiki Explore. Optical Illusions. Cool stuff. Categories Best Pages. Explore Wikis Community Central. Register Don't have an account? Zig Zag Girl. View source. History Talk 0. The effect The assistant usually a woman is placed in an upright cabinet, her face, hands, and left foot visible through openings in the front of the cabinet.

Further developments In recent years, following exposure of the basic illusion by the Masked Magician , a number of magicians have begun performing variations on the basic illusion. The black strips down the sides make the box appear narrow.

In reality, all that black space is usable. The box accommodates the woman though it's a very tight fit. The blades are inserted into the right side of the box. It looks like the blades take up more space; when inserted, the handle fills up the width of the box on the outside: but the blade inside only slices a portion of the box.