The sad fact is that because we have had TV programmes that expose how these illusions are performed, it is quite easy to work out how the 'trick' worked. Still very clever, and a bit dangerous, but not unique.

i think if i hadnt have seen David watch the exact same trick with the same box (but with a different magician) on Americas Got talent ild rate them higher

at first I thought they

but now im pretty sure

Both suggestions are wrong:
They may not have locked the back of the lid due to time constraints, but the illusion CAN be performed if the back of the lid IS locked.
Your second suggestion that is actually partially correct. The typical construction for a frame based lid would be to make the frame and in this illusion and on that particular point you are correct.
However, there IS and it is positioned .
By that, I mean that
Ahh but what about all those straps and locks, I hear you say. Well they are entirely real and fully functional. But! The matching pieces
The straps on the lid
So the lid
Level of danger... well she harps on about holding her breath and it being petrifying.... when in reality
So how do they execute the illusion..... well..... usual ham, curtain up, curtain down ham, curtain up, panicked look through tank glass etc. etc. etc, more magical ham, curtain down for the last time

If you'd like to see this dull illusion performed with a twist (illusionist man goes into tank first, beautiful assistant does the dropping in and illusionist man appears at the back of the auditorium) and I really can't think where the substitution occurs, if only it were a little more obvious! This time it's TRULY DEATH DEFYING..... in much the same way as I got up yesterday and had a shit and am still alive whereas Elvis did much the same and...... well that's history! They're also doing it "FOR THE FIRST TIME" on Australia's Got Talent in 2009, I personally would have rehearsed it first, but that's their choice
Here's the Vid.
If you'd like to see the same illusionist doing the standard version you can watch this video that they uploaded to YouTube in 2008, before they did it for the first time on Australia's Got Talent. Isn't technology brilliant?
On no, sorry, aren't illusionist consummate bullshitters....
that's right!
Anyway here's the Vid.

Every time I see Karen I am hoping to see a Cunning Stunt.

Hi

David and Karen let them selves down with a bad choice of illusion, in the right hands it can be brilliant (see aboves video links) the problem was it was an escape, and escapes rely on conveying some amount of danger and tension. They did none of this, the fact it was full of ice cold water, she could drown etc etc etc. They missed a golden oppurtunity to draw the audience in.

But I will say like Vizage a few years ago and the Deans of Magic, hats off to them for making the semi final.

Were they robbed? Erm Im not sure they could have made no matter what they did.

What did they have planned for the final? Well based on the rehearsal footage it looked like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C17xqJ0i5R0

Strange choice?

Oh well maybe next year we will see a proper variety show with magic, illusion, jugglers, circus acts, singers, comedians, vent acts etc etc etc instead of the formula they use over and over again.

Doubt I will watch anymore now until Saturday, I honestly got so bored last night I walked the dog twice during the show!

Regards

Bert

They learned a trick and did it. I dont see any talent involved - they did something that anyone could do and learn.

You could say that about juggling, dancing, playing the keyboard (Especially to an out of time standard) and many other things.

BUT not everyone can't do these things as they don't have timing, style and an idea for staging.

It's all talk from these people who say "Oh it's only...." who sit on their backside and could never even get on a stage leave along perform on one.

So the 'talent' is putting on an act where may people wouldn't know where to start.

of course they were robbed your not that nieve surely? the stupid acts will all go through so that the producers chosen winner will walk the finals. You cant have decent acts go through that could ruin the final outcome from the one that was chosen months ago.

Thats why they have the fail safe of down to the last 3, public fave goes through automatically and the judges choose the 2nd one to go through to make sure the chosen ones are in the final even though they bang on for 10 mins about how its all over to the public vote when its not becuase if it was the judges wouldnt have a vote at all.

I think they should have gone through over Jean - they were really good
It was exciting to watch, dangerous and I love Karen
I'm pretty sure that

So we'll be seeing you on next years show doing it will we?

You are not making the distinction between talent and inclination. Susan Boyle or Paul Potts is talent, magic acts are inclination.

The handcuffs (Hand shackles) are real and no velcro is used.
There are a lot of escapology techniques that people here do not know about and that's as it should be.

However, that does highlight the main problem with putting any magic act into a 2 minute time-slot. Normally you would have members of the audience on stage to check all the items first, but there is simply no time for that. What they did is all you can do under those circumstances.

Even with Derren Brown, he does a 2+ hour stage act, he doesn't come out and have to do something stunning in 2 minutes. He builds and builds to the climax of stunning performance.

Also there are a lot of great close-up magicians and mentalists who are very entertaining and do magic personally for you one on one with the magic sometimes happening right in your hand. But obviously totally unsuitable of this type of show.

All that can be done magically on a show like this is a wham bam thank you mam and get off.

And on that they delivered.

No some people have an inborn sense of presentation and timing which they had and the organist didn't!

People with no sense of timing and presentation can improve but they will never be as good as people who have those traits as a natural talent.

I laugh at people who say about these illusionists "Oh all they did was XYZ and anyone can do that" when there are so many bad magicians out there who can't do that, leave alone the general public.

Certainly the organist had no sense of timing and that is a most basic talent that you need before starting out in the music business.

Even within the magic community we have a lot of jealous gobby people who do a lot of talking but do nothing themselves.

The ability to critique bears no relation to the ability to mimic or outdo. It is a common reply "you cant do any better" but it is to fail to understand what a critique or a review is.

They were hardly going to be competition when they didn't even get the automatic final spot. I agreed with the judges, I really like Jean and find her act addictive. I was underwhelmed by the magic act.

You have stated that you didn't see any talent in the act and that all it is is just learning a trick. Now you as an intellectual critique can say anything you like as many times as you like, but so far you have not proved your case at all.

A review without substance is worthless. People should use Twitter if they just want to say things for no good reason.

Common on here are Wind Up Merchants who join up, act superior and talk down to others to start an argument with no substance to back up what they say.

it was the best act of the night they were robbed class act

i get jean is very infectious but its rubbish pub stuff its not a talent-i thought her playing was a bit off in some parts aswell

There is no talent to learning a trick and then gesticulating. That is why they got binned, the judges agree with me.

You have to let it go. Magic is about as entertaining as live tarot reading.

Are the only thing that has been exposed here is a WUM.

Thanks for trying.

I get it, you are a "magician" who has never had the breaks.


Have you considered the organ?

I've got a feeling I know how they performed that being trapped in a glass case with water illusion. I noticed that David seemed to hold up that curtain for quite a bit of time. Anyway, here's my take on it.

1. Karen gets in the box and the fellas 'lock it' shut. However, the lock can probably be opened from the top with a simple push from the roof of the case.

2. Once the curtain's first pulled up, Karen will probably get out of the glass water case and take her position.

3. David will have known how much time he's allowed until it starts becoming obvious as to what's going on, so once he drops down, he'll have to be super-quick getting into that case and closing it.


After that, all that's left to do is for Karen to pose for the audience.

That's what I think.