Did you spot how this ‘extra’ in Birdman subtly helped Michael Keaton fly?
A clip from the Oscar-winning 2014 movie Birdman reveals how the on-screen magic happened

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You’d have to have more of an eagle eye than Birdman himself to pick up on this impressive sleight of hand – but look VERY closely at this clip of the 2014 Michael Keaton movie and you might spot the secret of this washed-up superhero’s power of flight.
The moment in BIRDMAN when a crew member, disguised as an extra, unhooks the wire allowing him to fly. Sometimes stage magic and filmmaking go hand in hand. pic.twitter.com/lA9BcoM3he
— C. Robert Cargill (@Massawyrm) February 26, 2018
Just as Keaton comes in to land and floats towards the ground, a couple of extras cross the road behind him.
But one of those “extras” is actually a crew member, who subtly unhooks the wire from the movie star’s back. Neither of them break their stride.
Screenwriter and film critic C Robert Cargill shared the clip, commenting: “sometimes stage magic and filmmaking go hand in hand.” The wire was later digitally removed.
Once you see how it’s done, it’s pretty mesmerising…