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…
All about Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
