Hidden in Plain Sight: An Archaeology of Magic and the Cinema

Colin Williamson Situates Film Within A Long Tradition Of Magical Practices That Combine Art And Science, Involve Deception And Discovery, And Evoke Two Forms Of Wonder--both Awe At The Illusion Displayed And Curiosity About How It Was Performed. Tracing The Overlaps Between The Worlds Of Magic And Filmmaking, Hidden In Plain Sight Examines How Professional Illusionists And Their Tricks Have Been Represented Onsecreen, While Also Considering Stage Magicians Who Have Stepped Behind The Camera, From Georges Méliès To Ricky Jay. Introduction: Watching Closely -- (de)mystifying Tricks: The Wonder Response And The Emergence Of The Cinema -- Quicker Than The Eye: Science, Cinema, And The Question Of Vision -- Second Sight: The Cinema As Seer -- The Enchanted Screen: Performing The Cinema's Illusion Of Life -- Digital Prestidigitation: The Eclipse Of The Cinema's Mechanical Magic -- Through Digital Eyes: Reanimating Early Cinema -- Conclusion: Other Obscurities And Illuminations. Colin Williamson. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.