How do they do that? - Freeing a cable

[Pamela]

The first item on this video shows a trapped cable being freed is a bit of a con but what is it that makes the trick work?

[Chris Hogg]

Play it on slow motion and watch very closely as he pulls the cable free, right at the last moment the cable passes _through_ the crossbar. But how the visual illusion or filming is done, if that's what you're asking, I don't know. Some sort of video version of photoshop I expect.

[GB]

I humbly beg to differ. There's no video trickery. I can't explain, but it may be clearer if you try it.

It's a bit like taking your T shirt off without removing your pullover. :)

[Pancho]

Yep , if the line disappearing to the bottom the image was above of the loop you would be able to slide the loop under the bar.

So the problem is getting the bottom wire above the loop, rather than under it. Which is pretty easy to see how to do.

It's the type of thing they might ask in an IQ test.

I've no idea if I would have passed or failed, because I watched the video first. :-)

[Pamela]

I was going to try by copying in real life the setup shown in the video.

I reckoned it should be easy enough to see the "topology" of the cable but I found it wasn't!

[Pamela]

Surely the illustrated trick can only work if the cable was truly above the bar, albeit twisted around into some other shape.

[Andy Burns]

Try it, it works (provided you get your twists correct).

[Pancho]

You don't need any twists, that is misdirection.

Just push the bottom wire along to the plug, lift it over the plug.

Then pull the plug.

[Dave W]

That's exactly it! I recorded this and played it back frame by frame - there is no video trickery - the only trick is making it look like the cable is knotted round the frame in the first place.

[tony sayer]

Just tried it here frame by frame and Yep!, it does work as the vid shows it to!....

[Andy Burns]

I counted the number of passes under/over the bar etc, maybe if I knew the nomenclature of knots such as bends and bights, loops and turns etc, it would help describe it?

[alan_m]

The cable is not just under that metal table support it is wrapped around it. There is no fix if the cable was just trapped under the table support.