37 Behind-The-Scenes Movie Tricks That Prove Movies Are Magic

Movies are magic. Not the dark sorcery that causes kids to go to college to study Sociology or Creative Writing, but magic nonetheless. These behind-the-scenes movie tricks prove your eyes can’t be trusted. The film is about tricking your senses into believing you see Thanos commit genocide or that actors feel genuine emotions.

A magician uses sleight of hand, smoke, and mirrors to make the audience see what they did not see. Movie directors use the same techniques to make it feel like you just saw Keanu Reeves stop bullets with his hands.

1. Color correction and some dolly shots make The Matrix (1999) look better than the lobby they shot in.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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2. Dentures made Brando have jowls in The Godfather (1972)

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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3. If you’re using authentic glasses in the shot, ensure the reflection isn’t a bunch of people filming a movie. From Knives Out (2019).

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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4. I was shocked that Life of Pi (2015) didn’t use any actual pie while shooting.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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5. It took a lot of equipment that I don’t understand to make Thanos look natural onscreen.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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6. Titanic (1997) was filmed in a pool.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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7. Avengers: Endgame (2019) looked like the inside of a computer when they were shooting.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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8. I’m ready for my close-up, the guy who made Men In Black (1997)

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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9. Most of the original Star Wars used models but so did The Phantom Menace, a movie we try to forget ever happened.

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10. In Avengers Endgame (2019), it took a lot of work to make Mark Ruffalo look bigger than fat Thor.

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11. Now you finally know what was in the box in Pulp Fiction (1994).

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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12. The result in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) was cute.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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13. The crew, not the actors must drive the car in Baby Driver (2017)! I don’t even think about it while watching all the vroom, vrooms! I’m an idiot.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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14. They needed Bane to make the CGI dog in The Call Of The Wild (2020)

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15. The live-action version of Mulan was semi-animated.

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16. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) took a lot of work in post to make it look good.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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17. Not that many people could fit on Shutter Island

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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18. The Raptors from Jurassic World (2015) looked like Packers fans before they got some love from computer animators.

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19. The Invisible Man (2020) needed a real human body in there at one point.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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20. The great dog acting in I Am Legend (2007) was fake.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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21. POV: you’re a person watching E.T. (1982) get filmed.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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22. Most of a fake submarine was needed for the filming of The Hunt For Red October (1990)

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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23. Seems so much smaller when you look back at Back to The Future Part III (1990)

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24. Sadly, the actors playing Hermione and Ron were drowned during this take and replaced by their body doubles.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema

25. The sewer set for It.

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26. Someone got paid to push BB-8 in the new Star Wars movies.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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27. Painted Q-Tips replaced actual people in the crowd scenes of The Phantom Menace (1999).

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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28. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) was filmed in Hungary, a place more desolate than the setting of the movie.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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30. Actor Gary Sinise did not lose his legs for his role in Forest Gump (1994).

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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31. The triceratops in Jurassic Park (1993) was made of clay.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema

32. The self-drying jacket required many fans below Marty in Back To The Future II (1989)

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema

33. If you pause The Matrix, you can see how they got this shot.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema

34. Godzilla isn’t real. He’s a guy in a suit.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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35. The Grand Budapest Hotel was not grand, nor a hotel, nor was it in Budapest. Discuss.

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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36. Behind-the-scenes on the set of GoldenEye (1995)

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema
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37. The actual size of the ring from Lord of the Rings

Behind-the-scenes movies tricks, illusions used in movies, special effects, cool, interesting, film trivia, photos revealing the magic of cinema

h/t Reddit