Michael Carbonaro is the Magic Clerk

From time to time on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Michael Carbonaro does a segment as the Magic Clerk in a convenience store. I think that he also does some other segments in different locations. My question: Is he doing what we see on camera or is he aided by special camera work or by assistants?

I've never seen it before, so I watched a couple of videos on youtube. I only saw one item (which I will not name) that I do not know how to do without an assistant (not a stooge). That is not to say that Carbonaro doesn't know how, but I don't.

Some of the things he does are just to see if the counter customer is paying attention, like switching tee-shirts. Some are tricks similar to what many good magicians do. But a few seem to need some sort of assistance.

Speedskater said:

Some of the things he does are just to see if the counter customer is paying attention, like switching tee-shirts.

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I saw one of those. That kind of stuff is fun, especially if the customer notices but says nothing.

Speedskater said:

Some are tricks similar to what many good magicians do.

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On at least one effect (the $100 bill disguised as a $1 or $5 bill), I loved the idea but thought his execution was poor. Then again, he wasn't in an environment in which people were expecting a trick, so it was obviously sufficient.

Speedskater said:

But a few seem to need some sort of assistance.

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There are many, many magical effects that appear to require assistance but which in reality do not. That's why I'm careful to say that I don't know how to do it without an assistant, but the performer very well may. I'm pretty knowledgeable on this stuff, but I still get fooled.

There did seem to be some judicious use of camera angles, but I think they did a decent job of recreating what the "victim" would have experienced.

He's got his own show: http://www.trutv.com/shows/the-carbonaro-effect/index.html

It appears that much of what he does isn't strictly "magic" (as was mentioned above), but is still entertaining (to me).