No, it cannot be strings. For his body to throw such a small shadow, he would have had to be standing on or near the equator. The sign in the background, however, is an ad for 7 Est - a Romanian newspaper. As we know, Romania is located around 45 degrees north - halfway to the North Pole - where a body would never throw such a shadow, at any time in the day or year. So it must have been done by some other devious trick, but how, how?! I swear I will not rest until I learn your secret, you cursed Carpathian conjurer!