How to Become An Effective Illusionist with Plain Misdirection
In theatrical magic, misdirection is an art of deceit that draws audience attention to one item to distract them from something else. Controlling attention of the audience is the main goal of any theater, and the foremost requirement of all magic acts. If the magic is of an “pocket trick” variety or a large stage productionthat relies on misdirection, it is the primary secret. The term is used to describe either the result (the the focus of the observer on an object that is not important) or the sleight-of-hand and patter (the magician’s speech) that causes it.
It’s difficult to determine who coined the term, but an early mention of misdirection is found in the writings of a renowned author and illusionist named Nevil Maskelyne: Admittedly, it consists of misleading the senses of the audience to hide from detection certain details in which confidentiality is essential. At the same time, magician, writer, artist and performer Harlan Tarbell noted, Nearly everything about illusion relies on this art of misdirection.
A few magicians who have studied and developed misdirection techniques include Max Malini, Tommy Wonder, Derren Brown, Juan Tamariz, Tony Slydini and Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as a manipulation of interest.
Some magicians divert attention of the audience by using two fundamental ways. One causes the audience to glance away for a brief moment, so they don’t detect some trick or movement. Another approach alters the viewers’ perceptions, leading them to believe that something else can be a factor in the performance when it really isn’t a factor in the effect at all. Dariel Fitzkee notes that The real talent of the magician is in the skill he exhibits in influencing the minds of the viewers. Additionally, sometimes a prop such as magic wands aids in distraction.
Misdirection is the foundation of nearly all successful illusions. Without it, even the a mechanical gimmick or the most adept sleight-of-hand is unlikely to create the illusion of genuine magic.
Misdirection uses the limits of human brains to create a false picture and memory. The brain of a typical person in the audience can only concentrate on one thing at the time. The magician makes use of this technique to alter the audience’s ideas or perceptions of sensory input, leading them to false conclusion.
Many magicians have debated over the usage of the term, misdirection, causing a great deal of discussion regarding what it is and how it operates. The exceptional magician Jon Finch made a distinction in misdirection from direction. The first is a negative phrase, and the other positive. Ultimately, he equates both as one thing. If a performer, by some means, has directed the thoughts of the viewers to believe that he did something he hasn’t done, he has wrongly led them to believe this; hence, misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed out that it is much more effective, from the magician’s viewpointto focus on the positive aim of directing attention to the audience. He writes that misdirection suggests wrong direction. It implies that attention is diverted away from something. Through constant use of this phrase, it eventually becomes so it is ingrained into our brains that we begin to see misdirection as taking the attention away from instead of toward something.
Tony Slydini said that if the magician believe that, the audience will believe it, and magicians are something that they cannot observe. The trick is to believe in what the magician is doing and follow the magician. resource on misdirection