In theatrical magic,misdirection can be described as a method of deceit in which the performer attracts attention of the audience to a certain thing to distract it from the other. Controlling attention of the audience is the aim of all performances,and the most important requirement of all magic acts. If the magic is of the “pocket trick” variety or an extensive stage production,misdirection is the central secret. The term describes either the result (the eye`s attention being drawn to an unimportant object) or the sleight-of-hand or patter (the magician`s voice) that causes it.
It`s hard to pinpoint who first coined the phrase,however an early reference to misdirection appears in the writing of a renowned illusionist and author,Nevil Maskelyne: Admittedly,it consists of misleading the senses of the audience to hide from being aware of certain information for which secrecy is required. The same time,the magician,artist and author Tarbell noted,Nearly all the art of sleight-of-hand depends on this art of misdirection.
A few magicians who have researched and evolved techniques of misdirection includes Jon Finch,Max Malini,Derren Brown,Tommy Wonder,Tamariz,Slydini and Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as a manipulation of interest.
A few magicians misdirect audience attention in two primary ways. One leads the audience to glance away for a brief time,so that they aren`t aware of a sleight or move. The other method alters the viewers` perceptions,leading the audience into believing that something else has much to do with the performance even though it has no bearing on the result in any way. Fitzkee explains that the real talent of the magician is in the talent that he displays in manipulating the mind of the audience. Additionally,sometimes a prop such as a magic wand aids in distraction.
Misdirection is the foundation of most successful illusions. Without misdirection,even the a mechanical gimmick or the most proficient sleight-of-hand is unlikely to manufacture the illusion of real magic.
Misdirection uses the limits of human brains to present a false image and memory. The brain of an average person in the audience can only concentrate on one thing at a time. The magician makes use of this to influence the audience`s ideas or perceptions of sensory inputand lead them to make false conclusion.
Many magicians have debated the meaning of the term,”misdirection,” causing many discussions regarding what it is and how it works. The accomplished illusionist Jon Finch identified a difference between direction and misdirection. One being a negative termas opposed to the other,positive. In the end,he sees the two as the same thing. If a performer any means,has led the minds of the viewers to believe that he`s done something he hasn`t accomplished,he has incorrectly led them to believe this; hence,misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed that it`s more effective,from the magician`s point of view,to concentrate on the goal of directing the attention of the audience. He writes that misdirection implies wrong direction. It implies that attention is diverted towards something. When we keep using this termthe idea eventually becomes embedded in our minds that we may begin to think that misdirection is directing attention away from rather than towards something.
Tony Slydini explained that if a magician believes it,the audience will believe it and the magic they can`t see. The trick is to accept what the magician says and follow the magician. misdirection references
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