In theatrical magic, misdirection is a form of deception where the performer attracts attention of the audience to a certain object to divert attention from another. Controlling attention of the audience is the main goal of any theatre, and is the primary requirement of all magic acts. If the magic is of the “pocket trick” variety or a large stage production, misdirection is the central secret. The term is used to describe either the result (the observer’s focus on the unimportant object) or the sleight of hands or the patter (the magician’s speech) that causes the illusion.
It’s hard to pinpoint who coined the term, but an early reference to misdirection appears in the writings of a renowned performer and writer, Nevil Maskelyne. it is a method of distracting the viewer’s senses in order to screen from being aware of certain information that require secrecy. Around the same time, the magician and artist Tarbell noted, Nearly the whole art of illusions is based on the art of misdirection.
Magicians who have studied and developed misdirection techniques include Jon Finch, Malini, Derren Brown, Tommy Wonder, Juan Tamariz, Tony Slydini, as well as Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as manipulation of interest.
Some magicians divert attention of the audience in two primary ways. One causes the audience to look away for a fleeting moment, so that they do not notice a act or gesture. Another approach alters the audience’s perception, distracting them to believe that something else is a significant factor in the performance even though it has no bearing on the effect at all. Fitzkee explains that the true skill of the magician is in the skill he exhibits in influencing the minds of the viewers. In addition, sometimes, props such as magic wands aids in distraction.
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Misdirection uses the limits of human brains to present a false image and memory. The brain of a typical spectator can only focus on one thing at a time. The magician uses this to influence the perceptions or ideas of the audience of sensory input and lead them to make false conclusion.
Many magicians have debated over the usage of the term, “misdirection,” causing many discussions about the meaning of it and how it functions.
Master magician Jon Finch
drew a distinction in misdirection from direction. The first is a negative phrase, and the other positive. In the end, he considers both as one thing. If a performer, by any means, has led the mind of his viewers to believe that he’s done something that he’s not accomplished, he has incorrectly guided them into that belief which is why he has misdirected them.
Tommy Wonder has pointed out that it’s more efficient, from a magician’s viewpoint to focus on the positive aim of directing the attention of the audience. He writes that misdirection implies wrong direction. It implies that attention is directed away towards something. When we keep using this term it becomes it is ingrained into our brains that we may begin to see misdirection as taking attention away from rather than towards something.
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Slydini explained that if the magician believes it, 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 then follow the magician. site