What Exactly Is Misdirection
In theatrical magic, misdirection can be described as an art of deceit in which the performer attracts attention of the audience to a certain item to distract them from another. The ability to control attention from the audience is the main goal of any performances, and the most important requirement of all magic acts. It doesn`t matter if the magic is an “pocket trick” variety or an extensive stage production that relies on misdirection, it is the primary element. The term refers to either the effect (the eye`s attention being drawn to an object that is not important) or the sleight-of-hand or patter (the magician`s voice) that creates it.
It`s hard to pinpoint who was the first person to coin the term, but the first reference to misdirection can be found in the writing of a renowned author and illusionist named Nevil Maskelyne: Admittedly, it involves spooking the spectator`s senses, to hide from detection certain details that require secrecy. Around the same time, the magician and artist Harlan Tarbell noted, Nearly everything about illusion relies on the art of misdirection.
A few magicians who have researched and developed misdirection techniques includes Max Malini, Derren Brown, Tommy Wonder, Juan Tamariz, Tony Slydini along with Dynamo.
Henry Hay describes the chief act of conjuring as manipulating interest.
Many magicians divert attention of the audience in two primary ways. The first is to make the audience glance away for a brief moment, so they aren`t aware of a act or gesture. Another approach alters the perception of the audience, lulling the audience into believing that an extraneous factor is a significant factor in the performance even though it isn`t a factor in the effect at all. Fitzkee explains that the true skill of the magician is in the skill that he displays in manipulating the spectators mind. In addition, sometimes, props like magic wands aids in confusion.
Unless the magician use Misdirection makes use of the limitations of the human mind to present a false image and memory. The brain of a typical spectator can only focus on one thing at the time. The magician utilizes this technique to alter the viewers` thoughts or perceptions of sensory input and lead them to make false conclusions.
Many magicians have debated the use of the term, “misdirection,” causing many discussions about what it is and how it functions.
The accomplished magician Jon Finch identified a difference between direction and misdirection. One being a negative term, while the other is a positive. Ultimately, he equates the two as the same thing. If a performer some means, has directed the thoughts of the viewers to believe that he has done something which he has not done, he`s wrongly led them to believe this which is why he has misdirected them.
Tommy Wonder has pointed out that it`s more effective, from a magician`s viewpoint to focus on the positive aim of directing attention to the audience. He writes that misdirection suggests wrong direction. It suggests that attention is diverted away towards something. When we keep using this term, it eventually becomes so embedded in our minds that we begin to perceive misdirection as directing attention away from rather than toward something.
Slydini said that if the magician believes that, the audience will believe in it, and magicians are something that they cannot observe. It is true that people accept what the magician says and then follows the magician. more info on misdirection