In theatrical magic, misdirection is a method of deceit that attracts attention of the audience to a certain thing to distract it from the other. Managing audience attention is the aim of all theatre, and is the primary prerequisite for all magic shows. Whether the magic is of a “pocket trick” variety or an extensive stage productionthat relies on misdirection, it is the primary secret. The term is used to describe either the effect (the the focus of the observer on the unimportant object) or the sleight-of-hand and patter (the magician’s speech) which creates it.
It is difficult to say who first coined the phrase, however the first mention of misdirection is found in the writings of a renowned writer and magician named Nevil Maskelyne. it is a method of distracting 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 Tarbell noted, Nearly everything about sleight-of-hand depends on the art of misdirection.
Many magicians who have researched and refined misdirection techniques are Max Malini, Derren Brown, Juan Tamariz, Tony Slydini, Tommy Wonder along with Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as manipulating interest.
Many magicians misdirect audience attention in two primary ways. One causes the audience to look away for a fleeting moment, so that they aren’t aware of a sleight or move. Another approach alters the audience’s perception, distracting them into thinking that something else can be a factor in the success of the trick but it actually has no bearing on the outcome in any way. Fitzkee notes that The true skill of the magician is the ability that he displays in manipulating the minds of the viewers. Additionally, sometimes a prop like a magic wand aids in distraction.
Misdirection is at the heart of nearly all successful magic. Without misdirection, even most skilled sleight-of-hand or mechanical device is not likely to make an impression of real magic.
Misdirection makes use of the limitations of human brains to create a false picture and memory. The brain of a typical audience member can only concentrate on only one thing at a given 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 plenty of debate about the meaning of it and how it works. Proficient magician Jon Finch identified a difference between direction and misdirection. The first is a negative phrase, while the other is a positive. In the end, he considers the two as the same thing. If a performer any means, has led the minds of his audience to conclude that he has done something which he has not done, he has wrongly directed them into this beliefand, consequently, misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed that it’s more effective, from the magician’s perspective, to concentrate on the goal of directing the audience’s attention. He writes that misdirection suggests wrong direction. It implies that attention is directed away towards something. When we keep using this term, it eventually becomes so embedded in our minds that we might start to perceive misdirection as directing the attention away from instead of toward something.
Slydini explained that if the magician believe that, the audience will believe it and magicians are something that they cannot see. The trick is to believe what the magician does and then follow the magician. references