The Most Notable Illusionists
In theatrical magic,misdirection is an art of deceit that is able to draw attention of the audience to one thing to distract it from another. Managing audience attention is the aim of all performances,and the most important requirement of all magic acts. It doesn’t matter if the magic is an “pocket trick” variety or the stage is a major productionthat relies on misdirection,it is the primary element. The term describes either the effect (the observer’s focus on an object that is not important) or the sleight-of-hand or the patter (the magician’s speech) that creates the illusion.
It is difficult to say who coined the term,but the first reference to misdirection can be found in the writing of a renowned writer and performer,Nevil Maskelyne. it consists of misleading the viewer’s senses in order to screen from being aware of certain information that require secrecy. Around the same time,the magician,writer,artist and performer Harlan Tarbell noted,Nearly everything about illusions is based on this art of misdirection.
A few magicians who have researched and developed techniques of misdirection include Max Malini,Derren Brown,Juan Tamariz,Tony Slydini,Tommy Wonder,as well as Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the chief act of conjuring as manipulating interest.
A few magicians can divert attention from the audience in two primary ways. The first is to make the audience glance away for a brief moment,so they don’t detect some sleight or move. The other method alters the audience’s perception,distracting them into thinking that some other factor can be a factor in the success of the trick even though it has no bearing on the outcome in any way. Fitzkee explains that the real talent of the magician is in the skill of his performance in changing the minds of the viewers. Sometimes,a prop such as a magic wand aids in the misdirection.
Without mastery of
Misdirection uses the limits of human brains to create a false picture and memory. The mind of a typical audience member can only concentrate on one thing at the time. The magician uses this to manipulate the audience’s ideas or perceptions of sensory input,leading them to false conclusion.
Magicians have debated over the usage of the term,misdirection,causing many discussions about what it is and how it operates. Renowned magician Jon Finch identified a difference between misdirection and direction. One being a negative term,while the other is a positive. In the end,he considers the two as the same thing. If a performer,by some method,has influenced the mind of his audience to conclude that he has done something which he has not accomplished,he has incorrectly directed them into this belief; hence,misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed that it’s more effective,from the magician’s perspectivein focusing on the goal of directing attention to the audience. He writes that misdirection suggests wrong direction. It implies that attention is directed away from something. By constantly using this termit becomes it is ingrained into our brains that we may begin to see misdirection as taking the attention away from instead of towards something.
Slydini explained that if the magician believe that,the public will believe it and magicians are something that they cannot perceive. Misdirection is true when they accept what the magician says and follow the magician. read more info here