In theatrical magic, misdirection can be described as a method of deceit in which the performer draws audience attention to one item to distract them from the other. The ability to control attention from the audience is the aim of all theater, and the foremost requirement of all magic acts. It doesn’t matter if the magic is a “pocket trick” variety or the stage is a major productionmisdirection is the main key to the success. The term refers to either the result (the the focus of the observer on an object that is not important) or the sleight of hands or the patter (the magician’s voice) which creates the illusion.
It is difficult to say who first coined the term, but the first reference to misdirection can be found in the writings of a renowned author and magician, Nevil Maskelyne. it is a method of distracting the viewer’s senses to block out from being aware of certain information that require secrecy. The same time, magician, artist and author Tarbell noted, Nearly everything about sleight of hand depends on the art of misdirection.
A few magicians who have researched and refined techniques for misdirection includes Leipzig, Malini, Derren Brown, Tommy Wonder, Juan Tamariz, Tony Slydini, along with Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as a manipulation of interest.
A few magicians can divert attention from the audience in two primary ways. One leads the audience to glance away for a brief moment, so that they don’t detect some trick or movement. Another approach alters the viewers’ perceptions, leading the audience into believing that something else has much to do with the success of the trick even though it has no bearing on the result in any way. Dariel Fitzkee says that the true skill of the magician is in the skill that he displays in manipulating the mind of the audience. Additionally, sometimes a prop such as magic wands aids in misdirection.
Misdirection is at the heart of nearly all successful magic. Without misdirection, even most skilled sleight-of-hand or mechanical device is unlikely to produce an illusion of genuine magic.
Misdirection makes use of the limitations of human brains to present a false image and memory. The brain of a typical audience member can only concentrate on only one thing at a given time. The magician uses this to manipulate the perceptions or ideas of the audience of sensory inputwhich leads them to incorrect conclusion.
A few magicians have debated the meaning of the termmisdirection, creating plenty of debate regarding what it is and how it operates. Expert magician Jon Finch made a distinction in misdirection from direction. One is a negative word, and the other positive. In the end, he considers both as one thing. If a performer any means, has led the mind of the audience to the conclusion that he has done something which he has not accomplished, he has incorrectly directed them into this beliefand, consequently, misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed out that it’s more efficient, from a magician’s viewpoint, to concentrate on the positive aim of directing attention to the audience. He writes that misdirection implies the wrong direction. It implies that attention is diverted away from something. By constantly using this termit becomes it is ingrained into our brains that we begin to perceive misdirection as directing the attention away from instead of toward something.
Slydini explained that if the magician believes it, the audience will believe it and the magic they can’t perceive. It is true that people believe in what the magician is doing and follow the magician. reference to misdirection
