In the world of theatrical illusion, misdirection is a form of deception in which the performer attracts attention of the audience to a certain item to distract them from something else. Controlling attention of the audience is the main goal of any performances, and the most important need of any magic act. It doesn’t matter if the magic is an “pocket trick” variety or a large stage production that relies on misdirection, it is the primary key to the success. The term refers to either the result (the eye’s attention being drawn to an unimportant object) or the sleight of hands and patter (the magician’s speech) which creates the illusion.
It is difficult to say who was the first person to coin the phrase, however the first reference to misdirection can be found in the writing of a renowned writer and illusionist, Nevil Maskelyne: Admittedly, it is a method of distracting the senses of the audience to block out from detection certain details in which confidentiality is essential. Around the same time, magician, artist and author Tarbell noted, Nearly all the art of illusions is based on this art of misdirection.
Many magicians who have studied and evolved techniques for misdirection are Leipzig, Malini, Tommy Wonder, Derren Brown, Tamariz, Tony Slydini and Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central conjuring process as a manipulating interest.
Some magicians can divert attention from the audience by using two fundamental ways. One causes the audience to look away for a fleeting moment, so that they do not notice a sleight or move. The other approach re-frames the perception of the audience, lulling them to believe that an extraneous factor has much to do with the accomplishment of the feat even though it isn’t a factor in the outcome in any way. Fitzkee explains that the most effective magic is the ability he exhibits in influencing the spectators mind. In addition, sometimes, props such as a magic wand aids in misdirection.
Misdirection is at the heart of most successful illusions. Without it, even the a mechanical prop or the most proficient sleight-of-hand is not likely to create the illusion of true magic.
Misdirection makes use of the limitations of human brains to give the wrong picture and memory. The brain of a typical audience member can only concentrate on one thing at a time. The magician uses this to manipulate the viewers’ thoughts or perceptions of sensory input, leading them to 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.
The distinguished illusionist Jon Finch
drew a distinction in misdirection from direction. 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, by some means, has directed the thoughts of the viewers to believe that he has done something he hasn’t done, he has wrongly directed them into this belief and, consequently, misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed out that it is much more efficient, from a magician’s viewpoint to focus on the purpose of directing attention to the audience. He states that misdirection is an untrue direction. It suggests that attention is diverted away from something. Through constant use of this phrase, it eventually becomes so embedded in our minds that we begin to think that misdirection is directing attention away from rather than toward something.
Slydini explained that if the magician believe that, the audience will believe in it, and magic is something they don’t see. Misdirection is true when they believe what the magician does and then follows the magician. misdirection website