Misdirection

[AsherF]

Why is it so hard for much of us to create misdirection for our spectators? We read books and essays on it constantly (a good many of us do anyway). We go home, the streets, the malls, the parks, wherever, and we apply these techniques we learn to real life scenarios and we practice. They say that the mind of our spectator is not easily fooled. Which is true, You can not easily fool the spectator of what they have just seen. you can't clearly show someone a carrot and one second later try to convince them that they just saw an apple. Okay, you possibly could, I won't judge you, but it would be very difficult.

I tried an experiment. I set my focus on a small spot on the wall. A spot that I could easily and clearly define, if I were to jump around in a circle, do a handstand, go away backpacking in Europe for a month, then return, I could locate the spot. black spot on a white wall if you will. I asked someone if they could stick their finger onto the spot. I set my focus onto the tip of their finger that covered the spot. I took some time to concentrate on the finger. I then had them lift their hand away while my eyes stayed focused in the same optical position that they were before. Then, after a few seconds, I had them put their finger back over the same spot. As we would probably assume from this, is that my eyes had to refocus themselves on the finger, even though it was on the exact same spot where my eyes were focused the entire time.

Many lessons can be learned from this. One of them, is that I spend too much time with my mind on pointless theories. But another is that our focus, no matter how intelligent we might be, can easily be thwarted. Even if we don't move our eyes for a second. Even if we don't blink. If we are burning the same spot to the point where we would not miss a single event that took place in that spot. But if you think about it, my focus did change like I mentioned before.

We worry so much about people burning our hands when we're trying to complete a pass and ditch a gimmick or a duplicate. Is there no other psychology that we can use to thwart what the spectator focuses on when they burn our hands and for some unknown reason we can't get them to look away?

Just a late night thought for discussion.

 

[Jack]

Speak from your own experience. You use the word "we" alot and it might not be the same for others. I personally don't find it that hard to create misdirection. I have found it to be true that people look where the performer looks. If I have a difficult sleight to perform and I feel the spectator is burning my hands I look at their face/eyes and wait for them to look at me. I fill the pause in the routine with patter of course. When their eyes meet mine I perform the sleight. They will look up at you.
There is tension created at the beginning of a trick. The audience knows something magical is about to happen so they watch intently so they don't miss anything. If you want to get the attention away from your hands break the tension in the audience. Relax your stance, gesture with your hands, take a "break" during the trick. This breaks down their defences a little and makes them think there is nothing to look at during that time/ nothing to "catch you doing". They will look at your face and listen to anything you have to say.

Cheers!

 

[magic_slave]

For my opinion, misdirection is not something that is hard to do, it will only take a few tries to get it on hand, but the only key is TIMING.

If you find it hard, here's my little piece of advice/thoughts:

1) You would want to always want to imagine that your spectator(s) is a camera. And there is always a frame from a camera. U would be the cameraman and thats where u call the frame to be.

2) Throughout your trick that you are performing, you would always want your spectator to register pictures into their mind. Pictures that you don't want them to remember is where your misdirection and sleight of hand comes.

3) Sleights of the trick should be done on the second that you misdirect your spectator(s).

4) Learn alternate handling of your sleights if possible, since they are burning on your hands you wouldn't want to execute the sleight, it will only flash or ruin the trick.

5) Reading books will not make your misdirection better, perform more to gain experience.

Hope that helps

 

[AsherF]

I say WE, not with the intention of implying ALL, but rather, to imply the group of those who can relate to the issue. And I noted that in the "(a good many of us anyway)" and I don't think this aspect is much needed to discuss.

And I also mention WE, so as to imply a plural, because with a 2 minute search you can find countless threads on what to do if the spectator is burning your hands.

And while I do realize that misdirection is actually quite easy, I was trying to bring in some alternative thinking to the idea. Not the technique of completely bringing their attention elsewhere miles away from the sleight being executed, but rather, misdirect their focus within the square inch that they are burning.

 

[JDENredden]

Just say, look over there a bird.

J.

 

[Jack]

And while I do realize that misdirection is actually quite easy, I was trying to bring in some alternative thinking to the idea. Not the technique of completely bringing their attention elsewhere miles away from the sleight being executed, but rather, misdirect their focus within the square inch that they are burning.

Aaron Fisher has a good sandwich routine in The Paper Engine that imploys this very idea.

I also like JDENredden's tactic.

 

[Magu Manu]

Just say, look over there a bird.

J.

Best post ever.

 

[Lyle Borders]

Just say, look over there a bird.

J.

My favorite is to say, as I point, "Look! A distraction!" It takes just long enough for the person to process what you said for you to get away with murder. Then it makes things awkward/funny.

L

 

[Nino]

Welllll, when I use misdirection I stare at my audicene eyes and we make eye conect(Espaically with the girls), and I pause for 3 seconds, thus giving me enough time to use a Sleight.

This help a lot when I do one trick of my. Try it out(Espaically with the gilrs) I did this last night at a party and her and I forgot about the trick.

 

[TeeDee]

Giving an instruction or asking a question is always good because it forces the spectator to divide their concentration. Even if their eyes are focussed on your hands, their mind simply can't be for that split-second.

My favourite one, when, for example, I want to do a pass and someone's burning my hands, is to look down at my hands myself, then say, "Now, watch very carefully", as I move my hands slightly towards them and look up at their face, executing the move on the word "watch". This seems so fair, as if I really want them to see what I'm doing, but the movement of my hands, and of my head which they will catch peripherally, added to the powerful command word "Now" followed by an instruction, is just enough to take away their focus.