Practicing Misdirection

CAndrew

Elite Member
Jan 12, 2011
267
0
I need some help practicing tricks that require misdirection like the two card monte. The issue is I will usually practice with my brother who mainly helps me out in terms of telling me which presentation/patter he prefers, etc. But if I mess up the misdirection(which I will because I'm still practicing), whoever I am practicing with learns why the misdirection is needed and the next time I try to practice they know what to look for and so the whole point of misdirection is nullified.

My question is how can I practice misdirection, because I'm not very confident when it comes to doing any trick that requires misdirection right now, but I find many that do use it get great reactions.
 
Hey, LOOK OVER THERE!!!

You just practice. The better you get at the moves and trick, the more you can focus on patter and misdirection. Also, the more you do it, the better your timing will be, which means your misdirection will be more crisp.
 

CAndrew

Elite Member
Jan 12, 2011
267
0
Hey, LOOK OVER THERE!!!

You just practice. The better you get at the moves and trick, the more you can focus on patter and misdirection. Also, the more you do it, the better your timing will be, which means your misdirection will be more crisp.

Yes but how do I practice? I can't just go out and flash the trick everytime I perform. And because of the reason stated in my first post I have a limited amount of people to practice with.
 
Here are some tips for misdirecting your audience.

Say their name. Most people will look up when you say their name which will give you an adequate amount of time to do 'the move.'

Look up. Believe it or not, when you look up, they look up. If they don't look up immediately, wait for them. Just don't say anything and keep looking at them. It's quite a funny thing to see once you learn how to 'command' them to look wherever you want.

Stop moving your hands. When you stop moving your hands look up and then you'll see the people looking at you. They either thing you stopped moving your hands to talk too them, or are going to do something else with them.

I hope some of the other guys tune in!

Mehar
 

CAndrew

Elite Member
Jan 12, 2011
267
0
Here are some tips for misdirecting your audience.

Say their name. Most people will look up when you say their name which will give you an adequate amount of time to do 'the move.'

Look up. Believe it or not, when you look up, they look up. If they don't look up immediately, wait for them. Just don't say anything and keep looking at them. It's quite a funny thing to see once you learn how to 'command' them to look wherever you want.

Stop moving your hands. When you stop moving your hands look up and then you'll see the people looking at you. They either thing you stopped moving your hands to talk too them, or are going to do something else with them.

I hope some of the other guys tune in!

Mehar

Does this apply to spectators also? Since I've had curious passerbys come from the side to watch from maybe 2 yards away.
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
3
A Land Down Under
Misdirection is not something you can practice you have to practice by doing and figure out what works for you.

The best way too look at it is directing attention away rather than distraction.

With 2CM obviously the move you are talking about is the top change. The two options you have is either using a modifed TC more like a second deal. Or work on directing the attention to the card he is holding.

Another way this can be difficult to start with however once you are comfortable it will kill is using your left forearm to hide the work.

Basically as you point to the card in their hand with your deck hand do the TC whilst wrist killing. Moving you right hand back and your left hand forward adding a wrist kill and directing attention to their hands. Wth all that added together they cannot see anything.
 
Jan 21, 2011
38
0
All of the points that me her posted are great ways to direct the audiences attention. If you want to study audience direction further I would suggest buying the books of wonder. Not only do they contain great magic but they a full of this type of theory.

As far as practice goes you can start by trying to direct the attention of others in all the magic you do. Especially in tricks where it does not matter where they look or in non magical endevors as well. While you are doing normal activities and such. Once you can control their attention then start trying to apply those techniques to your presentations that require it.

Red
 
Sep 10, 2008
915
3
QLD, AUS
Watch videos of other magicians successfully performing tricks dependent on misdirection, then replicate them. Once you can comfortably perform them like that, start shaping the presentation so it's more you.
 

CAndrew

Elite Member
Jan 12, 2011
267
0
As far as practice goes you can start by trying to direct the attention of others in all the magic you do. Especially in tricks where it does not matter where they look or in non magical endevors as well. While you are doing normal activities and such. Once you can control their attention then start trying to apply those techniques to your presentations that require it.

Red

Surprisingly, I've never thought of that. I'll try that out the next time I do a trick. Thanks everyone for the advice and tips, I realy appreciate it.
 
Does this apply to spectators also? Since I've had curious passerbys come from the side to watch from maybe 2 yards away.

It depends how interested they are. If they stay for 10 seconds then walk off, they aren't even going to care or know about what you just did. If they stay there for a while, invite them in.. say your hi's and hello's, get there name, and then you can control them just like you control the other people.

I was at a gig a couple of months ago at a bar/lounge and one girl freaked out over two card monte. So then she grabbed everyone and made them form a semi-circle around me and her. She demanded, in a friendly tone, that I must show the same trick to everyone. I did the exact same thing. The DJ held the mic beside my face and then I proceeded by looking up, did the move, and nobody noticed.

Practice it at the mall to people who look really bored. Once you get it down it's really fun to do! A fantastic example of an expert at misdirection is Apollo Robbins. Search him up on youtube!

Mehar
 

CAndrew

Elite Member
Jan 12, 2011
267
0
It depends how interested they are. If they stay for 10 seconds then walk off, they aren't even going to care or know about what you just did. If they stay there for a while, invite them in.. say your hi's and hello's, get there name, and then you can control them just like you control the other people.

I was at a gig a couple of months ago at a bar/lounge and one girl freaked out over two card monte. So then she grabbed everyone and made them form a semi-circle around me and her. She demanded, in a friendly tone, that I must show the same trick to everyone. I did the exact same thing. The DJ held the mic beside my face and then I proceeded by looking up, did the move, and nobody noticed.

Practice it at the mall to people who look really bored. Once you get it down it's really fun to do! A fantastic example of an expert at misdirection is Apollo Robbins. Search him up on youtube!

Mehar

Apollo Robins is amazing when it comes to misdirection. While I do agree with your tips, but just to clarify, you shouldnt show the same trick more than once to the same group of people right? In your case it was only 1 person while a larger group hadn't seen it, but if you perform for 5 people and they all want it repeated, you shouldn't do it right? Please correct me if im wrong on this.
 
While I do agree with your tips, but just to clarify, you shouldnt show the same trick more than once to the same group of people right? In your case it was only 1 person while a larger group hadn't seen it, but if you perform for 5 people and they all want it repeated, you shouldn't do it right? Please correct me if im wrong on this.

You're spot on. You shouldn't repeat your trick to the same people, especially after a long time. If it's a good trick, people remember it in a funny way. They won't remember all the talking or the small moves. They'll just think that you gave them x and then it instantly changed into y.
 
Here are some tips for misdirecting your audience.

Say their name. Most people will look up when you say their name which will give you an adequate amount of time to do 'the move.'

Look up. Believe it or not, when you look up, they look up. If they don't look up immediately, wait for them. Just don't say anything and keep looking at them. It's quite a funny thing to see once you learn how to 'command' them to look wherever you want.

Stop moving your hands. When you stop moving your hands look up and then you'll see the people looking at you. They either thing you stopped moving your hands to talk too them, or are going to do something else with them.

I hope some of the other guys tune in!

Mehar

Also, asking a question is a good form of misdirection. Common courtesy dictates that when someone is speaking to you, you look at them. So, provided you have built up some sort of rapport with your spectator and haven't just decided to harass them in the street, they should look you in the eye. This works great with a crowd as well as everyone else will look at the person to see how they answer.

Of course, like I said, none of the above will work if you just attack somebody in the street and insist upon them seeing your card trick. You were rude to them, so they will be rude to you and the whole concept of polite eye contact and co-operation goes out the window.

Also, try and have something interesting going on elsewhere. A lot of magic these days seems to consist of people mumbling non-patter whilst staring at their own hands. If there is nothing interesting going on outside of you hands, such as an interesting story/presentation or a engaging personality, then why would the spectator want to look anywhere else?

Just My 2p.

Also, if you want to see some really good misdirection, then watch this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJJidnWFpLI

It's a bit 'magic for magicians' (even though James is also a very successful performer for laymen) but it just goes to show how you can create a great routine using practically ONLY misdirection.


Matt
 

RealityOne

Elite Member
Nov 1, 2009
3,744
4,076
New Jersey
The best way too look at it is directing attention away rather than distraction.

Also, try and have something interesting going on elsewhere. A lot of magic these days seems to consist of people mumbling non-patter whilst staring at their own hands. If there is nothing interesting going on outside of you hands, such as an interesting story/presentation or a engaging personality, then why would the spectator want to look anywhere else?

All you need to know is in those two posts.
 
Sep 1, 2007
1,395
8
37
Belgrade, Serbia
Also I would like to add the actuall way to practice.
Let's say you want to do the top change, and you want the audience to look up at you while you do the move. Well, this is what to do... Take any "self working trick" (ie. key card principle trick), and just as you are about to put their card in the middle or on top, pause. So now you have the deck in your left hand and their card in your right hand (assuming that you are right handed), which is the position for the top change. But, instead of doing top change, just relax at that point, look up, and ask them a question or say something. You will have no fear, since you are not going to do any sleights anyways, you are just relaxing. Then you will see if they will look up, or not, and what you actually have to do for them to look up.

So, to sum up, practice the misdirection during the tricks that does not require misdirection, but miming the position of your hands/cards as if you are about to do the sleight. Makes sense?
 
Jan 21, 2011
38
0
Another way to direct attention is to use you body to widen and shorten focus. This works best while sitting but can be used while standing as well. when you move an object closer to your audience and you lean in at the same time it tends to draw the attention in closer to the object. it shortens the focus to the object you are focusing in on. while this is happening something off focus can occur. You can go from this to a widened focus by visibly relaxing your body and move back a bit. This relaxes the audience and widens there focus. it is during this relaxation that you can do secret moves because no one suspects it and they are relaxed so their attention is usually scattered. combine this with other techniques to layer the direction of the attention so you can make your magic more powerful.

Practice this technique by adding points of relaxation and focus to your normal routines. You should try to alternate them and get a rhythm going, that will make the effect flow more smoothly. If you do not establish the rhythm then it could make the audience apprehensions because subconsciously they will now something is going on. It simply will feel off to them and it could be more off putting as well. getting them in a rhythm however will make them more susceptible to other attempts to direct there attention. Remember build a rapport to help them let their guard down, challenging brings their guard up and makes it harder to direct their attention. another benefit to setting up the rhythm is that during a point of relaxation in which nothing occurs you can scan the crowed to see if anyone is not relaxed and is burning your hands. this will let you know if you need to give more cover to the move and in what direction to give it or it gives you the person that you need to direct more energy towards during the secret move. Basically when you go to relax for the move you could look directly at him and ask him a question. He will look at you, you do the move knowing that the rest of the crowd is relaxed, and afterwords he will swear he was watching you like a hawk and you still blew it right past him.

Its funny what people believe when you know enough theory to really fool them.

Red
 
Jan 1, 2009
2,241
3
Back in Time
Eye Contact, talk to them (without mumbling), and learn to do the dirty work on the off beat. Also if they are burning your hands, simply wait a week as Malini would say.
 
Nov 15, 2007
1,106
2
35
Raleigh, NC
Like Rev said, it's essential to create enough of a rapport before you start your first trick (or during it) that your audience is reacting the way you want them to. If you just walk up and ask 'Wanna see a trick?' and then don't ask their names or any questions about them then you'll have no base to go back to.

While you're talking keep your attention focused on their faces and then ask a question that requires them to look away (Compliment their shoes, or as what's written on their shirt...) and make sure they look down or away. It'll help you direct them easier when you need to.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sep 9, 2010
294
0
Pretty much what everyone else has said, but one thing that is for sure, is that once you get good at it, you can do real miracles. last night for instance, Using misdirection, and trying to "find a card behind my back without looking" I managed to do a card in metal chap stick container, borrowed by the way. I had never thought of this effect before, I just saw the container and was like "lightbulb!"
 
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