Misdirection well applied. Learn.

[RDChopper]

Please before reading see this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0grANlx7y2E

Now this was posted by Morgician ( a pretty smart guy who was around the forums and that I dont see around anymore) quite some time ago, and I found it pretty interesting, one of the main things that I hear about here in the forums is "misdirection"

"Misdirect this"

"Misdirect that"

But, do we really know how to misdirect? And by this I mean, being able of misdirect witouth giving the spectator the feeling that we are making him "look some other way so that we can pull the rabbit of the hat".

In the video they call it "Change Blindness" and the explanation "provided by wikipedia" is:

In visual perception, change blindness is the phenomenon that occurs when a person viewing a visual scene apparently fails to detect large changes in the scene. For change blindness to occur, the change in the scene typically has to coincide with some visual disruption such as a saccade (eye movement) or a brief obscuration of the observed scene or image. When looking at still images, a viewer can experience change blindness if part of the image changes.

We can use this to our advantage. And not only this, but several things to succesfully misdirect someone witouth giving the above emotion.

I think that we should add misdirection to our scripts (if you actually script your magic routines) we need to blend it with our routine and our patter so it doesn't feels out of the way.

That's partially some of my thoughts on the subject. I am kinda a funny guy and I smile a lot so that gives me a couple of seconds (when they are looking at me, not the cards) to do whatever I need to do in the moment, whatever it is a sleight or whatever.

This moments are spontaneus (When I smile and make jokes out of the blue, things like that) But I believe that If you script misidrection into your performance, it can enhance your magic quite a bit.

I want to hear from you guys, what do you think? And how can we apply " Change Blindness" to our magic? any ideas?

I'll give cookies if people reply to this thread

 

[CaseyRudd]

When I saw that it said "did you see the moonwalking bear?" i was stunned. I watched it again and was so stupid that i missed it. You perceive to only watch what white does because they tell you to think of white. You disregard black so you disregard the bear. Derren Brown did something similar to this once but forgot where the video is (it was a while ago). And please, give me my COOKIE!

-Casey

 

[Zac Eckstein]

If you get eye contact for a second you can do the WORST pass known to man and get away with it. How do I know? Well I can't do the pass right so misdirection is the right thing to make my pass better lol. Good post Raul.

- Zac

 

[SleightedMind]

Imo, we should direct somewhere. Never misdirect.
For instance, if you're one ahead, you can direct them to their selected card already under the box, and while they are acknowledging this, you can load the whole deck. You should check out material like Card under anything and Cups & Balls stuff. A lot of mis-direction is packed in here.

 

[Zac Eckstein]

I think it was Tommy Wondered who coined the phrase "Directing" as opposed to "Mis-Directing". Check out the books of wonder. There is a wealth of knowledge in those.

 

[Robert//Livingston]

Very good video and post RDC. Really made me think a lot on how we can we could expand upon this.

If I'm thinking correctly, wouldn't the effect be muddied up if we used this approach of misdirection? I've done effects where the people said "Oh you must have done something while I was watching you move your hands in different ways".

But then again, people aren't very aware of much.. Here's another video showing that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBPG_OBgTWg.

 

[Luis Vega]

interesting...I am gonna have to expand this for myself...

 

[chriswiehl]

well change blindess is much more than just the moonwalking bear gimmick. it happens with lots of things.

if you are not paying attention to something, you wont notice it change.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAnKvo-fPs0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voAntzB7EwE

those are 2 more examples of change blindness.

and there was recently a video on the media section dealing with this principle too

change blindness doesnt nessasarily have anything to do with magical misdirection, but you can apply some of these techniques to our magic.
like when you tell someone to look at something, and do something else.
thats a good example of it.

 

[RikAllen]

Imo, we should direct somewhere. Never misdirect.

Zac mentioned Tommy Wonder- I also believe Henry Hay has this ideal as well.

The theory is sound, if you tell someone not to do something (don't look there, look here) they'll do what you tell them not to. If you instead only tell them 'Hey look over here, this is where it's at!' they'll follow along. You of course would say these things subliminally, not literally.

Keith Barry has an excellent example in the beginning of his TED talk, "If I don't want you to look at my right hand, then I don't look at it. However if I wanted you to, then I would." (Paraphrased from memory) It's important to note that I looked at his right hand when he was telling us how he does what he does. It's human nature.

This is why so many people get caught palming with perfect technique. They always double check their hand and their spectators follow their gaze, giving that they're hiding 'something' away.

Change blindness is similar and fun to toy with, Darren Brown used it in his stage show (Gorilla taking the banana) as well as his above video. The key is to have an anchor, when he was switching on the street he had a map, and the guy who came back had a map and was asking the same questions-why would your brain even think it was a different person?

 

[RDChopper]

I also remember Aaron Fisher talking about something that I found really interesting:

He talks about how people can jump back and forward between thoughts, but they cannot think two things at once, and how we can use this to our advantage.

I have used this quite a lot and it's really useful if you think about it, for example, I used to have problems in a transposition that I do, where I lay a card in their hand and then transpose it with another, and I was having the problem that people usually tend to turn the card over.

What did I do? I applyed Aaron Fisher's theory and it worked. I simply gave them a little task to do while I continued with the effect like:

"Try to keep your hand flat, and your thumb curled in this position, It needs to be that way, or otherwise this will not work"

I think it also enhances the effect, in their mind (when the effect occurs) they are thinking things like "How could my little finger curled like that could help him to magically change cards? is this a underground hand position that allow this kind of things?"

And they do think this kind of things because they have asked me .

Also, I have a pair of effects where I need to palm cards, and I usually failed when they noticed my horrible palm. As above, I fixed that by giving the spectator in question a little task, like, "hold the deck this way, I want you to see it close up..."

And Bam! Card to bra.

Misdirection can work wonders for your magic

 

[praetoritevong]

If I'm thinking correctly, wouldn't the effect be muddied up if we used this approach of misdirection? I've done effects where the people said "Oh you must have done something while I was watching you move your hands in different ways".

Nice post Raul. I wanted to jump in here and add something on this point.

One of the biggest mistakes with beginners in coin magic performing effects such as a coin matrix is exactly this. Done poorly, the effect ceases to be magical, but instead becomes a frustrating game of "Catch me if you can" - except that the spectator never can, but instead cannot escape from a claustrophobic feeling that they are always looking at the wrong place.

This sort of feeling places the mind firmly on method, and therefore diminishes magic.

As to how it pertains to magic and misdirection, I think the lesson here is that misdirection, or direction, if you prefer Tommy Wonder's term, is very different from "LOOK! A BEAR!" It should be done naturally, smoothly, and usually, not too fast. A spectator, otherwise, will realise that they are looking the wrong way. Attention should be directed with clarity.

 

[KeoSilver]

You know I really do not like the word "Misdirection" Why? Well it is simple, I am not misdirecting my spectators, I am directing them to where I want them to be not accidently directing their attention elsewhere.

Like for example in the video, you are directed to count the amount of passes the white team does. You do that and pay no attention to the other players or bear, until you are told that they're there. To bring it back to magic, it is like a thumb tip. Am I misdirecting people from seeing the tip there on my thumb making it two times longer? Nope, I am just not drawing any attention to my hands and instead directing the audience to focus on something completely unrelated to my thumbs. What you're spectators don't know about might as well be invisible.

Just some thoughts from my tangled brain.

 

[scarecrow1]

I think misdirection is something you can only learn well from experience. You can read it in books, or elsewhere, but I think it comes down to your personal experience.

As for "direction", I think we're just playing around with words now. It's the same thing as misdirection, it's just that the word "direction" gives a different feeling and sounds a bit more positive, but it's not any different from misdirection. With misdirection, you are directing their attention on an object, away from the dirty work. With "direction", you are directing their attention on an object, away from the dirty work. See a similarity?

Nice thread. Nice topic.


Cheers

 

[RikAllen]

I think misdirection is something you can only learn well from experience. You can read it in books, or elsewhere, but I think it comes down to your personal experience.

Quoted for truth. The more you perform the more you're able to differentiate between good misdirection and bad misdirection.


As for direction/misdirection, in the magic community many things are like this. Color Change//Transformation (which seems more accurate). Double lifts and Double turnovers. Script vs Patter...

I think the difference stems from 'don't look here' to 'look over here'. While misdirection is the same as direction when done properly, too many people think of it in terms of making someone look away, not making someone look towards something.

Edit:: On a side note...

The motivation behind the direction or misdirection will dictate effectiveness. I do a double card to pocket, the second card is loaded when the first one is being pulled from my pocket. How do you load a pocket? Turn your body so no one can see your hand drop it in!
Why do you turn your body? To openly reveal the first selection!
If I randomly turned 90* and tried to load a card everyone would notice what I was doing, it wouldn't help. You need logical (even if it's illogical) motivation for your actions, including misdirection.

 

[KeoSilver]

I think misdirection is something you can only learn well from experience. You can read it in books, or elsewhere, but I think it comes down to your personal experience.

As for "direction", I think we're just playing around with words now. It's the same thing as misdirection, it's just that the word "direction" gives a different feeling and sounds a bit more positive, but it's not any different from misdirection. With misdirection, you are directing their attention on an object, away from the dirty work. With "direction", you are directing their attention on an object, away from the dirty work. See a similarity?

Nice thread. Nice topic.


Cheers

I see your Call and raise it with more opinion. Poker references FTW

If direction and misdirection are the same thing, then why is the prefix mis added to direction? Mis as a prefix to me means to miss something, like in the words misrepresent, misinterpret, etc. Sure, misdirection is causing the spectators to miss an action but is it really a missed direction? The performer is Purposefully Directing their participants away from what they do not want them to see. Nothing missed about it. Also yes I am debating something silly, but I was just expanding onto why I dislike the term "Misdirection".

I think the difference stems from 'don't look here' to 'look over here'. While misdirection is the same as direction when done properly, too many people think of it in terms of making someone look away, not making someone look towards something.

Right! It isn't, look over there a bird! Though that would work, it is incredibly fishy and probably will not work to well. But if you say, "Reach into my pocket." Turns body and waits until the participant grabs the card out of the pocket to take the body load of a can of coke out.

 

[Nino]

I think misdirection is something you can only learn well from experience. You can read it in books, or elsewhere, but I think it comes down to your personal experience.

As for "direction", I think we're just playing around with words now. It's the same thing as misdirection, it's just that the word "direction" gives a different feeling and sounds a bit more positive, but it's not any different from misdirection. With misdirection, you are directing their attention on an object, away from the dirty work. With "direction", you are directing their attention on an object, away from the dirty work. See a similarity?

Nice thread. Nice topic.


Cheers

You are right scarecrow you do learn misdirection by experience only. Like you said you can read so many books about misdirection, but you won't truly understand until you have use it in your performances. Its like the video. I'm a magicans that knows about misdirection and that video of the black bear full the crap out of me. We are magicans and I knwo for a fact that alot of people were stunned by the video.

So imagine, we as magicans were fool by the video, we can use this to perform impossible magic. like RDChopper said we can even perform Card to Bra. So this is where, we as magicans, needs to got out and perform so we can get the experience and try to perform that magic that is truly magic. If we have that misdirection we can bring in a elephantl if we wanted too.

Gread thread RDChopper!

 

[wZEnigma]

Keo is right about direction. End of story.

This is a great thread. Well done. I was fooled as well. You could also apply this theory to a color changing deck routine. You'd be surprised at how often you can get away with things based on directing the spectator elsewhere.

Also, Vernon said confusion isn't magic, and I agree. But I've found momentarily confusing and/or making the spectator busy elsewhere works wonders.

Ian

 

[scarecrow1]

I see your Call and raise it with more opinion. Poker references FTW

If direction and misdirection are the same thing, then why is the prefix mis added to direction? Mis as a prefix to me means to miss something, like in the words misrepresent, misinterpret, etc. Sure, misdirection is causing the spectators to miss an action but is it really a missed direction? The performer is Purposefully Directing their participants away from what they do not want them to see. Nothing missed about it. Also yes I am debating something silly, but I was just expanding onto why I dislike the term "Misdirection".

Misdirection (correct me if I'm wrong) is just a term magicians use. I'm not sure if it's even used other than in our "magical" vocabulary. Maybe the guy who coined "misdirection" just didn't name it the right thing? I still say misdirection and direction are the same thing when properly understood, but maybe misdirection wasn't named correctly when it was first "created"?

Keo is right about direction. End of story.


Ian

Not necessarily. I truly do think they are the same thing. The true meaning of misdirection when truly understood, is to direct someones attention on something, off of the dirty work. If I'm wrong, then tell me why I'm wrong, not just "keo's right. End of story.

 

[KeoSilver]

Misdirection (correct me if I'm wrong) is just a term magicians use. I'm not sure if it's even used other than in our "magical" vocabulary. Maybe the guy who coined "misdirection" just didn't name it the right thing? I still say misdirection and direction are the same thing when properly understood, but maybe misdirection wasn't named correctly when it was first "created"?

No it is in my vocabulary and is used when I get tired of using the word, Diversion. Yes I do feel that the term is coined wrong, which is why I do not like it. Well give me some examples of how direction and misdirection are the same. Throw out some scenarios. I'll help you along:

A scenario using the word Misdirection. "I will set this bomb off in the west wing to cause a misdirection, while your squad storms and clears the east wing. Hua? Hua!"

A scenario using the word Direction, err the meaning of direction. "Sir, it appears that the opposing forces have started to move to the rendezvous point as we directed in the ransom note." Great, prepare your squad to storm the east wing and prepare for an ambush."

Misdirection is more of a distraction then it is a controlled direction. I think most would agree that when you are performing you'd rather use a controlled direction then a distraction or diversion when performing a vital move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guLiepreJxw

Misdirection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po8fvUXAvDA
Controlled Direction




Not necessarily. I truly do think they are the same thing. The true meaning of misdirection when truly understood, is to direct someones attention on something, off of the dirty work. If I'm wrong, then tell me why I'm wrong, not just "keo's right. End of story.

Good, I'd rather have people feel I am not completely right and then combat it. I do not feel I am one hundred percent right either. ^^

 

[scarecrow1]

Good, I'd rather have people feel I am not completely right and then combat it. I do not feel I am one hundred percent right either. ^^

I totally get you, but I think you're talking the word "misdirection" too literally. Like I said, I think the word was coined incorrectly. The meaning behind the word "misdirection" is the important thing, not what the word looks like it means. True, well performed misdirection is "direction". You are directing their attention on something of "interest" which keeps the heat off your hands.

It comes down to personal preference. Both words mean the same thing, but one of them (direction) is more aptly named. But for me, misdirection is such a commonly used term, I don't see a need to change it to "direction". I do, however, think "direction" is a better word for "misdirection".