Misdirection

[uhhh_kyle]

One of my mentors, who also was a mentor for Wayne Houchin, taught me that the "secret move" should be done well before anyone should even think that your going to do a move. Misderection can be funny, like when you shout "LOOK AT THAT COMET!" But I find that kind of obvious. The only funny misderection I'll do is for my friends. I have a t-shirt tthat looks much like the ones T11 sells but mine says "Misderection." I'll point to it and say "You like that misderection right there?!" Other than that, I strive to do What Paul Vigil taught me. "I want you to watch me like a hawk. I want you to try and catch me. Because I gaurentee you, you won't see a thing." He did a simple coin matrix routine for me and I watched him like a hawk. I didn't see a thing. Thats true skill. Misderection should be used when you need it. If I don't need it, I'm saving that lifeline for a later time.

 

[TheKingOfCards]

One of my mentors, who also was a mentor for Wayne Houchin, taught me that the "secret move" should be done well before anyone should even think that your going to do a move.

Agreed. Jeff McBride does a great job of detailing the finesse behind this idea in his linking rings routine DVD, which can be found on the WGM - Linking Rings DVD. WGM stands for World's Greatest Magic. He talks about how the linking of the rings is essentially done before any of the movements to apparently link the rings take place. I could expound on this, but I wouldn't be doing justice to his work on the DVD and lectures.

 

[Chr!s]

Misdirection CAN be used to cover a lack of skill, the same way comedy can. But it is arrogant and foolishe to suggest that the art and practice of effective misdirective technique is usin it simply to mask his or her lack of ability.

I am not going to suggest a list of works or names to refer to to enlighten you on this subject, as quite frankly, if you are taking part in this type of conversation you should have a good knowledge in the area already (and It would be far too extensive a list).

Ultimately- Of course It can be used to cover lack of skill, the same way great technica\l skill can be used to mask the ability to entertain, and the ability to entertain can mask poor misdirective ability. But it is also a useful and necessary tool in the professional realm.

Transmission end.


CL

 

[romeo sierra]

jbear574 posted up this a couple of minutes ago, and gave me the idea, why not ask everyone how they misdirect their audience.

Do you say "Hey look it's a meteor shower in the sky." or do you say "look i'm trying to misdirect you"!
I find that the best misdirection is when you look someone in the eye. That's my opinion.

So my question is, what is your way to misdirect your audience?
-Mike

I find that the best misdirection is actually integrating false methods into my work. I intentionally scatter various red herrings within my routines for spectators to exploit and wonder about to no avail. I found the inspiration to do this from watching the likes of Derren Brown perform. Everyone believes he uses genuine psychology and NLP to achieve the miracles he performs on television. After doing some research and studying, it's very possible to do the majority of his memorable feats using what's taught in the basics of Corinda's 13 Steps with some clever presentation and theatrics.

As far as close-up magic goes, I structure routines so that methods in each phase naturally cancels out the last while my story remains the same throughout the act. For instance, with Ambitious Card-- I openly show and tell how it's possible to switch cards prior to placing the selection in the middle. This may seem controversial to some, but I like to assume and play to the fact that the audience is smarter than we'd sometimes like to believe. I find that doing this not only wins the audience over, but also sets them up to be astonished for the next phase where the selection gradually rises through the deck as they hold onto the outjogged selection. It forces them to wonder not only how the card came to the top, but how it could have potentially been switched from their own grasp... It works for me.

Presentation and charisma go a long, long way in adequately misdirecting and audience. Sometimes, misdirection doesn't only refer to where the audience is looking, but rather to what they actually believe is happening.

RS.

 

[Mikeoo92]

I ask them questions, and I say stuff like "wow I like your shirt!" and I nod my head at there shirt and thay allways look at there shirt!

 

[AlexanderP3]

Misdirection is not about leading the eyes of a spectator to something else so he can´t see your secret move.
Misdirection is about the spectator putting his eyes on something else on HIS OWN with the thing in mind that it can not possibly be wrong for him now to do so because he won´t miss a thing anyway.

For an example...2 Card Monte...one of the most popular layman tricks ever.
Right before the Topchange....you are not asking them to watch you in your face and tell you what card they think they are holding at that moment.
The Patter and the handling of that Routine just brings that along...Spectators WILL look in your face and not burn the card in their hand or the deck in yours...when you ask them the 2nd time in that routine "what card do you think you are holding right now"..they WILL look in your face....THAT is misdirection.

Misdirection is something spectators can not "fight" against...because their comprehension tells them that it would be absolutly right and "save" to look in the face of the magician now, because there is nothing explainable or understandable for him that the magician could do a "secret trick sleight"...Layman can´t even imagine how such a sleight would look like anyway....

So misdirection is a natural thing...layman are at the mercy of that

even if they burn your hands while you are performing...its not given that the will catch you. Because in 70% of the case they will take care of the wrong things at the wrong time..because their brain is not trained in deception....thats the vantage of a magician.


Even if some people wrote they do not use misdirection because the rely on their sleight of hand skills....they are using it to...they just dont know about it anymore..

Misdirection and Magic is linked...like...breathing and living

 

[Mikeoo92]

Also, remeber the The NLP Eye Accessing Cues anyone? (if anyone dose NLP) but uhhh basicaly you can misdirect there eyes without even moveing.. it works like this

http://flickr.com/photos/87515417@N00/79248307/

soo with that chart in mind.. If you ask them something along the lines of "remeber what your card is?" thay can do one of two things.. A. Burn you and say "yes" or B. Look up and into THERE left and say "uhhh yeah"
you want them to say uhh yeah..
In two card monte I alllways tell them to remeber the color in the first part. so ask them something like "what color are you holding without looking Remeber" say remeber in a montoneistic voice and thay will try to remeber..

use that chart for good use...

in two card monte you want to do the top switch I allways say
"I want you to imagine a leperchaune undernether the cards, looking at the cards, Now try to look through his eyes, so you can see what the cards are.." *thay look at you weird sometimes* say "what do you want to know how to cheat or not"

then laugh a little..
thats plenty of time do the top change!
But fell free to use my presentation.. But its allways best to come up with your own

 

[praetoritevong]

Mike, keep in mind that there is one flaw with NLP Eye Accessing Cues, namely that there is no guarantee that every single person in the entire world follows it. Whilst it is true that a large majority follow those habits with those cues, this does not apply to everyone. I myself tend to look down rather than to the side when I listen for aural stimuli. The flaw is this - in recognising that a majority but not 100% of people follow all these cues, there is no warning sign if your spectator is in the minority - if you are receiving misleading cues, you cannot in fact tell. The only way to confirm this would be to use a series of questions forcing them to use the same eye cue, with one differing question; otherwise, the majority of time this will work, but when it doesn't, you won't be given any hints that it's not working, it just won't.

 

[Mikeoo92]

I myself tend to look down rather than to the side when I listen for aural stimuli.

I do the same

but I wasent talking about gaining information, just haveing them look away. dosent matter wich way.

The only way to confirm this would be to use a series of questions forcing them to use the same eye cue, with one differing question; otherwise, the majority of time this will work, but when it doesn't, you won't be given any hints that it's not working, it just won't.

I know.. When I want to gain information, I allways test the waters first..

but I was only talking about misdirection xD

 

[praetoritevong]

Alas! In my dainty efforts to impart my recently acquired knowledge, I have completely failed to read your post properly! Baha, I'm an idiot, my apologies, you're absolutely right, it's an interesting use for cues... I suppose on a very basic level though it's the same as asking the spectator any question at all..

 

[Mikeoo92]

its cool man..
and yes your right, like my shirt example metionad above..
well sorta..