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Sometimes, when I'm thinking about effects, and stick in or seek out moments of strong misdirection to cover some dirty business, I wonder whether you can go too far. I think it's certainly possible with time misdirection, and can think of one instance in Brown's Enigma show where there is such a huge offbeat that he could have wheeled two elephants on and no-one would have noticed. On a smaller scale, if you leave too long a gap when executing the cross-cut force, people are more aware that they have forgotten which packet is which. I think that's the key observation, that in order to properly misdirect, you need to make sure the audience isn't aware that they have been misdirected, irrespective of what that misdirection was there to cover. It's kind of like an audience member not knowing what move the magician just did, but nevertheless knowing that there was a move there.

I dont think that you can ever say that somethin has too much misdirection. Because if the misdirection doesnt work, it can only fail because it's being done badly.

Take the quote acredited to Malini.when he was asked about how long one should wait before executing a move he said.."a week and a half".

Or something like that

For each and every audience, there is a different length of misdirection, because different people have different lengths of attention.
and only through practice, and more importantly Failure, will the performer perfect this most important of tools.

Unfortunately in this day and age, inpatients is rife, and the lessons learned by Failure is often over looked by the enthusiastic beginner

The other problem would also be that if your misdirection was too big or went on for too long that your audience would completley forget the actual effect. What you use as misdirection in one part of the routine can easily count as a distraction during the rest. It's walking that fine line between too little and too much: too little and you run the risk of getting caught, too much and you run the risk of losing or boring your audience.

As a novice to all this sort of thing I'm currently favouring doing things where any business is performed before or after the main effect as you require a lot less misdirection if noone is paying attention to you.

That does of course create the eternal problem of getting people to notice you when you want them too!

What you use as misdirection in one part of the routine can easily count as a distraction during the rest

lets look at close up. Although it does apply to stage, and caberet.


misdirection rule 1.

Talk to them.

we have it inbuilt, that if at any time someone talks to you, and in particular uses your name, you look at their face.

This is to check out their expression, and make sure that who ever is talking to you is telling the truth.
Now, we as magicians can use this to our advantage, because we can talk the truth, whist our hands are lying.

Misdirection rule 2.

point at what you want them to look at.

we are just about the only creature on the planet, that gets this. If i point at something i want you to look past the tip of my finger.
Every other creature will only look at the tip of your finger.

so, we as magicians use this to our advantage, by having them look at the other hand when we point at it,,because we know that this is what point means.


Any time delay, in say the cross cut force, relies on one or other of the two rules above. Often both.
so, if you think about it, you only need these two rules, in order to learn misdirection. you looking at something else, relies on them looking at you in the first place, so you talk.
you then look elsewhere, they follow the direction your eyes are pointing..( It doesnt have to be a finger) and rule 2 is in play.

to get them back, you talk again, or let them realise that there is nothing there... and they come back to you again. And by the time there back... it's too late.

oh by the way.. Misdirection and distraction are the same thing. Either way, they are not looking in the right place. Its just that Distraction, is only an issue when they look at the one place they shouldnt.
And then your back to the misdirection not working.. Failure.. a leason learned... ect.

A thought just occured to me (and I may very well be wrong about this), but when you point at something, wouldn't the audience glance, even momentarily, at your finger before looking at what your pointing at? The movement of your hand as it got into the pointing position must surely attract their attention to some extent and they'll need the finger to guide them to where they should be looking. If this is the case, then surely you must factor in the time, however short it is, that their attention moves from wherever it's starting from, to your finger and then to whatever it is you're pointing at? Or is this such a short amount of time it's not worth considering.? I've only really just started thinking about applying misdirection so I'm still trying to figure out what I should and shouldn't be taking into consideration.

possibly. But its easy to get over this.

you dont point just with your finger.If you point your finger in the direction you want them to look, and at the same time you point at the place you want them to look... with your eyes, there is almost no way that they can resist doing what you want.
In fact most pointing is done with the eyes.
People have an in built what's he looking at? recation. Presumably because way back, if one guy spots danger, or prey, it pays to look in the same place if you want to eat... or not be eaten.

Think meercats.

you do bring up rule 3.

a large movement, covering up a smaller one.
The eye is usualy drawn to the most visible thing first, which is why if your watching a play, the stage, empty, and a cast member is visible in the wings, you watch them if they move, and you forget them if they remain motionless.

Daleshrimpton wrote

in fact most pointing is done with the eyes.

This is true, a friend of mine works in a newsagents and on a couple of occasions i've gone in and asked for a box of matches or something that is on the bottom shelf behind them.
When you ask for the item look up at the top shelf and nod your head in that direction, they will turn round and reach up to the top shelf, even though they know that matches are on the bottom shelf. Works every time, as long as you don't do it every day.

liverpool 7 wrote:Daleshrimpton wrote

in fact most pointing is done with the eyes.

This is true, a friend of mine works in a newsagents and on a couple of occasions i've gone in and asked for a box of matches or something that is on the bottom shelf behind them.
When you ask for the item look up at the top shelf and nod your head in that direction, they will turn round and reach up to the top shelf, even though they know that matches are on the bottom shelf. Works every time, as long as you don't do it every day.

Oh, I am SO going to start trying that on people... purely for misdirection practice, obviously.

This how you hone the skills. I often deliberatly stare an a random spot for a while, just to count how many people follow my gaze.
Or glance over someones shoulder if i am having a conversation, willing them to turn and look.

And this little game, can be used as a demonstration of mind control.( Which it is if you think about it)
just have a sign on the wall behind them that says..." Made ya look!"

A J Irving wrote

Oh, I am SO going to start trying that on people... purely for misdirection practice, obviously.

Try it in the boozer, if you ask for a bottle of Bud which are usually kept in a chill cabinet under the bar and look up at the top shelf they'll always go to the top shelf. Then you get thrown out.
Daleshrimpton wrote.

And this little game, can be used as a demonstration of mind control.( Which it is if you think about it)
just have a sign on the wall behind them that says..." Made ya look!"

Nice 1, Gonna have to try that.

liverpool 7 wrote: When you ask for the item look up at the top shelf and nod your head in that direction, they will turn round and reach up to the top shelf, even though they know that matches are on the bottom shelf. Works every time, as long as you don't do it every day.

Absolutely disgraceful....thank you, I shall try that very soon !

daleshrimpton wrote:This how you hone the skills. I often deliberatly stare an a random spot for a while, just to count how many people follow my gaze.
Or glance over someones shoulder if i am having a conversation, willing them to turn and look.

And this little game, can be used as a demonstration of mind control.( Which it is if you think about it)
just have a sign on the wall behind them that says..." Made ya look!"

Sorry, I missed that, I wasn't paying attention... is that a parakeet on the wall behind you?

Dale, that rule #2 would get you into a ton of trouble if you were every around Mr. Vernon and doing such

The Professor would literally crack your knuckles with a wand if he caught you doing it.

There's a wonderful story about Greg Wilson when he was about 8ish. Vernon agreed to watch the boy whilst Mark & Nani were off doing something and during which time Dai worked with Greg on some vanishing methods... the boy ended up flawless... until dad came back.

Greg shows what he'd learnt and after doing a perfect act of control Mark says, "That was great son, but you forgot to point"

Vernon got rather red-faced, is said to have grumbled as he departed shaking his head in utter disbelief.