talkmagic.co.uk

Thanks for all the advice guys, there looks to be some sterling tips in here.

Allen, I've got nothing against PDF books, but if I can, I prefer to have a physical copy in front of me, and read it piecemeal while I play around with the deck. I have seen a few copies of Fitzkee's misdirection available online and I think I might have to cough up and get a copy before they go.

Good for you!
I am with you ALL the way with real books.
I just keep my pdf for reference & easy storage. I RARELY ever read all the way through a pdf

There is NOTHING like sitting down in a comfy chair with a Magic Book
Allen Tipton

of course i gonna mention the legend that is Mr Tommy Wonder that also spoke about it not being so much misdirection rather direction. Thou Dale has got it it will differ from person to person, understand your own rhythm

Love your triptic Allen. My wife can have her dressing table back! My favourite quote from "Leading With your Head"by Garry Kurtz (originally from Erdnase), is "Not only should they not see anything they shouldn't suspect anything."
Only when there is no suspicion can there be suspension of disbelief. Only when there is suspension of disbelief, can there be magic.

One way of misdirection that never let me down was just using humour with the people you are performing with, Build a trust with the audience , make them laugh and as they play through that emotion you want, make your move.
If you think psychologically when sombody makes you laugh do you actually keep still focused on what there doing? or do you imagen the funny picture they just give you? You have a split second to do your move in at that point.

Personally that is my way of creating a quick misdirection, hope it helped

If all else fails then use Blackstone Senior's great idea:

When something had to be done without the audience seeing it happen, he had a beautiful girl walk on from the opposite side of the stage to where the prop was--dressed in a short costume & wearing black fishnet tightsl--Sometimes she would drop a tray--ALL EYES in the auditorium when straight to her and the tricky move was done. It may have been the duck vanish when several ducks had to be almost pushed from a sort of cage/box into a hidden area,

SOUND is a great misdirector.
Something my son was talking about on his video call from Portugal last night.

The girl in tights helped too!!!

Fu Manchu (Okito's son not the Sax Rhomer character) did a similar thing. He had to misdirect the audience from a prop on the stage.
Suddenly the comedian in the show appeared in a theatre box--had a row with a girl (a stuffed life size doll) threw 'her' out of the box -- the audience then laughed, looked back to Fu Manchu--and the deed was already done
Allen Tipton

PS If you use the doll--do not buy one from Del Boy!!!

I think part of the trouble with that sort of misdirection is that people can realise that they have been distracted and resent it. It's effective, especially for stage magicians, but I think most of us would be better learning how to misdirect in ways that are never noticed. It might make a nice running gag, come to think of it. Derren Brown did something along those lines in one of his shows.

Talking of misdirection reminds me of a product I am thinking of buying. I did some digging around, and discovered a truly awful thread (no prizes for guessing on which forum this thread was to be found), where people were saying how obvious this prop was. They had looked at the demonstration video (that really is just a demo of things you can do with the prop) and ignored that fact that, used properly in a routine, no one would ever be looking at the prop at that "special" moment.

I've always liked Michael Vincents ideas of doing something on the moment of relaxation/off beat. (which in itself is misdirection and should also cause people not to think that you did try to distract them.)