Misdirection

Misdirection is actually as important as the physical moves of the trick as it actually causes your audience to look at something other than the hand that is doing the move. So make sure that you look at something else, anything else, other than your hands! Some tricks require the audience to look at your hands, or they might just do that automatically just to see the trick. This is when you have to keep the speed of the trick all the same, so that it seems there are no secret moves associated with the trick. Another important addition to misdirection is that, when you are thinking of using it in your trick to cover a secret move or whatever, you don't have to choose just one part of misdirection. Use a combination of misdirection techniques for better chances of successfully performing a trick. Use as much misdirection as possible, for secret moves especially, so that you can be more successful in magic period!

*1. Eye Contact*

Conditioning the audience-
This is a little known fact: You must condition your audience, and let them learn the habit of looking at your face. At the very start of your performance, you must make eye contact with the spectators, and let them know that this is a perfectly safe thing to do. You should not rely on eye misdirection the first half minute or so of your show.

If you look down at your props all the time, and the first time you look up at the spectators is when you want to do a secret move - chances are that several of them will not look up. They will continue to burn your hands, because they're not used to looking at your face yet. It's your job to teach them this, and you do it by making eye contact as often as possible, and not cheating every time you do it. If they've looked at your face several times, and nothing has happened, they'll feel that it's a safe thing to do. The next time you look at them, they will probably look at you too.

Now you have them in the habit of looking at you when you stare at them. This is useful for doing secrets because most of the time they will look at you when you do the secret move. This is just a step to becoming successful at controlling your audiences focus. (Note: you should be able to perform the secret move without looking at your hands though...)

• Never look at the part that you are trying to keep as a secret in a trick. (For example, say you are performing coin thru soda can - the one that's on this site...Don't look at the quarter being on the side of the can after the "slam," instead look at something else like the audience themselves since there is really nothing else to look at! While you are looking at them you will find that they will be prompted to look back at you.

• If you can't find something to look at, look at the audience. Just like in my example. It is usually the best place to look and distract them. So just remember, if you can't find something to look at look at them in the eyes. (You'll find this to be very useful for making it look real, that is, if you can keep a straight face and serious look (unless it's a fun and games type of trick).

• Another place to look while you are doing your trick is at the place that subjects to the trick. Meaning, if you are doing a trick where you put a coin under a cap or something. And you have another cap on the table; look at the cap that it should be in while you do your "move" to make them switch.

• If you look/glare at the spot that will reveal the secret in the trick if they saw it, of course, then they'll be very suspicious of why you're staring at that spot. Possibly resulting in a request given to you from them to take a peek at that spot...Your trick will be ruined!

• A spectator will generally look where you look! Therefore, when doing a move you should never look at your hands. It is a good idea to look into the spectator's eyes, whilst doing a secret move. This is better still, if you can say something to them at the same time, a funny line, perhaps! When you look directly at somebody, they will generally look back at you. If, however, they are determined to stare at your hands, they will still divide their focus between your hands and your eyes.... it's only polite, besides they can't actually help themselves, its human nature!

Keep them occupied
Make them do something away from the spot you need to cover up. "Here take that pen and put your signature on this card." While they write their signature - that is also the moment. You do the secret things with the rest of the deck while they are occupied. Just make sure whatever you give them to do is included in the trick!

Note: It's the exact same thing as entertaining them, if you make them laugh then their awareness level is Low.

*2. Act serious *

At the end of the trick, this sometimes helps, but it totally depends on the trick being performed. But if you are done a trick, you should try to really express what looked like happened and be serious about it.

For example, if you have ended a trick and they are in shock because they can't believe what you just did, or whatever. Then don't start laughing, or saying "Yeah, I put the card through the glass, didn't you see it?" Instead, what you should do is give lots of eye contact at this point and say something like "Did you see the card go through? No seriously, did you see it? All I had to do was hold the card very still, and push it steadily against the table, and it melts straight through!" (I'm not the best at this, when it comes to misdirection, but if you plan the trick ahead of time, you'll be able to think of a persuasive sentence or two to say, to really convince them that what they think they saw, really happened! Just remember that eye contact is the key to this...)

*4. PRACTICE*

Practice, practice and then practice some more!! The "Three P's" of magic that you will find in any instructions or books explaining magic!

Anyway, let's assume you are already doing that. There are two main areas to misdirection technique. The actual sleights (or secret moves) and the ability to perform them successfully all depends on your misdirection skills, so practice on them too! You don't want the audience playing a game of see who can catch the magicians' secrets. The first area really just boils down to learning the trick so you can perform it without actually concentrating on the moves, meaning you can do them blindfolded. The second area is that of controlling your audience, and this is the main part to misdirection.

*5. Movement*

Another method of misdirection used is movement. There is an old saying in magic - "A large movement covers a small movement" ~Dai Vernon~

If you are performing a trick that requires you to make a small mechanical move, do it as you are moving the magical item towards the spectator or putting it down on the table. This "large" movement of moving the object will make to smaller movement of your fingers invisible. Be aware that this need not be done quickly, in actual fact; this large movement makes such good misdirection that it can, and should, be done at a natural pace, not just for the special moves but rather throughout the whole trick. Try it with one of your tricks, and watch the move become invisible yourself!

It's all about the way you perform the trick to succeed on making them think that there is nothing going on. For example, say you were in the process of doing a double lift. You aren't very good at double lifts, and you take more time to pick up what looks like one card. The audience notices you struggling, and gets suspicious. By now they have probably noticed that you are hiding a secret move and will probably ask if they may see the card.

P.S. YOUR TRICK IS RUINED!

Another mistake that some people make with the double lift is that after they pick the two cards up, they tell the audience that it is one card. By the time you say that, the audience is already looking for two cards, because they will not trust you being the magician. But if you just pick those cards up as one, smoothly and very natural, then they won't be looking for the two cards, or whatever comes to their mind about those cards disguised as one.

This doesn't mean that you don't talk to the audience just don't talk about what they think is happening in the trick.

(Instead, interact with them, and maybe tell some jokes about the trick in some way, or even ask their name!)

Also, remember that speed attracts the eye, in fact as soon as any movement occurs; the eye is focused on that moving area. You can use this to your advantage, because if you have a large movement and a small movement the eye automatically looks at the larger moving object. Refer to Dai Vernon's quote "A large movement covers a small movement".

Because of the fact that speed attracts the eye, you can never hide a move with speed. Never ever! What you do when you do a fast move is to tell them without any doubt, that you did something. They won't know what you did, but they will positively know that you did something, and that's bad.

*6. Entertain the audience*

Remember, it is more important to entertain than to baffle your audience! The more interested they are in you, the less interested they are in trying to spot your secret moves or making you fail. If they like your magic, your job is much, much easier!

If this doesn't help you out a whole lot, don't worry I am going to add lots more!:)

Credit:
www.magichat.co.uk/forum/ website by unknown