In theatrical magic, misdirection can be described as a method of deceit where the performer draws audience attention to one thing to distract it from another. The ability to control attention from the audience is the main goal of any theater, and the foremost prerequisite for all magic shows. Whether the magic is of the “pocket trick” variety or the stage is a major production misdirection is the main key to the success. The term is used to describe either the result (the the focus of the observer on the unimportant object) or the sleight of hands or patter (the magician’s voice) that causes the illusion.
It is difficult to say who first coined the phrase, however an early reference to misdirection appears in the writings of a renowned illusionist and writer, Nevil Maskelyne: Admittedly, it involves spooking the spectator’s senses, to block out from noticing certain aspects for which secrecy is required. Around the same time, the magician, artist and author Tarbell noted, Nearly the whole art of illusions is based on the art of misdirection.
Magicians who have researched and developed techniques of misdirection are Jon Finch, Max Malini, Derren Brown, Tommy Wonder, Tamariz, Slydini as well as Dai Vernon.
Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as a manipulation of interest.
Some magicians divert attention of the audience in two basic ways. One leads the audience to look away for a fleeting moment, so that they do not notice a act or gesture. The other approach re-frames the audience’s perception, distracting the audience into believing that something else can be a factor in the performance but it actually has no bearing on the result in any way. Dariel Fitzkee notes that The true skill of the magician is the ability that he displays in manipulating the minds of the viewers. Sometimes, a prop like a magic wand aids in misdirection.
In the absence of it, even the most skilled sleight-of-hand or mechanical device is not likely to produce an illusion of true magic. To be sure, misdirection is the heart of nearly all compelling magic.
Misdirection makes use of the limitations of human brains to give the wrong picture and memory. The brain of an average person in the audience can only concentrate on one thing at the time. The magician utilizes this to influence the audience’s ideas or perceptions of sensory input which leads them to incorrect conclusion.
Magicians have debated the use of the term, “misdirection,” causing a great deal of discussion about what it is and how it functions.
Renowned illusionist Jon Finch
made a distinction between direction and misdirection. The first is a negative phrase, while the other is a positive. In the end, he sees the two as one thing. If a performer, through any means, has led the minds of his audience to the conclusion that he has done something which he has not accomplished, he has incorrectly directed them into this belief and, consequently, misdirection.
Tommy Wonder has pointed out that it’s more efficient, from a magician’s point of view in focusing on the positive aim of directing attention to the audience. He states that misdirection is an untrue direction. It implies that attention is diverted from something. By constantly using this term the idea eventually becomes embedded in our minds that we may begin to perceive misdirection as directing our attention away from rather than towards something.
Tony Slydini said that if a magician believes it, the audience will believe it, and magicians are something that they cannot see. It is true that people believe in what the magician is doing and then follows the magician. resource