How does misdirection work

[xMagician]

To clarify, i want to ask, when i direct someone's attention by looking up, do i have to wait for him to look up then do the move? or he will be so distracted by my movement that he won't see anything even by looking at my cards?

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

They will see what they are looking at, so you want to wait for them to be looking somewhere other than your hands/the cards/the prop.

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

Yes, I would agree that they must be looking somewhere other than your hands before you do the move. Normally, when you look up, or at something or someone, they will look at your face or at whatever or whomever you look at, but not necessarily. The saying, "they will look where you look" is generally true, but not always. Sometimes (although thankfully not too often) certain individuals will be determined to burn your hands, hoping to catch you. When I look at someone with the goal of misdirection, I usually address a comment or question to them simultaneously. This adds an extra layer of misdirection because it engages peoples' minds, as well as their eyes, thus diminishing their focus, perception and ability to analyze at that moment.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

I find that when you create a story that the audience can happily engage in, misdirection happens naturally through the interaction.

 

[kolebear]

I totally agree with ChristopherT. I also usually make eye contact, or make a bigger move to cover the smaller action . Choreograph your actions so that their eyes will go where you want them to go.
Furthermore, you can do the "secret move" in the act of relaxing. For instance when performing David Williamson's card to pocket, I guess their card, relax, then cop/palm the card as I relax and move back into my chair and everyone is clapping

 

[Al e Cat Dabra]

I find that when you create a story that the audience can happily engage in, misdirection happens naturally through the interaction.

Yes, that is an important observation!

 

[Josh Mickelson]

I agree with most of what's been said above, and I'd like to add a bit of my thoughts too.

Misdirection is a very powerful tactic, but I almost feel that it isn't named very accurately. It's almost more of a redirection than misdirection, you move their focus, but don't get rid of it entirely. But, some easy tips to mis/redirect their attention are:

1. Using their name!
I can't stress the importance of this enough. Have you ever had the experience where you're in a crowded or loud place with a lot of conversations, but you've noticed when someone said your name? This relates to magic in a similar way - your name is something that can instantly grab attention, as you're so aware of its' use.

2. Talk to them!
If you say nothing, they will have nothing to go off of besides what's in your hands. Good communication negates this. Questions and specific comments work best in these cases.

3. Patience!
Wait for the offbeat to do what is necessary, don't worry too much about how long it takes. If you can hold a genuine conversation, it shouldn't be too hard. Take a page out of Max Malini's book, and be willing to wait.

4. The Easy Way
self-working tricks
It's as simple as that haha!

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

It isn't named correctly. It's just "direction". Just like a movie director controls the frame of the film, you control the frame of their interest by directing it where it needs to be.

 

[UrbanEntityTV]

Please look into material by James Brown. That guy is someone you can learn from.