|
|
|
|||
| Go to page 1~2~3 [Next] | ||||||||||
fengenroll Loyal user NYC 226 Posts 
|
I belive I lack the skill to misdirect when I perform, people seem to be analyzing every move I do, and it really makes me nervous.
Well, I'm just a beginner, but I do understand how much you "can get away with" using propper misdirection. I'd appreciate some advice from you more experienced magicians out there on how you get better at this, and is it possible to practice misdirection in everyday life? F. |
|||||||||
cloneman Elite user 474 Posts
|
To paraphrase a great magician (I'm not sure which one, magic historians help me out here), one key to misdirection is to cause the audience to WANT to look somewhere else. For example, in a cups and balls routine, the final load typically occurs right after the cup is lifted to reveal what's underneath. At that moment the audience wants to look and see what's under the cup, not what your hands are doing. As a result, the loading can be done in an unhurried manner.
Bad misdirection occurs when an audience feels as if they’re being forced to look somewhere. A case in point is the finger point. You’ve just done a false transfer of a coin and now you point to the hand that’s supposed to be holding it. Unless you’re entertaining 2 yr olds, the chances are that the audience knows which hand “took” the coin and any pointing just draws attention to the pointing hand, not away from it. It’s better to let the “dirty” hand remain soft – boring, if you will – and have the “taking” hand wiggle its fingers, just a little, as if it’s moving the coin around inside the hand (I think this was a Dai Vernon tip).
"Anything is possible... if you don't know what you are talking about."
|
|||||||||
|
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27300 Posts
|
Three critical ingredients come to mind.
1) a simple routine with a place (moment) to explore. 2) LOTS of time DOING the trick for people, NOTICING HOW THEY REACT TO WHAT YOU DO 3) A genuine interest in learning from your audiences.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
|||||||||
|
Phil Thomas Inner circle Newark, Ohio 1117 Posts
|
The best way I misdirect is to make eye contact with the spectator. If they are looking directly at you, it is quite easy to do the dirty work while the heat is off. Just my 2 cents.
Phil
"If we lose the sense of the mysterious, life is no more than a snuffed out candle."
Albert Einstein |
|||||||||
TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3171 Posts
|
Think of it as directing instead of misdirecting. Look and tell them where to look. If you really have their attention they will look where you look.
Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
|||||||||
Tom Cutts Staff Northern CA 5931 Posts
|
Quote:
Look and tell them where to look. OR why to look there. Once on a cruise I was jazzing a reversed card revelation. I said their card was going to "fly out of the deck" (my hand with the deck jerked four inches toward the ceiling), "bounce off the ceiling" (said as my head raises to look at the ceiling) "and land back in the deck... facing the other direction." (said as your head returns to gaze at the deck) Their attention will follow yours because your words were ambiguous enough to make them think it might be happening right now. The misdirections works, especially as a training session because through practice you get to experiment with how long is comfortable for them to be looking away before they get susp[icious about it. Tom |
|||||||||
|
kregg Inner circle 1950 Posts
|
The next time you have a conversation (not with yourself), gaze up like you see something in the sky or on the ceiling. If the person you are speaking with doesn't look up, then either they are wearing a neck brace or they're carrying a white cane.
POOF!
|
|||||||||
|
TomBoleware Inner circle Hattiesburg, Ms 3171 Posts
|
....and believe it or not, just thinking yourself that the coin is in this hand helps. Pay close attention to the hand you want them to look at and so will they. Believe yourself it’s in there.
(Just don’t completely forget where it’s really at. Lol) As many have said, make it look natural and there’s no reason for them to look anywhere else. Tom
The Daycare Magician Book
https://www.vanishingincmagic.com/amazekids/the-daycare-magician/ My Blog - https://boleware.blogspot.com/ |
|||||||||
Mike Robbins Elite user Anchorage, Alaska 447 Posts
|
It's been awhile since I looked at it, but I believe Tommy Wonder, in his Books of Wonder, had an excellent way of "easing into" misdirection.
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.
Shakespeare |
|||||||||
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
|
Most of these posts do not answer the question. The answer is quite simple. You practice misdirection by doing it.
It's like the Classic Force. You practice it on real spectators.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
|||||||||
Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts
|
For a long ome, I had a very alpha Golden Retriever. I used to practice my moves with his Kibble. When I could lose him, I knew I had it!
Slim
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
|||||||||
Michael Baker Eternal Order Near a river in the Midwest 11172 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2004-11-19 00:21, Bill Palmer wrote: Almost there. You must begin with a well-structured foundation of routine, pacing and plot. The timing will be built in, and then it becomes a matter of making that second-nature by repetition. Internal conviction (believing it yourself), is just plain good method-acting. That is important to the presentation, which in turn serves to direct attention, rather than misdirect it, which is exactly the point. Telling them where to look is close enough to the mark, but sadly misses the point just enough to render it useless as advice. It is however, glaringly obvious to those who understand the principle that it is actually that simple. Causing the audience to WANT to look where you want them to look is pretty darned close to being dead center on this path. If you want them not to see something, you give them something better to look at. This comes while you are structuring your routine. You must think in terms of what the audience will see when they watch the routine. What is the plot? Why are they willing to follow it? Are there points of interest that are too compelling to risk missing? Blackstone's audiences never saw "Where Do The Ducks GO?" because there was something better to look at when they did go. The final load goes unseen into the cup because the audience is thrown a tasty bone at precisely that moment. Or... is the audience's eyes and mind given a chance to wander? If so, think first about rewriting the plot and paying closer attention to the missing details. Understand that this is just the beginning of grasping the concept of misdirection. It is the foundation that without, nothing else will likely work. After much (MUCH) experience, the subtler points of misdirection will begin to present themselves... and you (Fengenroll) will begin to understand them. Work hard, and be patient. Great magic requires a long-haul commitment.
~michael baker
The Magic Company |
|||||||||
|
enriqueenriquez Inner circle New York 1287 Posts
|
Fengenroll,
You can practice misdirection everyday, all the time, with everybody. You don’t even have to perform effects for them. Misdirection is about control people’s attention. You as a magician just have a wider perception of reality at a given moment, while “the others” are perceiving a narrower reality. As a magician, you know that there is a lot going on at certain times, but your audience doesn’t notice it at all. You can practice to feel conformable having that double vision, going in and out from your wider perception to the audience’s narrower one, and keeping a foot in each one. Think in a principle like “a big action covers a small one”. There are a million way to practice that, even without doing magic, that can help you to develop that “double vision” that a magician has. |
|||||||||
|
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
|
Michael Baker wrote:
Quote:
Almost there. You must begin with a well-structured foundation of routine, pacing and plot. The timing will be built in, and then it becomes a matter of making that second-nature by repetition. I don't disagree with this at all. Nor do I feel that Jonathan Townsend's answer was lacking in any way. However, a beginning magician, as I (possibly mistakenly) believe Fengenroll to be will probably not have anything that has a well-structured foundation of routine, pacing and plot to build on. While the Blackstone example is a classic -- and it certainly is -- I saw Harry do that one a number of times -- it is beyond the means of most magicians. So, let me give you a couple of items that are within your means. If you don't have a chop cup, get one and learn Don Alan's routine. Then get the Don Alan bowl routine or Roy Benson's bowl routine. Learn them. Their misdirection is completely built in. Then see if you can find Scotty York's "Electric Razor." These routines, misdirectionally speaking, are BRICKBATS. Once you see what you can do, and that you can successfully employ misdirection, then you will probably begin to understand how it works. At worst, you will have three strong routines.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
|||||||||
Werner G. Seitz Inner circle 3131 Posts
|
>Then see if you can find Scotty York's "Electric Razor."
Scotty York did alter his routine a couple of times.. The last time I found it/many years back) he had simplified it greatly by used of a *gimmicked* deck. Which version are you refering to Bill????? The original one I suppose? Fred Kaps did it, Michael Ammar had his version and Ammar too modified the handling he originally published in the first of his Topit tapes slightly..
Learn a few things well.....this life is not long enough to do everything.....
( Words of wisdom from Albert Goshman ...it paid off for him - it might as well for YOU!!!- My own magic is styled after that motto...  )
|
|||||||||
|
JJDrew Loyal user Arizona 221 Posts
|
Get a copy of Tommy Wonder's "Books of Wonder Vol. I." The first trick he describes in there, Magic Ranch, is one that allows you to practice misdirection without any risk of messing up. If the misdirection works, you've added a bit to your routine. If it doesn't work, people just assume that it wasn't meant to be a surprise in the first place.
It's a great way to build confidence in your own abilities. By the way, the Books of Wonder are incredible. I would recommend them to anyone. |
|||||||||
|
Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2004-11-19 23:05, Werner G. Seitz wrote: I used the original one. I don't do it any longer, but it's good in any form.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
|||||||||
Chris Wood New user UK 48 Posts
|
Tommy wonder covers this in his tapes as well as the books...
just fabulous... inspirational. |
|||||||||
|
fengenroll Loyal user NYC 226 Posts
|
Thanks everyone for the great response, Yes, I am new to the art so I did'nt know there where so many recources out there..
And thanks Mr. enriqueenriquez for your point of wiew, I'll be more on a look out in my everyday life from now on. Do anyone have a good explanation why I get nervous every time I perform - even when I perform in front of my girlfriend. F. |
|||||||||
|
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27300 Posts
|
Quote:
On 2004-11-23 06:19, fengenroll wrote: Obvious leering innuendo aside... Part of being a performer is worrying about how every little detail will be in place or not, and how every bit of what we will be presenting will go across to our audience. One thing that can help is to find material you sincerely like and would like to share with your audience. The "other thing" that works is to perform every routine in front of people till everything that can go wrong has gone wrong, and you have found ways to make sure you can recover, and improved the routines to the point that you are sure of them. There are no shortcuts on the path from story to reality.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
|
|||||||||
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Food for thought » » How is it possible to practice misdirection? (1 Likes) | ||||||||||
| Go to page 1~2~3 [Next] | ||||||||||
Posted: Nov 18, 2004 11:01 pm 
| [ Top of Page ] |
|
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.04 seconds requiring 5 database queries. |
|
The views and comments expressed on The Magic Café are not necessarily those of The Magic Café, Steve Brooks, or Steve Brooks Magic. > Privacy Statement < 
|