|
|
acchessor Elite user Nebraska 402 Posts |
Hello. Once in school, I was doing Dough by Jay Sankey, and when I was trying to do the "key move," the spectator kept looking at my hands intensely, and I couldn't do the move. How can I get spectators to look elseware than my hands?
|
Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
Misdirection is closely related to your body language. If you signal that now a "key move" is about to happen, by getting tense or looking at your own hands, the spectator will watch closely. You need to be relaxed and off-beat.
In order to make the spectator to look elsewhere, you need to look elsewhere as well. Try the following. Look the spectator in the eye and then look at an object of you choice. You will see that the spectator will look at it as well. Misdirection by words are also very powerful. If you adress someone in the audience, that person will look at you. Interestingly, the rest of the audience tends to either look at you or the person you adress. This also takes away the heat from your hands. last not least, you have misdirection by moves. Basically you do the "key move" under the disguise of another move. A classic example is ditching an object apparently while searching for something in your pocket. Hope that helped a little Andy
Cards never lie
|
Father Photius Grammar Host El Paso, TX (Formerly Amarillo) 17161 Posts |
Andy hit it on the head, engage the spectator's eyes with your eyes, talk directly to the spectator, and be able to do ur move without looking at it. Relax, don't communicate that you are trying to do something, act like this is an unimportant part of the routine. Try to hold ur hands in a natural position in relation to your body. Learn to do moves with your arms and shoulders relaxed. If you want them to not look at your hands move so that you are acting like your hands aren't important. Gesture with your hand, right under their nose, show them there is nothing to look at. When you know you have them engaged then do ur move, but you have to be able to do it relaxed and as natural as possible. Why we keep saying practice, practice, practice, and use the mirror and the video camera. You will be surprised with what you can get away with if you follow what Andy told you and work until you can do it in a relaxed manner.
"Now here's the man with the 25 cent hands, that two bit magician..."
|
wardini Regular user 105 Posts |
The human brain is not as good at multi tasking as most people think. If you can occupy it with something else then it can't keep track of what you're doing.
As mentioned above eye contact is good and asking a question is also good because this then requires the spectator to formulate a reply causing them to lose focus on tracking your hands. It will also draw people to look at the spectator to see their response. Try to ask something meaningful or something which will actually make them think. Don't ask something which can be answered with a yes or no. Those are called closed questions. Ask an open question, these normally start with what, why, when, where, who or how. Part of the problem you may be having is that if you are performing to your peer group it is more difficult to 'engage' them in meaningful 'conversation' because they know you and you know them. If that's the case you can turn this to your advantage by using your knowledge to 'backfoot' the spectator / spectators. I'm personally not a big fan of 'wisecracks' but among friends I feel it's different. |
Hideo Kato Inner circle Tokyo 5649 Posts |
If you get too acustomed with using misdirection in very close up situations, you will have difficulty in performing for a larger audience because misdirection less works for spectators in distance.
Before relying on Misdirecton, I will try to master sleights not to show suspicion and will try to mislead audience psycologically. Hideo Kato |
Mark Wilden Veteran user San Francisco 375 Posts |
Saying the spectator's name is a sure-fire way to get their eyes off your hands.
///ark |
simquad New user 65 Posts |
On the Two Card Monte (unrealted I know) I use the method of saying:
"It's usually at this point I ask do you think the Queen of Diamonds is on top or bottom. What do you think?" This question tends to get the attention required for a split second. If there's more of a crowd you could always ask anothers opinion too. |
airship Inner circle In my day, I have driven 1594 Posts |
I follow Henry Hay's advice and don't think of it as 'misdirection'. I think of it as 'Manipulation of Interest'.
Think about how you can get the spectator(s) interested in something else at the moment the move is made. Of course, then you have to manipulate them BACK to get them to say "oooooh! ahhhhh!" (see my sig)
'The central secret of conjuring is a manipulation of interest.' - Henry Hay
|
Andy the cardician Inner circle A street named after my dad 3362 Posts |
I would echo Kato-san to a certain degree - misdirection should not be a cover for bad technique.
Cards never lie
|
Justin Style Inner circle 2010 Posts |
Look at them in the eye. When you look at "IT", they will look at it.
When you look at them in the eye, they will look at you in the eye... It takes practice. Don't give up. Sometimes the best way to learn what you are doing wrong, is to get caught. Learn from your mistakes. If you keep making the same mistakes over and over, then you should reconsider. If not, then you are growing, and don't that feel good? |
Spellbinder Inner circle The Holy City of East Orange, NJ 6438 Posts |
Questions are good, but also giving the spectator something to say will also distract them. For example, when I do the 1 to 10 count sponge ball trick, I ask the spectators to count aloud with me from ten to one. As stated earlier, they can't do two things at once very well and so miss "the move" because they are counting when it happens off the beat.
Professor Spellbinder
Professor Emeritus at the Turkey Buzzard Academy of Magik, Witchcraft and Wizardry http://www.magicnook.com Publisher of The Wizards' Journals |
Josh Riel Inner circle of hell 1995 Posts |
I'm surprised no one has mentioned violence and intimidation. Violence and intimidation are very effective ways to "manipulate their interest".
Also tips can increase, just refer to it as "protection money", they'll get the joke. Carry a bat.
Magic is doing improbable things with odd items that, under normal circumstances, would be unnessecary and quite often undesirable.
|
ChristopherM Special user UK 844 Posts |
And use that bat.
Remember the overarching approach that you take with your audience. The attitude ought not to be one strictly of challenge, but of working together. Once the audience is going with you, rather than against you, they relax more and you'll find the natural lulls in their attention in which to do whatever you need to do. |
jimhlou Inner circle 3698 Posts |
Have your assistant drop a tray full of glasses.
Jim |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » New to magic? » » Misdirection (0 Likes) |
[ Top of Page ] |
All content & postings Copyright © 2001-2024 Steve Brooks. All Rights Reserved. This page was created in 0.01 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 < |