The Magician’s Toolbox

How did s/he do it?

That’s what we want to know, isn’t it? But how many magicians are going to tell you that? And apologies friends, but we're not going to tell you either. Don’t give up just yet though. We can still take a behind the scenes look at what makes a magician tick. Let’s open up her/his tool box and take a look inside. Understanding these skills may help you work out the method behind the illusion for yourself. A good illusion however, will leave you guessing even once you recognise the tools.

In this article...

1. Sleight of Hand
2. Misdirection
3. Deception
4. Secret Mechanisms
5. Collusion
6. Optical Effects
7. Patter
8. All together now

Sleight of Hand

The first tool we’ll pull out and have a look at is sleight of hand, sometimes known as legerdemain. This is a corner stone of the magic world. Many would argue that it’s mastering this art that makes a truly good magician. Sleight of hand is particularly useful in close up magic, where the magician can conceal little. Have you ever noticed how most magician’s hands are always moving, always doing something? With swift adept manipulations of the props, and an accompanying flurry of misdirection, usually with the other hand, a good magician can leave a spectator, standing only a few feet away, wondering what just happened. The classic props for sleight of hand are cards, coins, rope and handkerchiefs. Watch those hands...

Misdirection

The tool that really makes almost any illusion tick is misdirection. Without misdirection, there would be no confusion, no amazement, no marvel to magic. Many of the other tools in the magician’s tool kit are simply a means of creating misdirection. The accomplished magician can direct an audiences attention to whatever s/he chooses, keeping the real workings of the illusion concealed. The confusion created by a flurry of hands, the patter “narrating” the movements, a casual/natural gesture (perhaps a cough) can all distract the audience, masking the magician’s real actions.

Deception

Magic is one area in which deception is a virtue. The magician who can effectively deceive the audience, through carefully rehearsed “casual” gestures, skilled acting and concealment will be all the more effective. The magician must not give away that her/his real task is other than that on which the audience is focussed, nor that s/he knows anything that the audience does not. The “normal” piece of rope, the “empty” hat, and the “tightly sealed” container cannot be revealed to be anything but that.

Secret Mechanisms

Many illusions rely on props or stages with secret mechanisms. These mechanisms can be more elaborate in stage magic, where more can be concealed from the audience. Don’t think this makes the performance an easy task. The key here is for the magician to leave the audience believing that s/he caused the illusion. The illusion must look smooth and natural, and leave no hint of the underlying mechanisms. So the magician still has their work cut out for them. This is where deception, misdirection, collusion with audience members and patter all come into play.

Collusion

Many an illusion requires the participation of a “random” audience member. Someone the magician has never met before. Tying closely into the deception of magic, you may find that these “audience members” are in collusion with the magician. Collusion with an audience member is an age-old method of developing trust the audience.

Optical Effects

Optical effects are a magician’s best friend. The simplest example of this would be the invisibility of a black object on a black background, but the trickery gets far more sly than that. Boxes patterned with concentric rectangles look smaller to the eye than they actually are. A hollow top to a table with tapered edges can also be made to look smaller than it is. The saying, “It’s all just smoke and mirrors.”, may not be quite so true, but this certainly alludes to magic’s tradition of utilising optical illusions.

Patter

Watch most any magician, and you’ll notice they have a lot to say. They’re always narrating the show, or telling a story, be it relevant or not. This patter is not just the magician being sociable. This is yet another tool of the trade. Patter is used for several purposes, to keep the audience’s attention, guide the audience through the events as they unfold, but most crucially to misdirect and deceive. The magician may narrate her/his actions, but omit a crucial step, or mislead the audience about what’s actually happening.

All together now

So there you have it a peak inside the magicians tool box. This may not be all the tools the magician has in that tool box, but now you’ll recognise at least some of thost tools the next time you watch a magician at work. Just remember, the real enjoyment in watching magic comes not from trying to work out what the magician’s doing, but simply letting them take you on their journey, marvelling along the way at they’ve managed to achieve.

But of course, these tools aren't restricted to the stage. Skills typically used in magic are applied in “real life” situations every day.