Fight Scene Film School @fightscenefilmschool - Tumblr Blog

Posts

Whether it's due to super powers or IDIOCY, fight choreographers & filmmakers need know these problems inherent in making the hero invincible. The hero becomes a murderous villain; The suspense & drama gets sucked out of the fight scene; The story gets sacrificed for ONE insecure actor to look cool & tough; The audience is bored to death until the "kryptonite" shows up. When I watch Kickboxer Retaliation I feel like the source of invincibility is insecurity - a misplaced desire to "look tough" strips the fight scene of drama & suspense. When it comes to a DC superhero fight like Batman V Superman, drama & suspense can be inserted into the fight scene in the form of kryptonite. None of the obstacles Superman faces are true obstacles because they cannot harm him. The result is the audience being indifferent until the true, green obstacle is introduced. While there IS drama once this happens, it's merely temporary; once the kyptonite wears off, we're back to the original problem of an invincible protagonist who cannot be harmed. DC's Batman vs Superman tries to circumvent the invincibility problem by uses the ticking time bomb method. A third character like Lois Lane or Martha can be put in danger, & the action between Batman & Superman, unknown to them, has the potential to DELAY them enough that neither will be able to save Lois Lane or Martha. The best superhero fight scenes have an excuse for the invincibility though - Tony Jaa's Ong Bak character magically becomes invincible partway through the final fight scene of the Muay Thai action film. Just like Kickboxer Retaliation, it results in a complete lack of drama and suspense due to the proof that there's no danger to the protagonist. In Jackie Chan's First Strike (Police Story IV), the hero fights an invincible tough guy enemy. Jackie Chan vs Nathan Jones happened long before Nathan Jones did fight scenes with Jet Li and Tony Jaa. In these cases Jones is an obstacle that Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Tony Jaa must overcome. Fantastic! It works! Unlike when Luke Cage infiltrates a building brimming with enemies who don't stand a chance against him. That scene is more like watching an 8th grade bully beat up helpless 3rd graders. Luke There is a uniquely interesting Luke Cage vs Iron Fist fight scene in Marvel's The Defenders. Did I say uniquely? I meant it's identical to Batman vs Superman, with the iron fist technique being Luke Cage's kryptonite. Everyone wants to look cool like Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix. But looking like a tough guy who can't be touched basically results in there being no movie. If Bruce Willis beat that yellow guy into a pulp in Sin City, only for the yellow dude to get back up like nothing happened, well, just watch the video essay. There's no need for me to write a paper essay on Sin City and stage combat. This martial arts video essay involves less reading.

#batman v superman #batman fight #superman fight #martialarts #how to film a fight scene #how to choreograph a fight scene #stage combat #shadiversity #piece of the action #stuntmen react

When it comes to looking more muscular than you really are, getting oiled up is only ONE side of the coin. What's the other side? Well if baby oil makes the bright spots on your skin brighter, what about the darks? Making the darks darker gives the illusion of more depth, and that can be achieved with Hollywood muscle makeup or even the standard bodybuilder spray tan. Did you know that Gerard Butler used muscle makeup to increase his muscle "mass" in 300? He was also lifting weights and doing workouts behind the scenes before every shot of the movie. But when it comes to movie fight scenes, fatigued muscles from behind the scenes workouts are essentially a safety hazard. Gerard Butlers workouts behind the scenes didn't negatively affect his acting performance in 300, but for lesser actors that time between shots might be better spent getting into character. Martial arts and action movie stars aren't exactly well known for their acting prowess, are they? Bodybuilders spray tan so dark because they are allowed to darken their skin evenly over their entire body, but for fight scene legends like Jean Claude van Damme they can use movie muscle makeup to trace the contours of their muscles. Double Impact has a climax with Jean Claude van Damme vs Bolo Yeung, and to make JVCD look more impressive than the muscle monster that is Bolo, they applied layer after layer of muscle defining darkness. Did they go too far or does Jean Claude van Damme have just the right amount of muscle makeup and baby oil in his Double Impact fight scene?

#jason statham #bodybuilding #fitness #makeup tutorial #fake muscles #gerard butler #300 spartan fight scene #filmmaking #stage combat #how to film a fight scene #how to choreograph a fight scene #jvcd #jean claude van damme vs bolo

Would Jackie Chan ruin a stuntman's career just to make the Jackie Chan Stunt Team look good? Turns out the answer to that question is ABSOLUTELY! And I'm not talking about spreading romours to insiders, Jackie Chan went so far as to direct and produce a promotional "documentary" called My Stunts, and dedicated a quarter of the run time to throwing martial artist Ron Smoorenburg under the bus. Once you hear this behind the scenes story you'll realize Jackie Chan's My Stunts is one of the most shameful self-serving documentaries you'll ever see. Who is Ron Smoorenburg? He's the World Record holder for the highest kick: 11 feet! Crazy, right? Who Am I was his first film, and these days you can find him all over Thai TV shows and movies - any time they need a white martial artists in Thailand, Ron Smoorenburg is the guy. But when Who Am I came out in 1998, Ron had no reputation in the film and stunt industry, unlike his established fight scene partners Jackie Chan and Kwan Yung. Kwan Yung had already been in fight martial arts movies with legends Jet Li and Donnie Yen, having started as a stuntman in the 70's. Jackie Chan COULD have chosen to use his documentary My Stunts to highlight how fight scenes are a team effort, with everyone using stunt doubles, prop legs, and anything else needed to create the best movie fight possible. Instead Jackie, director and producer of My Stunts, chose to fabricate a narrative about how the ONE outsider (Ron Smoorenburg) couldn't meet the standards of the JC Stunt Team. What happened as a result? Watch and find out.

#jackie chan fight scene #my stunts documentary #how to be a stuntman #filmmaking #jackie chan who am i #who am i rooftop fight scene #ron smoorenburg #jc stunt team #behind the scenes #brad alan #bradley james alan fight

Ever see a fight scene that felt like it was edited during of an over-caffeinated fit of rage and discombobulation? The Hound vs Brienne of Tarth from Game of Thrones feels like that kind of fight scene. Other channels, like the Stuntmen React Crew have claimed the problem with that "epic" sword fight is the rapid editing that even Speedy Gonzales thinks needs to slow down. But what if I told you that the quick cuts (2 per second in some spots) AREN'T the reason that Game of Thrones Sword Fight is so difficult to follow? The REAL crutch that the director and editor are leaning on is deliberately breaking the 180 degree rule of filmmaking. All filmmakers know this rule, and that breaking it can be used to hide stuff they aren't confident in. The more they break the 180 degree rule, the less you'll notice any mistakes because your brain is too busy trying to figure out who's on which side of the screen. The best animated fight scenes know how to use the 180 rule to INCREASE clarity though. In Street Fighter 2 The Animated Movie there's an epic showdown between Chun Li and Vega. The camera is as carefully choreographed as the martial arts moves, and the 180 rule is only broken once in the entire Vega vs Chun Li fight scene. Ang Lee masterfully directs Michelle Yeoh vs Ziyi Zhang in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. There's so much martial arts skill on screen that Ang Lee doesn't need any editing tricks to lean on as a crutch. Michelle Yeoh's ability to bring kung fu to life on screen is legendary. Ziyi Zhang obviously dedicated countless hours to learning how to sword fight with The Green Destiny. This is why the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon fight scene lets the martial arts choreography speak for itself. Lesser productions like Taken 3 and the 2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 movie lean on the confusion caused by breaking the 180 degree rule of filmmaking like Lieutenant Dan trying to look like he still has legs.

#fight scene #how to film a fight scene #how to choreograph a fight scene #stage combat #got #game of thrones #crouching tiger fight #the hound vs brienne of tarth #game of thrones fight scene #crouching tiger hidden dragon fight #michelle yeoh fight scene

Are Western action movies going through some weird foot-goth phase? Why does everyone HAVE to wear black army boots? And is that lazy decision making your kicks look slow and wimpy? When it comes to movie fights and stage combat we pay attention to our choreography and cool costumes, but when it comes to footwear we all tend to treat it like an afterthought. "On his feet? Uh, black army boots, I guess. Black goes with everything and army boots are the pinnacle of foot masculinity." It's time to stop being lazy about what shoes martial arts characters wear. It's a waste of time learning how to choreography a stage fight or action scene if our own lazy decisions as a director are going to make the kicks look slow and wimpy. Actors want to learn how to kick FASTER and how to kick HARDER. The truth is directors can make fight scenes look faster or slower withOUT using speed ramps in Adobe Premiere. The Expendables 2 Dolph Lundgren vs Jet Li fight scene is a perfect example of this. Jet Li's kicking techniques look lightening quick and painful to be on the receiving end of. Jet Li is also the only cast member in The Expendables 2 wearing white sneakers instead of black boots. In this fight scene Dolph Lundgren is sporting, you guessed it, black boots and black pants. What a creative wardrobe web we weave... Time for some martial arts physics. Since the foot is the farthest part of your leg from the fulcrum (your hip), it's the part traveling the FASTEST. Your knee travels half as far in the same amount of time. What does that mean? It means your knee is only moving at HALF the speed of your foot. There's no two ways about it - if we can see Dolph Lundgren's knee but not his foot, his "kick" is going to look like it's moving at half speed. Lundgren has serious karate training! His kicks are good, and it's an injustice to make them look like garbage because his foot wardrobe was a lazy afterthought. This stuff is every bit as important when it comes to stage combat. If we study Iko Uwais vs Mad Dog Yayan Ruhian we can see that Mad Dog has white shoes. GREAT! But he's kicking Iko Uwais who's wearing a white shirt. Ugh. Not so great. Now Mad Dog's kicking techniques look both weaker and slower. BTW I think they're promoting The Raid or The Raid Redemptio. The fight choreography is fun and they're putting a lot of effort into this live theatre martial arts demonstration, but it's partially a waste of energy because Mad Dog Yayan Ruhian didn't consider what he'd be wearing on his feet and what Iko Uwais would be wearing on his torso - the target. Let's take these lame kicks and turn them into pumped up kicks. Or as Mr. Burns would say, "I'm turning these cans into can DO's."

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bigstinkymoose

#yayan ruihan #iko uwais vs mad dog #the raid fight scene #the raid redemption fight #jet li vs dolph lundgren #the expendables fight scene #the expendables 2 fight scene #dolph lundgren vs jet li fight scene #stage combat lesson #how to choreograph a fight scene #how to film a fight scene

Check out the EXTENDED VERSION of this video here:

https://youtu.be/JDOROxsqqE0

Chun-Li vs. Vega (Balrog in Japanese) Fight scene from Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994) is a master class in action editing.

You might think that quick cuts and zoomed in insert shots are only a recipe for disaster, but back in 1994 Street Fighter 2 The Animated Movie showed how to edit a fight scene like a pro. Chun Li vs Vega is one of the top anime fight scenes of all time in my opinion.

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bigstinkymoose

#street fighter II #street fighter 2 #chun li vs vega #chun li vs vega fight scene #filmmaking #180 degree rule #jumping the line in filmmaking #180 rule of filmmaking #fight choreography #how to film a fight scene #how to choreograph a fight scene #stage combat tutorial #game of thrones fight scene #street fighter II the animated movie fight

Check out the EXTENDED VERSION of this video here:

https://youtu.be/JDOROxsqqE0

The 180 degree line is a filmmaking rule that helps your audience maintain a constant orientation during your scenes. Popular opinion is that it doesn't apply much in fight scenes, but boy does that opinion need to change.

There are ways you can break the 180 degree rule to increase clarity, and ways that you can obliterate the 180 degree rule along with your action scene.

Here at Fight Scene Film School we've broken down how to follow the 180 degree rule, how to break the 180° rule, and even how to bend the 180 degree rule to give your audience the coolest fight scene possible... WITHOUT propping the scene up with a dizzying crutch.

Breaking the 180 degree rule is sometimes referred to as crossing the line or jumping the line. The line you draw connects two fighters in your scene, and once you’ve positioned your camera on one side of the line, subsequent camera setups should primarily be within the same 180 degrees section.

This way a director can avoid spatial disorientation for the viewer.

But what if a director decides to break the line?

#180degreefilmrule #jumpingtheline #180degreefilmrule #shorts #fightscene #filmmaking

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/bigstinkymoose

#fight scene #fightschool #filmmaking #action movies #gal godot #180degreerule #fight choreography #martialarts #how to choreograph a fight scene #how to film a fight scene #stage combat

If you're learning how to be a successful stuntman or stuntwoman, you need to learn more than how to merely take a punch, you need to learn how to THROW a screen punch with ballbusting intensity. How come you can watch a fight scene between two untrained actors and the MAN looks like he learned how to throw a punch in movies and the woman looks like even a high school catfight involves too much skill for her to handle? There are a lot of things that can give away the fact that you're not the real woman MMA fighter your character is, but once a closer look is taken there's ONE stage combat mistake that I see again and again. Lucky for you it's also the easiest mistake to remedy. Time to take a look at a piece of the action and give some fight scene autopsy classes. #fightscenebreakdown Fight scenes in movies & TV shows require a sense of realism, right? It's not enough to have girls pulling each others hair like a movie catfight when it's supposed to be an epic battle scene movie. Any top stunt coordinator or ballbusting stuntwoman will tell you that the fight choreography doesn't bring itSELF to life. It takes dedicated actors who are willing to learn martial arts and train the fundamentals of how to make a fight scene look real. Let's look at Rosa Salazar training for Robert Rodriguez's Alita Battle Angel. In the end she was throwing the perfect movie punches, but when she first started her training for the role she had what I call kitten paws. Not to be overly ballbusting, but kitten paws are these awkwardly bent wrists that take you from looking like a film rioting, epic fighter to looking like a lucky cat pawing at the air. These bent wrists are like giant glowing beacons to the audience. Your actors atrocious technique guides the viewers attention away from the fight choreography, detracting from the stage combat. But someone filming a Thai stunt girl test fight knows that they only need their knuckles pointing at the target at the moment of impact. With their wrists straight their knuckles are going to be in the right spot at the end of their punches - when they "hit" the stuntman or stuntwoman. So WHY does Rosa Salazar from Alita Battle Angel have her wrists bent like she's trying to touch her own elbow? She's not at the point where she can do fights or film riot scenes yet - her brain is still too focused on getting her fists in the right spots. But by the end of her martial arts training Rosa Salazar was able to play Alita Battle Angel with the high level of screen fighting / stage combat technique needed to bring the panzer kunst style to life. But what if you've already learned how to be a stuntman or stuntwoman in Hollywood and you CAN punch? How do you look like you DON'T know how to throw a fake punch for film and TV shows? Girl fights are a unique beast. If you're wondering why most of my examples involve women performing the fight choreography, it's because the kitten paws issue is far more prevalent in female fight scenes. Not because it takes women longer to learn how to punch, but because women tend to have more flexibility in their legs and hips, so they're expected to learning punches AND kicks, whereas men are typically only expected to learn punches for stage combat and screen fights. If a studio needs to film riot scenes they schedule the actors to have rehearsal time with the stunt team. If two actors spend the same number of hours training to fake fight in movies, but one has twice as much to learn, naturally their techniques are going to be around half as good. Now that you can watch stunt choreography like a movie insider, keep an eye out for those times when actors guide your attention to their bent wrists. That's not a perfect movie punch, and now you know why. Ever think you're about to watch one of the best female fight scenes in movie history, only to break out in laughter when the first punch is thrown? I don't mean some high school catfight, I mean a multimillion dollar Hollywood movie with professional fight choreography, directing, and editing. Not to be a ball busting negative Nancy, but how the hell does that even happen? Why do women suck at fight scenes in movies?