How to create a perfect fight scene?

rhys · Post by **rhys** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:54 pm

Hello everyone,
I was constantly accused for being terrible at making fight scenes and was wondering how to make them better.
I know that it needs to be fast paced (but not too fast because people dont see whats happening) but thats hard to do.
I know that if you want a close up of something hitting someone you just cut to a close view, put the thing on them and then just push them quickly.
I also know that you need angles from where for example the hand (for a hook punch) needs to be on the right hand side of someone if its a left punch.
I also know that you need to have a variety of moves.
And i lastly know that you need to have a little gore, and sound effects (but there arent many royalty free sound effects on the internet anymore).
How can I create the perfect fight scene?

rhys · Post by **rhys** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:59 pm

I would also like some fight scenes you have made that are on the net to see so I can get some ideas.

DarkElastic · Post by **DarkElastic** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:04 pm

I would also study some fighting movies, see how the professionals have done the simplest of moves. Classic Bruce Lee films would give you good insight on how they used to do it, while the new Jackie Chan ones would bring you up-to-date.

ctbullet · Post by **ctbullet** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 1:17 pm

i'm going to have a go at the weekend possibly, never done it before so don't understand the difficulty, fast cuts and good acting is the key

justin!butcher · Post by **justin!butcher** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:14 pm

The way I have always understood it was that sound effects and quick movments where the key. I dont know where you would get sound affects, but if you have a fist fight between two people who really know what they are doing the sound affects dont have to be perfect becasue there will be five or six back to back. Thats my two cents

britishbulldog · Post by **britishbulldog** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:22 pm

ok i made the final scene of a movie im working on a last monday which involved a large fight scene, the way i did it was to tell my actors what to do which would last a few seconds and when they've finished get them to freeze in that exact position if that makes sense, then i changed the camera angle and told them what they would do in the next few seconds and built it up

a good fight scene i watched on here was in the film ninja versus killer i think

and if your ever directing a fight scene which involves a main character v.s. evil henchmen dont forget to have some snapping limbs

darrigaz · Post by **darrigaz** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:39 pm

When making a fight scene its always better if it has some sort of relevence to the plot so id doesnt just spring out of the blue,
1 - When fighting dont have your character totaly change purely for them to look cool (see house of the dead for the most hideous example of this).
2 - Keep the camera at a distance that the audience see what's going on, its really frustrating when you cant see what's going on and its just a flurry of fists (see alien versus predator)
3 - Make it lively and with a lot of energy
4 - Have fun making it, it shows (for example see all Jackie chan films)

chrisgreen · Post by **chrisgreen** » Sat May 06, 2006 6:46 pm

Work out a routetine, get your actors to practice it slowly until they know it off by heart, then get them to gradually build the speed up as it goes (as long as they feel comfortable with it; especially if you are using weapons). Eventually they'll have something which'll took good enough which'll be ready to film. Once you are at this stage pick one shot (say a medium long shot) where from you can capture a lot of the action, them film it. Then pick another shot (closer up, or from behind one of the actors) film it, then pick another, film it etc etc.

I know it sounds like it'll take a long time but if each time you do it, it looks good then during editing you'll find it easier to pick the shots you want. Remember you can never have too much footage, only too little, i know i'd rather be spoilt for choice. The rest is done in post-production; when editing make sure that you keep all the cuts tight and fast, slow shots will make the sequence seem slower which you really don't want to do. When it's cut together it should look seemless, if there are any cuts or shots which catch your eye for the wrong reason, bin 'em do it again (that is, if your going for continuity (sp?) editing anyway).

When your done, it's time to add sound FX, it's very important to get some good ones, and make sure they are accurate. If for example your hitting someone wearing a thick coat it'll make a lower pitched sound than if you were hitting bare skin. You'll find that doing sound editing you'll need a non-linear programme which multiple tracks e.g. adobe premiere or adobe audtion (which you can then export as a sound file into another programme). The non-linear editing will make it so that all sound effects can be put in exactly the right places so they are in time with the impacts/ swings etc on screen. Do not use windows movie maker, its a crock of sh!te!

thats my word(s) on it, hope its of use

Bocca · Post by **Bocca** » Sun May 21, 2006 6:06 pm

Id suggest buying a punchbag, and starting a self defence class...(and i say self-defence, not martial art)

Martial arts like Tae Kwon Do look good...yes, but theyre very very difficult to learn, and they take an age to perfect.

I do jujitsu, which is perfect. Its a mix of strikes, blocks, grapples, chokes and pressurepoint fighting...basically streetfighting refined.

http://www.matthawkins.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9213

thats something i threw together, which i choreographed spontaneously - it turned out OK.

Once you get to know moves, how they work, when to use them etc, choreography and speed becomes a hell of a lot easier...

Knowledge is Power....

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