Directing Fight Scenes
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Topic: Directing Fight Scenes
Posted By: BeJa
Subject: Directing Fight Scenes
Date Posted: 10/28/05 at 1:10pm
| I'll be directing a play in which there will be a slap stick "fight" scene using one, two or all three of the following weapons: sword, ball & chain and whip. It is a fight between two gladiators. If I could do just one weapon well, I would be happy. I've never directed a play with a fight scene. Do I rely on my choreographer to work out the steps? Can you recommend a book, so that I have an idea on how to go about it? I did a book search and came up with "Fight Direction for Stage & Screen" by William Hobbs. Thanks for your input. |
Replies:
Posted By: falstaff29
Date Posted: 10/28/05 at 1:50pm
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Get a fight choreographer who has training! Fights, no matter how simple they may seem in your head, can be very dangerous. Especially with the weapons you've described! If you can find one, try to get a fight choreographer who will make a character-driven fight, as they're often more interesting to watch. If you go through a play with fight scenes (esp. a lot btw. different characters), you'll see that each character has a different goal in fighting, whether it be to show off his skill with a weapon, frighten someone to simply go away, or actually harm someone, etc. Good fight choreographers incorporate these elements into their fights. |
Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 10/28/05 at 2:30pm
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[QUOTE=falstaff29]
Get a fight choreographer who has training! Fights, no matter how simple they may seem in your head, can be very dangerous. Especially with the weapons you've described! Amen!! Stage fights can be very dangerous! make sure you find someone to help and practice practice practice!! The fight dircetors I have worked with all say that fighting is like dancing, learn the moves and work them often. My husband is a fight director and fight captian quite often. He has the actors involved in the fight(everyone on stage for the fight not just the fighters) run the fight before every show. Actors tend to get a little upset if the are hit with a sword in the middle of the show. As a side note. always have your first aid kit ready just in case. |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 10/28/05 at 2:44pm
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I will chime in with a third "Get a fight choreographer who has training" and practice, practice, practice! Even the simplest fight scenes can go very,very wrong when adrenelin is high. After months of working with a fight choreographer I had a friend in college who was suppose to be tossed off stage on to a mat. Simple. Right? The show was going really well. Everything was high energy. That was when she sailed past the mat, and hit the wall. Linda
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Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 10/31/05 at 9:50am
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I hate when people post just to say "I agree." But: I agree. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Nothing more to add.