{"id":107068,"date":"2018-11-19T06:00:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-19T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=107068"},"modified":"2018-11-16T14:58:24","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T20:58:24","slug":"introduction-fight-scene-choreography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/introduction-fight-scene-choreography\/","title":{"rendered":"Filmmaking Tips: The Ins and Outs of Fight Scene Choreography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Effective fight scene choreography ties together filmmaking principles, safety protocols, and proven production techniques in a seamless dance.<\/h2>\n

Choreographing and directing a fight scene is no easy task. There are many moving parts involved, and it all has to sync up and look believable. Even simple fights can be dangerous, so be sure you work with your stunt coordinator to execute every move as safely as possible \u2014 especially if you involve weapons.<\/p>\n

As fight scenes often rely on some stunt work, start by checking out our earlier article “Low Budget Stunt Coordination<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

\"Production<\/a><\/p>\n

Now if your goal is to become a fight choreographer, then, if you haven\u2019t already, start taking martial arts classes. You need a plethora of techniques to draw from to develop interesting exchanges.<\/p>\n

This article will focus primarily on directing fight choreography, focusing on character background, fighting styles, and working with your choreographer. However, I\u2019d still recommend taking a few classes (or even taking a few lessons from your choreographer) so you can get firsthand experience and learn to better communicate your ideas.<\/p>\n

Your fight scenes need to be appropriate to your film’s genre. Unless you\u2019re trying to make a ridiculous spoof, a Matrix<\/a>–<\/em>style kung fu fight scene in an English period piece would be completely out of place.<\/p>\n

You also need to give your audience believable backgrounds or explanations for your characters’ martial arts skill levels. Was your character in the military? Is he or she secretly an assassin? Are they simply martial arts enthusiasts? Or did they learn to brawl on the streets? You need this information not only to give your audience a believable character and fight but also to determine\u00a0how<\/em> you choreograph their fight scenes.<\/p>\n

Before getting into any specifics on fighting style, we need to touch on possibly the most important framework for a fight: motivation. We need to believe in the character\u2019s motivation for the fight. Great choreography is meaningless if the audience doesn\u2019t care about why our hero is fighting. One of the best examples of this is from Ip Man<\/em><\/a>. Behold:<\/p>\n