As discussed in my previous post on Stage Combat Trends, swordplay for the stage (and the mainly French terminology actors and stunt performers use) came initially from sport fencing. The first fight choreographers in film were fencing champions, and fencing was a part of most private schools and professional actor’s training. The lineage looks like […]
With Mockingjay (The Hunger Games III) coming out soon, CinemaSins has helpfully created an instructional video in case you want to invent your own Deadly Competition movie. Look out for clips of Death Race, Gamer, Running Man, Rollerball, Hunger Games, and Battle Royale:
Throughout the history of cinematic fights, a variety of stunt coordinators have come to prominence, and with them their iconic styles. When a movie becomes popular and has fight scenes that are appreciated, the market is flooded with imitators. Sometimes their style is overgeneralized to apply to every weapon. These days, if you wield two […]
Film Riot is a YouTube channel (as the host Ryan Connolly puts it, speaking very fast) that takes the mystery out of the effects and techniques that go into your favourite Hollywood films. While this does mean that most of their combat is dependent on visual effects and editing, it also means that they can keep their […]
Scholagladitoria is the YouTube channel in which Matt Easton explains many details and misconceptions about historical weapons and their use. Recently, he has looked at several films in terms of their armour, weapons and fight realism. Check these out (this is the order they were posted): Knitted chainmail and weird plate armour in movies and […]
Panic! Something went horribly wrong in your stage fight. First off, assess the situation. “Horribly” is a matter of perspective: serious injuries can happen, which is truly the worst-case scenario. Problems with a fight scene might derail a performance, which can seem catastrophic, but should be handled calmly. Let’s take a look at broken swords and […]
Vancouver Fight Director Nicholas Harrison has personal reasons behind his choreographic choices, especially in Stickboy at the Vancouver Opera. Read the article: Stickboy brings back painful memories for fight director Nicholas Harrison He’s very careful about how he stages the violence for this show, knowing it firsthand. “I do not like gratuitous violence; it really […]