"Stylish" Saberfights?

Hello everyone!

I'm totally new here, but me and some friends are experimenting with making a fan film,
but the fighting-scenes looks like crap (we're total amateurs, got no experience at all)..
So does anyone know a site where you can get some tips, or download a movie or anything like that,
so we can try to improve our saberfights?

 

http://www.apocprod.com/Pages/tutorials/staged.htm

There ya go! It's a good tutorial to start out with.

 

Actually, TFN theater has some right here. Also, look at some sites on Kendo, Bojitsu and fencing. In addition, look above (in the blue section) where it says Fan Film Links and click Tutorials. Look there.

Have fun!

~Neszis~

 

thanks guys, this will help us get started!

 

As for movies goes...um The Phantom Menace...

This link should do you up right-Stage Combat

 

who doesn't love netsword?

 

Just do alot of jumps and spins and twirls and backwards fighting, and your good to go.

 

Which is exactly what you should NOT do. You can add a few of those things here and there, but if you've got a sequence with a whole lot of that, you've go yourself a stunt video with people swinging around pretty shining sticks. Not what you want. use flips, spins, etc. sparingly to make a convincing and intense looking fight.

 

Watch episode 6's saber fights in slow-mo and watch what they do then put them in a different order an you got a fight or read one of the toturials on choreography on Tfn

 

Y'know what? Even if you have absolutely no training at all (like me) you can still get a pretty good looking fight scene going. How did I do it? Well, first we went through step by step the motions of the fight, writing it down (I used stick figures on lined paper). Then, we started to practice it. Slowly. Very slowly. Until the last movement blends into the current into the next. Then gradually speed it up. That's pretty much all you need. Oh, one more thing - make sure you choose something you can physically handle.

 

There's nothing worse than a crappy lighstaber fight scene. You gotta put everything behind an attack even if it is staged. As to forms watch any highlander flicks or Blade 1 and 2. Good source of some choreographed stuff. If you have a PS2 go buy a game called Kengo, it's a samurai game that has some pretty good forms and styles of attack (Bushido).....

Hope this helps.......

 

thank you all for your tips! this will surely help us a lot in our work..

 

...and if you want actual ORIGINAL ideas, here's what we did.

Ya put yourself face to face with someone else, pick who will go first, and that person will hit the other person. Then get that person to block it.

Now you can either have them hit again or have the other person to hit back.

THIS WAY YOU LEARN TO HIT PEOPLE AND NOT STICKS!

SOOO many FanFilms include saber duels where they're just hitting sticks. It looks very unrealistic like they want to hit the stick and not the person. Remember the motive of the fight. And when you're fighting, think of how much you want to kill that person...seriously...be an actor!

And if you or someone else is stuck on what they should do next, ask them or yourself "naturally where what would you do next?" This technique has made a 8-hit combo we drew up flow incredibly.

Let me know and I'll send it to you sometime.

 

For our fanfilm (currently in pre-production) me and my sparring partner learned it in blocks of three.

So it was 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, and we blended it together and it turned out quite well. We learned it slowly and gradually increased the speed until it looked reasonably cool.

Mike

 

What we're doing is a combination realistic and stick slapping. Excerpt from our "script" (choreography included)(no, this won't include what's our best move so far):

- Begin, guard position
- Low reverse guard
- Low guard
- Vishnu come up, swing down- Arjuna catch 2nd ring, hilt to left
- Vishnu swing low to feet- Arjuna block, blade down
- Vishnu spin 360 degrees left, swing low to feet- Arjuna jump, crouch
- Vishnu swing down- Arjuna catch 2nd ring, hilt to left, still crouching
- Vishnu flip back, lightly kick Arjuna
- Arjuna exaggerate kick, roll back to feet

Note the pasrts additional to the saber fighting- add a bit more, in our opinion.

EDIT: This is copied from MSWord, and I didn't correct the bullets and stuff... here we go.

 

Whoa, I didn't expect that I should get so many answers

Thanks to everyone who has answered, and yes MattesKrymsod, it would be cool to se that 8-hit combo!

 

Personally, I think the secret to a believable fight is eye contact.

Make sure you make eye contact before swinging a saber. It only has to be held for a split second and probably won't be noticeable on film, but it gives combatants the assurance that everyone's in control and fully aware of what's going on. It's dangerous to be swinging a saber around, especially if someone you're fighting isn't ready for a swing.

A lot of people don't fight at full speed or only swing at sabers instead of the other person because they don't TRUST each other. Making eye contact gets around this inhibition. As said earlier, go through your motions slowly first. Practice making eye contact, and speed it up.

 

Sometimes attacking your opponents weapon is a good thing. It keeps them on edge and can be used to batter down their defenses. It might also be used to trick the opponent.



SWmaster

 

In tutorials I've read, it says that hitting sticks is better for close-up shots of the characters- which I can pretty well a gree with. Viewers can't see real well where the blades are (especially on a 2D screen... this ain't the SW universe with holos, boys).

 

As for the hitting sticks it's called parrying. The reason why you "try" to hit the opponent's weapon is so you can deflect the weapon long enough to get a clear shot. That's why you keep your weapon in front of you and your enemy or youre one dead jedi. Flourishing works but only if it makes sense to what you plan to do.

Anyway I forgot my point So NM

 

Oh, and keep moving. Standing in one spot is only slightly alleviated by changing camera angles- move one way or the other to signify who has the upper hand.