First off, I'd like to thank you guys for the helpful tutorial. This in combination with FilmRiot's fight tutorial has given me some great insight into how I want to film an upcoming RU-vid series this summer. The film has a ton of fight scenes and I haven't filmed many hand to hand match ups. I feel a lot more prepared as DP now thanks to you guys.
Good explanation of basics. Just letting you know, I'm about to start releasing my action filmmaking tutorial series.. made by professional stuntmen, for RU-vidrs, with Hollywood tips and tricks
Am a youtuber and I make many action flims.For better action shotting I always search for fighting tutorials and this one isa really helpful.Thanks....
Very Nice!!! Some Questions, how would you implement blood shots? like, a bleeding nose? What is best use for fake blood? I used fake blood but it looks to fake and it dries up to quickly making it less real. Would lighting take a big part as well? How much choreography would you recommend? Also, while editing, would music also play a good chunk for making it look real?
You can buy fake blood from a halloween store (especially right now).. I've made fake blood before from corn syrup and red food coloring, but it ends up being way cheaper and more effective if you just go to a costume store. Also since your blood that you used dries up quickly, I'd save the fake blood for close-up shots where you see it as part of the story .. (like, his nose started bleeding and he wiped it off) and YES, music helps a lot. Especially if your sound effects aren't the best. Check out some of the tutorials on my channel about this subject!
I think I'm gonna start working on a short war film, and i'll use these tips for a fight scene :D Thanks for the video. I just have to get my camera fixed, which is in about 2 weeks :(
Some good points. What about organizing an Improvised fight scene? Like say the two actors are trained stuntmen and they have a very vague idea of where to end up being for each sequence?
Pretty cool tutorial. I like it. :-) BUT never cut away exactly when the fist hits the face. It takes away the impact because the eye has to catch up where the fist is in the next frame and looses track there for a second. This second will make it less impactfull. You have two options here: cut to the face that is getting hit a little bit earlier OR do a double frame like Jackie Chan does. So let the fist hit his face in one shot, then cut to the other shot but one frame (sometimes even two. Depends on how fast he hits and also what your shutter speed is) before the fist hits his face. So now your eye has the time to adapt to the new situation and it looks a litte bit more painfull.
I think it depends on the look you're going for. Standard would be double your frame rate for natural looking motion. If you want more frenetic "Saving Private Ryan" look you can increase it.
This was all great until you talked about cutting to a new angle on the frame of the impact. This is a lazy practice that unfortunately Hollywood has adopted, that actually makes the fights look LESS real. Watch a Jackie Chan movie, or any movie where the fight is filmed with a WIDE ANGLE. Looks much better, feels more real. There's a great video talking about this on the channel Every Frame a Painting.
Brian i would try to rely on the environment and the damage and cuts and bruises between shots then tacky camera tricks, but its help to know how to safely line up these gimmicks for when they are neccessary
There's an editing app called videoshop, which costs 2 dollars. Aside from being a pretty decent editor, it also features some sound effects, like punching.
How about the thing they did in fast and furious 3:tokyo drift? D.K punched his hand while looking he punched sung kang, how do i make that to use? I have a film project at school, and i’m going to use this fight scene
Has there been any been real-contact films? like boxing movies? I would imagine it would intensify the movie and make it more realistic/gritty feeling.
Harrison R If you are looking for realistic and gritty fights, try Rocky 6 (Rocky Balboa). It is a real boxing fight, in which 60 something year old Stallone fights a 20 something year old real-life heavyweight champion. Great stuff.
well ive found that if your shooting like a 70s type kung fu film then its better to not switch the camera angles so much. im not sure why but even before i started watching old kung fu movies ive preferred it that way.
Thanks. This is fascinating. One would never think there was so much to "choreographing" a fight. I found out that my cousin, actor Jeffrey Nordling, is a "certified" fight choreographer and just had to see. I'm also guessing the actors' body size has a lot to do with it. In the last fight scene of The Fugitive, actor Jeroen Krabbe nearly flings Harrison Ford into a wall, but Jeroen is pretty big and stocky. Next to him Harrison Ford is almost a scrawny little thing. Would just look stupid if the roles were reversed.
There is definitely more training than you first think. Us professional stuntmen spend years practicing and perfecting our craft.. we even practice moving (walking, body language) like the actors we are doubling, so most of the time you don't even know it's us... :) If you thought this was cool, check out my new tutorial series!
Rustic B I may just do that. Thanks. My husband wanted to be a stunt man when he was (much) younger, but two back injuries (one from a helicopter crash) sort of put an end to that.
Any suggestions on what size lens to use? I'm trying a 35mm at 60fps for harsh blows to slow down, and 24fps for the static shots to get a more hollywood look but something just doesn't look right....
It depends on what you are going for. I would say wide angle to give the big picture, then telephoto (85 mm+) for close-up action. Since telephotos collapse the foreground and background, so to speak, it is the best choice to sell close contact. Also, close-up action shots convey more energy and intensity than wide angle, although wide angle has a place to. The only problem with the telephoto is you really need a stabilizer or there might be too much shake. If all you have is 35mm, you can just use that lens, but move in closer.
isnt ''pause resume pause resume'' ..... -.- if you got only one camera, you have to tape the scene like 3 times from 3 differents angles, and you cut it in the edition
pause resume effect is meh but actually if you end the clip after one scene and make the second clip then end the scene and edit it out it might actually work.
Amateur guys giving amateur tips...hooliwod has newer had shittier cinematography in action film than today. Over use of shaky camera is by far the most anoying feature in most hoolywood films and it all started with saving private ryan (witch did not use excesive shaking of the camera) Janusz Kaminski Cinematographer in saving private ryan moddified the cameras to vibrate the lens, and give more action to certain scenes...they did combination of hand held cameras with smooth movement, fixed cameras, and cameras with lens vibration in some scenes (not excesive shaking in every scene) shaking and vibration are not the same thing!!! many people just tried to imitate that by shaking the fuck out of the cameras in todays films!
yes, try to stick with it as much as you can! only bring the camera across the 180 if you're doing it "in-camera". the only time you should break the 180 is if you're trying to make it look jarring like the bourne series (which I hate). if you're interested in more fight tutorials, check out my content
YES! And most of the time, you should be moving only at 70% speed. Your emphasis should be more on the "intensity" and body language acting, then on the speed. Check out my new tutorial series :)
DO NOT CUT ON THE STRIKE! It takes away the impact of the punch and makes the sequence feel more like visual noise. You wanner see the impact and then cut for reaction or vise versa.
I‘m not saying that but the technique originated from the need to correct something in post and not intention. Almost no mainstream director knows how to shoot and cut action properly.
pinoygabbz M.Night isnt an action filmmaker for the most part. Though he may have his straightens in some respects. I mentioned micheal bay due to his techniques is actually one of the best in action editing, --He smash cuts . Camera technique wise he makes Night look like a child. But for the technique of panning around action, see mr bay to do it properly. (minus the explosions) lol take care bro lol
am 20 years old , am from Vietnamese am a young film maker , i got a problem when shoot a fight scene which it even i punch and kick so fast and hard but on screen it always slow , lack of streng and not real hope you guys could give me a advice , that will help me alot thanks very much
I agree.. unless your actors suck at delivering the choreography, then you can add just a little shake. Not too much (I explain this concept in the 2nd fight tutorial of my series)
This isn't how fight scenes should be shot, the audience will get nauseous just by watching because of the shaky ass camera movement. Instead it should be wide angle and with the camera centred on the fight without it moving too much. The audience will see the fighters and the environment it's taking place in and you can see the movement much more clearly. Why watch a fight that you can't see ?
it all depends on the skill level of the performers. If your actors aren't trained, you will often times have to cover their bad moves with camera work. Same goes for bad camera work.. check out my new tutorial :)
2:39 - PLEEEEEASE do not teach anyone this. It is why a ton of modern day action scenes suck so much. You SHOULD allow the viewer to process, and therefore appreciate, the "impact". Yes, even for beginner directors using their new GoPros.
