Well not exactly fight but make the movements look real enough. Mostly the problem is speed. For my next project for example, if someone comes towards another with a fake machete for example, they still want to be slow since no one wants to get hurt. I don't want anyone to either. But how do I make it look faster?
How do I get actors to fight each other realistically?
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
They use stunt coordinators who, in coordination with the director and DoP, choreograph the action. The stunt coordinators usually handle the training of the actors who must be seen doing their part of the stunts. Then they storyboard the scene step by step so the editor is able to seamlessly intercut the actions of the stunt people with the movements of the actors.
I remember that Natalie Portman (I think it was her) told the story of having phone book over her stomach so she could take numerous takes of punches. She commented that her stomach still hurt for several days afterwards.
I'm sure that there are hundreds of tricks (like undercranking) and craft "secrets".
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Choreograph the fight and then practice, practice, practice. Make sure the actors can go through the motions without thinking. If the actors aren't very good at remembering the order of movements then practicing will take longer and you as the director need to think of logical places where breaking up the fight into multiple parts will make things easier. Fights have a lot of cuts typically so it shouldn't be a problem to break the steps up into a lot different parts. Also, don't use a real weapon and nobody should get too badly hurt if they happen to get hit. Most importantly, tell the actors to "fight" like they mean it. Obviously, the spacing should be good enough that no one gets hit, it just looks like it on camera.
Here's a hint: tell the actors to grab a broom then pull it out and keep their fist that way when the camera isn't close up on the fists. If they get hit with a non-balled up fist, it won't hardly hurt.
Here's a hint: tell the actors to grab a broom then pull it out and keep their fist that way when the camera isn't close up on the fists. If they get hit with a non-balled up fist, it won't hardly hurt.
Okay thanks. I've got the storyboarding and the coordination down. It's just getting them to move fast and hard enough that is the hard part.
train them.. have them meet up a few times during a week, and practice. Have them do the hits slow, slow, faster, faster, slow, slow, faster, faster, and then go into full speed...
and teach them to pull hits and blows...
but this is the reason why you need someone trained in stunt fighting, to teach them...
and teach them to pull hits and blows...
but this is the reason why you need someone trained in stunt fighting, to teach them...
jackie chan stunts are good examples of how to do things if your doing it by yourself..
I'm from the uber-real school of film making. Get the clumsiest actor money can buy and go with the real machete, properly sharp at full speed, preferably howling kiaaaaaaa at the time and with the neighbours watching. There are a whole host of reasons and just a few off the top of my head:
1. It saves money. No messing around with buying fake blood and a significantly lower special effects budget. It's all real dude!
2. It saves money. One less actor to pay.
3. Publicity. You will have the press camped outside your jail cell begging for interviews, you will be all over the news... members of the public coming around to witness where it happened... you just can't pay for that kind of publicity. Hell, th@t dude from the Actors Studio will be calling you to sit in front of aspiring film students to ask you how you managed to get actors to 'that place.' Remember - no publicity is bad publicity!
4. Realism. It will look good, the screams will sound good and the onlookers' faces will be a picture. Spielberg couldn't get that kind of realism.
5. More realism and money saving. If you wait long enough you will have a whole host of police arriving with real guns, cars, ambulances, the whole nine yards. Guerilla dude - shoot them while they're there! You could even incorporate a chase scene... drop the machete, run like crazy and set up a few cameras en-route. Note that if they shoot you / the actor wielding the machete, this is a bonus! More publicity, another less actor to pay... it's all good!
6. Speed. You can get the whole thing done in one take.
The subsequent courtroom drama will be a movie in its own right and you can bag the rights early! It'll be the follow-up sequel every blockbuster needs!
So there is every reason to chuck, erm, carefully place a really heavy, uber-sharp machete into the hands of the clumsiest actor you can find and tell them to get stuck in. Just go in like a threshing machine on speed. Remember to tell them it's a fake plastic one and the police etc... aren't real - they're just part of the shoot. Guerilla! It's the best way. It's the only way...
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Tell each actor that the other one said something disrespectful about his mother. You would not believe the number of real fights/stabbings/shootings/arson that I have seen from that single motivation.
Use a prop knife for the shots where the knife comes close to contact or for shots where the knife will be swiping quickly. I know you said you're using a fake machete, but perhaps you could create a prop knife that's very dull or soft (low risk) so they're not so tentative. There are lots of tutorials on youtube for making prop knives.
If it's their body language when selling the fight, have them watch a few fight scenes, noticing the face of the main guy and even just the side guys who get beat down. The side guys are usually great at selling the fights and make the hero look even more badass.
Have a day set just for the choreography. Even if it's a small scene, if it's a sticking point you have to work out the kinks. The actors will feel more comfortable around each other in a fight scene kind of setting. This session will let them get the choreography perfectly memorized so they can think more about their acting performance (where their eyes will go, facial expressions, fine tuning how their body will react to an attack.) Most importantly they'll know distance and feel less tentative once the camera's on.
Also if you remind them to act the scene out with conviction and use their facial expressions, they sometimes really get into it and it carries through out their whole body. Before hitting Record, remind them of what their character is going through in the moment. "This man wants to take your life. If any of the blade of this machete touches you, there's a huge chance you won't be seeing your family, your friends, ever again. He wants to take your damned life away from you. This is it. You are struggling here, fighting here, because you want to stay alive." Something to amp them up and remind them of the stakes involved with the scene.
And of course, play with the frame rate (22fps) to make the hits look faster. Take out frames where need be. Use the camera to add more power to the blows as well. But really, take that extra rehearsal day to go over the fighting scene. Let them ask any questions. Once they have the character's motivation and the choreography down, they can fine tune their performance.
If it's their body language when selling the fight, have them watch a few fight scenes, noticing the face of the main guy and even just the side guys who get beat down. The side guys are usually great at selling the fights and make the hero look even more badass.
Have a day set just for the choreography. Even if it's a small scene, if it's a sticking point you have to work out the kinks. The actors will feel more comfortable around each other in a fight scene kind of setting. This session will let them get the choreography perfectly memorized so they can think more about their acting performance (where their eyes will go, facial expressions, fine tuning how their body will react to an attack.) Most importantly they'll know distance and feel less tentative once the camera's on.
Also if you remind them to act the scene out with conviction and use their facial expressions, they sometimes really get into it and it carries through out their whole body. Before hitting Record, remind them of what their character is going through in the moment. "This man wants to take your life. If any of the blade of this machete touches you, there's a huge chance you won't be seeing your family, your friends, ever again. He wants to take your damned life away from you. This is it. You are struggling here, fighting here, because you want to stay alive." Something to amp them up and remind them of the stakes involved with the scene.
And of course, play with the frame rate (22fps) to make the hits look faster. Take out frames where need be. Use the camera to add more power to the blows as well. But really, take that extra rehearsal day to go over the fighting scene. Let them ask any questions. Once they have the character's motivation and the choreography down, they can fine tune their performance.
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wide shot: actor A holds machete
tight shot: just the machete chopping at full speed at an off-screen prop (no second actor)
wide shot: actor B falls down with machete wounds
that'll get you fast enough. hard enough can be augmented with sound.
Or, of course, gorillaonabike's method. I believe the term is "enforced method acting"
tight shot: just the machete chopping at full speed at an off-screen prop (no second actor)
wide shot: actor B falls down with machete wounds
that'll get you fast enough. hard enough can be augmented with sound.
Or, of course, gorillaonabike's method. I believe the term is "enforced method acting"
Make them go hungry for a few days then throw a steak in the middle. ¬_¬
Clever editing helps, you can cut frames out to speed things up and add visual effects to make the movements seem like they have a lot more impact.
Clever editing helps, you can cut frames out to speed things up and add visual effects to make the movements seem like they have a lot more impact.
Two men enter! One gets steak!
There's a short movie in there!