How can you write battle scenes?

[victortiti89]

One of my scripts has a lot of battles(it's about a warrior set on conquest), and I don't know how to write such scenes. I wrote them as I imagined, but as I re-write, I need to make them right. It would take a lot of space to write down every fighting move. Could you please tell me how to write this so it could be ok in a movie script? Thanks for reading!

 

[QualityHD]

Is just like writing a sentence, just write down everything that is done in the action.

 

[AnywhereButHollywood]

OTOH, there's a famous example from the script of Charge of the Light Brigade, in which the screenwriter - when the big climactic scene came - simply wrote, "They charge."

In a screenplay, you can describe the battle in general terms, but punctuate it with important points. (e.g., "There is a huge melee, ork upon dwarf, elf upon man... Heads fly, blood spurts, weapons clash and clang and armor twists and dents. This continues until only a few combatants remain standing."

Then you can go on and talk about what some specific characters are doing...

Just an example off the top of my head.

It also depends who you're writing it for. If you're writing for yourself, go to town, write whatever you think will help. If you're writing it as a spec script, have mercy on the poor reader.

 

[rayw]

Cheat.

Do it the way others have done it.

Battle: http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Gladiator.html
Battle: http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Mummy,-The.html
Battle: http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Lord-of-the-Rings-The-Two-Towers.html
Battle: http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Lord-of-the-Rings-Return-of-the-King.html
Multiple battles: http://www.scribd.com/doc/25435601/Troy-the-movie

 

[AnywhereButHollywood]

That Two Towers script looks like a transcript, but Return of the King looks legit.

 

[AnywhereButHollywood]

Example (from ROTK):

ARAGORN and LEGOLAS battle the ORC - LEGOLAS JUMPS onto the
BACK of a GIANT MUMAKIL bringing it down ... he lands on his
feet in front of GIMLI . . .

GIMLI
That still only counts as one!

The MUMAKIL react with terror as SPECTRAL WARRIORS climb up
their SIDES, routing the HARADRIM from their WAR-TOWERS!

ORCS flee in their THOUSANDS ... the TERRIFIED MUMAKIL
trampling them in their PANIC to ESCAPE!

ANGLE ON: The ARMY OF THE DEAD swarming over the CITY,
routing the ORCS!

---------

So lots of general descriptions, punctuated by a few important points.

 

[Firm1]

Honestly, I don't think there is any easy solution to this. I mean, generalizing the action shots helps, but ultimately its about what you can visualize in your head. For me, whenever I'm writing a screenplay, I'm constantly playing the movie in my head and replaying it in ten billion different ways so that I can write alternative shots in the shot sheet and have some wiggle room (imagine what its like having to write a murder scene...Really depresses you.)

Anyway, if you can't visualize it and convey that on paper, then you basically can't do it.

 

[Sweetie]

Are you talking a screen writing script or a shooting script?

They're kind of different. In a script that you're submitting to get funding or approval doesn't need as much detail in the action as a shooting script would. Scripts tend to be used more to get funding or getting key talent to join your team.

For the form of the shooting script, that quite often depends on the preferences of the director.

 

[victortiti89]

Thank you for answering and providing me with these links!