Filming these kinds of scenes requires more dance skills than violence. This is because the best fight scenes look nothing like real fights. While an actual fight is chaotic and haphazard, a fight scene must be well prepared and choreographed. It's not just about simulating a fight, but also filming it, so planning ahead will be your best ally for this project.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare the Scene
Step 1. Find athletic actors to work with
A fake fight scene requires a lot of coordination. To make the scene look real, you need actors who fight convincingly. If you are filming a duel or brawl, you need actors who are fluent and coordinated.
- If the actors aren't comfortable moving around too much, you can assign them smaller roles in the fight. However, this option makes your job much more difficult.
- A mock fight scene is more like a dance than a fight and requires a similar level of coordination and physical performance.
Step 2. Determine the pitch and arc of the fight
Want to show off a quick kung fu showdown or a slow intense brawl? Will the fight be one-sided or will the number of opponents be even? Maybe you want to give the impression that a character takes a beating, but right at the end it turns out to be the winner. Depending on the movie, you should determine the feel and progression of the fight before starting to choreograph it.
- How do you want each opponent to behave? For example, a noble fighter fights in a very different way than a scoundrel pirate.
- Do you want to achieve a raw and realistic scene of violence or are you aiming for something more fun and cartoonish? How serious do you want the fight to look like?
- If you are not producing the film yourself, you should review together with the crew and the actors the fight scenes from 3 or 4 films that you want as a model for your scene. This way, everyone will be in tune.
Step 3. Keep punches and kicks 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm) away from the actors
This issue is not negotiable. If this distance decreases, you run the risk of suffering a real injury. If the actor strays too far, the blows will look unconvincing. For example, let's say Kim has to kick Ron in the head. There are two ways to achieve this purpose. The first is for Kim to kick Ron in the face, arching her foot in front of his nose. The second is that the kick passes the head, projecting towards the ear.
A third method is to let Ron dodge the blow. It is much easier to film a fight with this method than to prepare for a false contact, since it is not necessary to "fake" the impact of the kick
Step 4. Coordinate the reaction to each hit to synchronize it with the action
For example, if Kim throws a kick, it should look like she's hitting Ron realistically. When the kick passes the head, Ron must throw himself in the same direction to simulate contact. At the beginning, you should reduce the speed of the impact to 50% so that both actors know exactly the moment and the direction in which they should launch. Then you should gradually increase your speed with each trial.
Each hit should land where the actor is for best results. For example, if Kim throws a punch, Ron should step back while reacting to the blow to help make the move look convincing
Step 5. Let the person receiving the hit determine any actual movement
For example, let's say Kim has to take Ron down for the scene. Kim doesn't have to actually do this to Ron. All he has to do is hold it and then Ron throws himself to the ground. Kim simply has to go along with Ron and pretend to knock him down. In this way, the rhythm becomes much safer and more fluid. You can use this method in several situations:
- Let's say Kim holds Ron's hand and twists his arm at the elbow. All Kim has to do is hold her hand and let Ron drop to the ground as she follows him down.
- If Kim has to hit Ron's head against the wall, Ron should throw his head 6 inches from the wall and pretend to bounce. Kim simply needs to place her hand behind Ron's head and follow the movement.
Step 6. Get safe and designed props for shooting movies
Never use a real weapon while filming, even if you only place it as part of the background of a scene. Props must always be harmless and completely safe. In professional films, props are professionally trained to carry firearms, even if only blanks and dummy weapons are used. There is good reason for this, as even blank bullets have caused injury when improperly used or played with.
- You can find foam accessories like baseball bats, swords, nunchucks, and many other accessories on movie prop websites.
- The utility knives you use must be retractable, which means they must retract every time you "stab" someone.
- Weapons (even rubber ones) should be covered with a shiny muzzle to indicate they are fake when not in use.
Step 7. Practice each action individually before putting them together
For example, let's say the scene begins with an exchange of blows that follows with a dodge kick and ends with Kim taking Ron down. You must master the punches, the kick and the throw to the ground individually. Then you should slowly practice all these pieces together. When choreographing fight scenes, you need to go slowly and take one piece at a time to achieve perfection and ensure everyone's safety.
Step 8. Improve the details once you have perfected the main scenes
Take another look at the tone of the fight and the attitudes of the characters. For example, a noble and experienced fighter is calm and confident. When he's not in the middle of a fight, he's calm and balanced. However, a less experienced fighter is generally restless and nervous. Makes big, energetic movements, sways or shakes when not in action, etc. Once you've choreographed the scene, you should take a little time to make it look like an artistic struggle.
Make sure to rehearse with the costumes as well. Actors need to practice in what clothes they are actually going to fight in
Method 2 of 3: Film the Scene
Step 1. Designate a safe word that everyone can use while filming
If someone is uncomfortable with the fight, the choreography, or the security while filming, they need a means to cut the scene instantly. Because the word "enough" is one that people often yell at during fights, you should find a word that is unique so that everyone will immediately stop fighting.
Safety is paramount when making fake fights. Although no actual contact should occur, there is the possibility of injury if someone misses a signal or makes a mistake while performing a maneuver
Step 2. Inform everyone every time a fake gun is used in a scene
This detail is extremely important for everyone's safety. Even if the knife you use is props, this does not mean that the rest of the cast, the team or some passerby will assume this fact. Any scene containing a fake weapon should be informed to all involved.
- If you are filming in a public place, consider leaving someone on the street to intercept and inform passers-by.
- If the police show up, don't immediately try to convince them that the gun is fake. Drop the gun, raise your hands and begin to explain as soon as they are requested.
Step 3. Position the camera so that it completely minimizes the space between the actors
For example, Kim is on the left of the screen and Ron is on the right. Kim has to hit Ron with her left hand. She could throw a hook around Ron's jaw, but to avoid it she would have to go past the nose, leaving a very wide space in front of Ron. To correct this, Kim must deliver a direct blow, cross the face and pass Ron's ear, which means that the camera must not capture the empty space between the punch and the face.
Alternatively, you can put the camera behind Kim's shoulder. This way, she can throw the hook in front of Ron's nose without anyone noticing that the blow never actually hits him
Step 4. Design "marks" for the actors during the shoot
Tape the floor so the actors know where to land during filming. This way, you take the guesswork out of every move and help keep everyone safe. For example, you can make sure that the person throwing the blow remains 6 inches (15 cm) away from the person receiving it.
- Make sure that the location of these marks doesn't blind the actors by the light from the floodlights or (worse) cause them to slip on the fake blood or trip while filming.
- If you need to shoot with the camera down and focus on the floor, you can use the marks during rehearsals and remove them only when everything is ready to shoot.
Step 5. Shoot in parts and focus on one actor at a time
Do not try to capture everything at the same time, as it will be impossible for you. Instead, approach each fighter individually. If you have multiple cameras, you can do this at the same time. However, you can also achieve this with a single camera. Returning to the example of Kim and Ron, you should take 2-3 shots of each of Kim's shots from slightly different angles. Then do the same with Ron's reactions.
This way, the editor can cut the scene from Kim's hit to the moment Ron falls backwards, hiding the fact that she doesn't hit him at all
Step 6. Hold the camera with your hands instead of using a tripod
A handheld camera moves naturally and can be quickly rotated when needed. This way, you can "hide" the fake hits so that no one notices they aren't really happening, and the instability gives the scene a high-energy, frenetic tone. However, you should not intentionally shake the camera, since too sudden movement will not reveal anything. Just let the natural movement wobble a little bit.
Step 7. Keep the camera in the foreground
Great fight sequences choreographers (like Bruce Lee) use wide camera angles, mastering timing and having the physical performance to make every move look convincing. However, most fighting scenes remain in the foreground to any actual "contact", as this minimizes the distance you need to fake the blows. Plus, the narrow angles make the viewer feel like they're right in the middle of the action.
It is best to choreograph shorts in which no one is hit (for example, sections in which both opponents dodge several consecutive hits)
Step 8. Point the camera away from security equipment
If a character has to fly off, you need to place some cushions for him to land, but these should not appear in the shot. Once the choreography is done, you must take new angles with the camera to hide the essential equipment.
- If a character hits a wall, the camera should be positioned behind him so that the actor's body hides the safety cushions.
- To take down the character, a common option is to shoot the scene from below, so that the character falls towards the camera and lands underneath it.
Method 3 of 3: Match the Takes
Step 1. Use quick cuts to give the impression of an action scene
The best way to hide that the fight is fake is to keep the cuts moving. In this way, people will see the fists fly without having to see where they land, since the brain of the public is in charge of completing the moment in which the fist hits the opponent's face, although this has not actually happened. The faster the cuts, the more hectic and chaotic the scene will look, which works perfectly for fights.
- Don't be surprised if many of the cuts last 2-3 seconds (or even less) in an entertaining action scene.
- Going too fast can make the scene look too confusing to follow. Find ways to occasionally slow down the scene (for example, you can use a long shot of a character catching his breath before jumping into the fight again).
Step 2. Hide every moment of contact in a cut
This is especially important if the shot looks fake. It begins with a shot of Kim throwing a punch at Ron. Just as it would hit him if the fight were real, you need to cut the shot at an angle where Ron starts to react by pulling away from the fist. The cutout tells the viewer that the contact occurred without the need to show it.
Step 3. Work on the sound design to sell the fake fight scene
The visuals of a fight scene are difficult to pull off, but the sound is what really distinguishes a good fight from a bad one. Synchronizing each hit with a sound effect (like the grunts of the actors and buzzing through the air as the kicks fly) takes hours, but it helps a lot to make the scene stand out. Go through 2-3 of your favorite action scenes and just pay attention to each sound, from footsteps to screams in pain.
To achieve truly incredible scenes, you need to perform room effects. This happens when you create and record all the sound effects yourself. For example, while observing the scene, you must stomp at the precise moment of the action to generate perfectly timed footsteps
Step 4. Have the actors add their own sound effects to the final scene
Hand them some microphones and make them grunt, yell and gasp in sync with their scenes on screen. Let them go through the scene 1-2 times to prepare for each shot. Then simply turn on the mic and let them improvise the noises they might make in a real fight.
You can generate these noises yourself, but it's always best when the actors perform their own sound effects
Step 5. Aim for a scene that has clarity and chaos
Fight scenes are not easy to edit, as the goal is to make it clear what is happening, but you must also create a frenetic atmosphere that has enough energy to simulate a real fight. A great way to accomplish this is to use no-contact shots to show who is winning the fight. For example, you can keep one shot of the person taking the hits to show they are losing, or show multiple shots of the winner's hits without getting hit back.
Jackie Chan solved this problem by arranging simple and clear fight scenes, speeding them up very slightly during editing. The result is a coherent fight with long cuts that also project a lot of energy
Advice
- It is essential to rehearse the scenes. You should not proceed with filming until everything has been perfected with practice.
- Focus on small details (like facial expressions) only after the maneuvers have been mastered. You don't want to give your actors too many things to worry about at the same time.
Warnings
- For any big scene or complicated maneuver, you should consider hiring a fight coordinator to ensure safety and success.
- You should stop the fight if you have any safety concerns.