Fight Sequence Help!

[Generic Skinhead]

Anybody here filmed a "realistic" fight sequence before? Any tips? Ive checked about 50 websites and they've got nothing. Its gonna be shot at night, on canon xl1 with two of my mates doing the fighting.

I'd like to hear about any previous expierience you guys might have had in this area.

[GrizzlyAdams]

No Experience,

However, when I was younger, we used to do Martial art demo's and fight coreography was part of that. short little sequences where some 5ft girly beats up two strapping 6ft's chaps without smudging her make up.

Two ways to go :

Real: so close up with the camera, get a cricket box ( or whatever they call them in ireland - stops you getting your nuts broke )

for sound effects - try cabbage. record it being hit, headbutted, mulitple hits, elbows. also a heavy bag. do the sound seperate where possible.

and for visual, red stuff - headbuts result in cuts...wich bleed NOT squirt

Real fights tend to be close up, fast and result in grappling on the floor after a couple of punches get thrown.

Hollywood : long shots , big fancy kicks, ( think american wrestling ) all show and no blood.
lots of punch/kick sequences.

camera angles will sell the strikes as hitting.

get your mates to practise with the heavy bag - can they throw a pund, make it look real and not hit the bag - also can they fake being hit.

and fighting is not boxing - so no rules.

[Generic Skinhead]

Thanks Grizz and (Redlum for the e-mail)...hey grizz how "young" were you, doing that martial arts stuff?! I seem to remember your early posts asking for advice about them! Anyways I appreciate the help...my friend has a punchbag lying around somewhere and ill have to investigate the cabbage which sounds like a pretty novel idea.

Incidentally in Ireland a cricket box is called a cup...so there you are.