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Written by F. Braun McAsh
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Tuesday, 29 March 2005 |
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 F. Braun McAsh is a fight director, actor, stage combat instructor, writer and swordmaster living in Canada. His film and television credits include "Highlander" (seasons 3-6 as well as the "Highlander: Endgame" film), "Mythquest", "Cold Iron", and numerous others. He has over one hundred theatrical credits including working as the fight director for the Shaw and Stratford festivals.
"The Fight Scene From Page To Screen" originally appeared in Martial Arts Insider magazine.
Most people, if asked, fully understand that fight scenes in film and television are choreographed; the actors don’t just go out there and hammer away at each other. However, few realize the degree of preparation necessary before the first blow can be staged. The process from script to camera can be a long one. In this installation, I intend to present the minimum questions a fight director must ask before the “hammer and tongs” part can begin. Of primary importance: What is the story the fight is trying to tell? Fights are, after all, supposedly in the script for a dramatic purpose. (Well...let’s just say they should be.) The easiest way to determine this is to imagine the fight gone from the script and see what changes in the story its removal incurs. After that, who are the characters in the fight? What’s their relationship prior to the fight, and how can the fight be used to explore or change it? This may sound a bit facile, but what a character chooses to do - or not do - in a violent situation says a lot about his or her personality. It’s also a question that only the actor portraying the role can ultimately answer, so... |
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Written by Simon Fon
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Tuesday, 29 March 2005 |
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 Simon Fon is a fight director, stunt performer, and martial arts master living in Toronto, Canada. He has worked on numerous television programs, including "Mutant X". Simon has choreographed fights for numerous film and theatre productions, and is a highly respected instructor of stage combat.
"The Eclectic Nature of Martial Arts in Film & TV" was first published in "Master at Arms" magazine, the official publication of Fight Directors Canada.
It was about the end of June, and the 2002 [Fight Directors Canada] National Stage Combat workshop had been over for only a few days, so I decided to get my life back and spend time with my wife, and what a better way to do both than by going to the movies. We (okay I) decided to go see The Bourne Identity. I was quite excited at the prospect of seeing an “old style” action movie, with little or no CGI, and of course some great fight sequences. |
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Written by Scott Witt
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Tuesday, 29 March 2005 |
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 Scott Witt is President of the Society of Australian Fight Directors and the current Associate Director for the Queensland Theatre Company. He has been working in stage, television and film since 1984, acting and/or Fight Directing for Queensland Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre, Zen Zen Zo, as well as other companies. He is currently completing his Masters in Fine Art at Queensland University of Technology in Stage Combat and Fight Direction.
"Illusion and Reality: The Balance of Stage Combat" was first published on Dashing Blades in late 2003.
The ironic combination of these two opposing forces- illusion and reality- is what I believe is at the heart of stage combat. Without this understanding and distinction an actor can never hope to really grasp the art. |
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