In the article linked below, Paul Dennhardt, a theatre professor at the College of Fine Arts of Illinois State University, explains important aspects of stage combat that should be understood by everyone in theatre by now. Sadly, most productions still don’t know where to begin with a sword fight, or what the process involves, but…
What does it mean to make acting decisions in a fight scene? Being angry or frightened or stone-faced during a sequence of moves is perhaps the only thing you can maintain besides the accuracy of your fight choreography. However, there is so much more you can do before the first move and between phrases when…
Another long-awaited post about upcoming movies that I think will have great combat. Today, we’ll look at the trailer for the upcoming film Southpaw and compare it to other films in the genre to generate reasonable expectations for its fight choreography and performance. I try to look at the pedigree of the filmmakers to give…
I was inspired by CBC Ideas podcast “Eureka! Mapping the Creative Mind” to discuss creativity this week. If you have more technological interests, CBC Spark also discussed creativity this weekend. Mainly, I’m distilling the current research into creativity itself, and we’ll talk about applications to both theatrical combat and real fighting at the end. Creative…
How do you transmit the precise movements of a performance to future performers? As a fight choreographer, I need to plan action scenes and teach them to actors. I need a method of recording human movement. Today, we’ll explore the options of how to write the movements in your choreography so you can best communicate…
Congratulations to the successful candidates of Academie Duello’s January Combat Acting course. The following students have earned their Basic Actor-Combatant certification with Fight Directors Canada: Sayer Roberts Many of the other students will complete their conditions to satisfy FDC Fight Masters, involving additional hours of training and practice. Conditional Passes Some students receive a “conditional…
For the past two years, Academie Duello and Bard on the Beach have produced a one-night-only showcase of swordplay and Shakespeare, called "Fight Night". The evening begins and ends with an address by Christopher Gaze, the Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach. Duello's founder, Devon Boorman, explains historical weapon use in Elizabethan England as…
As discussed in my previous post on Stage Combat Trends, swordplay for the stage (and the mainly French terminology actors and stunt performers use) came initially from sport fencing. The first fight choreographers in film were fencing champions, and fencing was a part of most private schools and professional actor's training. The lineage looks like…
Throughout the history of cinematic fights, a variety of stunt coordinators have come to prominence, and with them their iconic styles. When a movie becomes popular and has fight scenes that are appreciated, the market is flooded with imitators. Sometimes their style is overgeneralized to apply to every weapon. These days, if you wield two…
Learn to fend off ruffians and rapscallions with Vancouver's most common weather-based accoutrement: the umbrella! With the rainy winter season returning to Vancouver we are pleased to announce the return of this very popular workshop. Loaner umbrellas and canes will be available, but we encourage to bring your own sturdy device, especially if there is…
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Film Riot is a YouTube channel (as the host Ryan Connolly puts it, speaking very fast) that takes the mystery out of the effects and techniques that go into your favourite Hollywood films. While this does mean that most of their combat is dependent on visual effects and editing, it also means that they can keep their…
Panic! Something went horribly wrong in your stage fight. First off, assess the situation. "Horribly" is a matter of perspective: serious injuries can happen, which is truly the worst-case scenario. Problems with a fight scene might derail a performance, which can seem catastrophic, but should be handled calmly. Let's take a look at broken swords and…
You want to get action hero roles, so you're going to audition. There are two types of audition in today's industry for a casting director to get a first look at you: a live audition or a taped one. This week, we'll discuss the difference between a taped audition and a reel, and some tips…
Mark your calendars for the biggest upcoming stage combat events in Canada! Paddy Crean Program dates: December 29, 2014 - January 3, 2015 Registration deadline: November 19, 2014 The Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta This workshop is an opportunity for master teachers, researchers, and movement artists to get together and share in the…
Fight scenes are undeniably complex and require a lot of rehearsal. Sword fights involve moving long metal objects at high speed toward another actor and demand sufficient time to ensure both partners are safe and accurate. How much time should a producer or stage manager set aside for these rehearsals? The FDC Standard A Fight…
The more you learn of different fighting styles from around the world and through history, the more similarities become obvious. Bartitsu and other mixed martial arts function not only because one style will fill a gap that the other leaves, but because many of the core concepts are shared. Today, we’re looking at the important…
At the Fight Directors Canada annual National Workshop, we are always honoured by the presence of our Maitre d’Armes J.P. Fournier. This year, the Basic Actor-Combatant class were privileged to learn single sword from our living legend. Honour to Him The Nationals this year coincided with the gala to honour J.P. with a Sterling Lifetime…
The script will inform the actor and the audience why two characters want to kill each other. However, even with the clearest scenes, as peaceful people it can be difficult to emotionally understand a fight to the death. So as a performer, how do we interpret and justify the stakes of a fight scene with…