I'm a college student, and so over the summer I've spent my time learning how to write scripts, amongst other things as well. I'm trying to construct a fight scene in the opening of my script, but I don't know if I should choreograph the fight scene inside the script or not. I bought a few books over screenwriting and have taken notes and read them completely. My first book suggested against choreographing fight scenes, and to leave it to the director. How does everyone construct their fight scenes? I'm curious how to begin this.
Screenwriting : Constructing a Fight Scene by Devon Mathis
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For a battle scene, like a Civil War battle, I write only what the camera would see, and only the aspects that are crucial to the main character. When filming a sequence like that, the action will expand, but for a reader, that slows them down, so it's best to focus on what matters to the story, imo. I would say, that if you are writing a fight scene, like a boxing match, or a bar fight, or and skirmish of sorts, that you would follow the same aspects. Write down what you see. Make it logical. Don't go into big descriptions. See it, then write it. And if it's a fight like FIGHT CLUB, read the script, or RAGING BULL.
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Thank you Jan! :)
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You may want to check out the script for one of the Rocky movies.
Brilliant idea Brian, thank you. :)
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That book that says leave it to the fight choreographer is just plain wrong. If it's not on the page, it's not on the stage. A fight scene needs to be a character scene and a story scene, just like any other scene. So know what it is telling us about the characters and how it changes the course of the story. You aren't going to give us every punch, kick, or whatever... just the ones that change the direction of the scene back and forth. The ones that are critical to the story. The scene has to be as exciting to read as it will be to see on screen, so you'll be using techniques like reversals (etc). You should check out some action scenes in screenplays to see how it's done: Shane Black and Walter Hill and others write great action scenes. I have a book on writing action movies (do that for a living) that gets into scene specifics.
Thank you for the great feedback William. Would you mind telling me the name of the book you're speaking of?
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Bourne Identity, Jurrasic Park (well T-Rex fight scene with the raptors), and Inception scripts detail the fight scenes. But I think, like William mentioned, the fight scenes should be added. Bourne Identity is a really good example of how that's done.
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Tomorrow's Script Tip is coincidentally on writing action scenes (and has a link to my book, to answer that question): http://www.scriptsecrets.net/tips/tip80.htm PS: just checked the BOURNE IDENTITY fight scene in the apartment, it's 5 pages long... but that also includes a brief dialogue exchange when then search the assassin and find the photo of Marie in his pocket and she freaks... then the assassin pops to his feet, pushes Bourne away, and dives out the window to his death.
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You could say sth. like, "The combatants engage mano a mano in a deathmatch struggle, with victory wavering back and forth." Evocative but not overdescriptive, gives the director and her fight/stunt coordinator/choreographer plenty of latitude in staging the fight's style, dynamics, and duration. The problem I have with most Hollywood fights is that they all look the same: hero initially gets in some good punches, then the baddie rallies and beats the tar out of the hero, then by some combination of superior inner resolve and good luck the hero finally vanquishes the opponent, usually in some thematically-relevant fashion (or with some gross phallic-penetration symbolism) plus some stupid clichéd quip as the baddie spectacularly melts/falls/explodes/bla bla bla. If I had a nickle...
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I'd say the most important thing is to keep it EXCITING! Make sure the scene crackles with excitement. Keep the descriptions brief but very visceral. A fight scene should really put us in the fight. At least, that's my opinion.
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Nothing should make the reader lift his head from the story he/she's reading. The reader should be 'seeing' the action as it unfolds. You have to write what is taking place in the script. Remember, if you are ever fortunate enough to have a director bring your script to life, he/she isn't going to stick religiously to your fight choreography. But for the purpose of gaining interest in the screenplay, write what's happening and make it convincing.
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Thank you all so much!
This was choreographed on site as the surroundings made a huge difference. And to some degree that will always be true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3SHLU5sFgc We had no way to really get a bunch of detail in until we were in the space. The only detail we had was that he puts him down and walks out at the end.