Filmmaking / Directing : Here's an article on 7 Principles of a Great Action Scene by Xochi Blymyer
Xochi Blymyer
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Filmmaking / Directing
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Assistant Director, Director, Line Producer, Screenwriter, Unit Production Manager
12 months ago
Here's an article on 7 Principles of a Great Action Scene
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2 people like this
Really great article, Xochi Blymyer! In the "Character Must Drive Action" section, it says:
"Creating an action film is no different from a story perspective than any other type of story. Every beat and every moment of action must be motivated by the characters and story. To put it another way, a fight or battle is not a time where the story pauses. Instead, the action is a story in itself. It advances the plot, develops the characters arcs, and keeps the story moving. If a piece of action does not do this, it is fluff and will not be as compelling or thrilling as it would if it were vital to the film’s story."
That's the biggest thing that pulls me out of an Action movie. When the action in the scenes are meaningless. The action doesn't advance the plot or develop a character arc(s). I go on autopilot watching meaningless action scenes or skip them.
3 people like this
I agree Maurice!
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Xochi Blymyer In the "Geography & Staging" section of the article, it says, "To adequately understand the action, we have to understand the environment it takes place in. We need to understand the location, the potential threats within that space, and where everything and everyone is in relation to each other." That's a great tip for writers too! I'm gonna save that for when I outline scripts.
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cool, I may refer to this with my storyboard students.
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Really interesting article. 'The Raid' is a very kinetic film!
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Yes, indeed!
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Fantastic share, Xochi Blymyer! Thank you!
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Nice article.