How To Write A Fight Scene

May 7, 2017
4 min read

STEP 1: KNOW THE FIGHTING STYLE

Having the knowledge of the fighting style is important as it can conclude the overall look and feel in the final video and not get across the correct direction through the script. For myself, I have decided on Shotokan Karate which I have practiced myself, myself understanding the realistic moves and how sequences flow with the moves practiced. Having knowledge in how to fight makes it much easier to write as you can understand all possibilities of the next move and the outcome of the fight.

'If a screenwriter has never written or even practiced a certain fighting style, then they may be creating unrealistic moves and sequences. If they don't know about a fighting style, it's time to either learn or read about it. The best way to really know how to write about a sequence is to get out there and do it.'- Michael "Steve" Palmer

The practice of the moves makes it a lot easier to write about through yourself practicing the style of fighting that you have chosen because you understand the moves, allowing you to write a better directed and detailed script than those with no fighting knowledge or practice in them. If you cannot practice the style, then you should get a book with detailed directions on how to perform the kicks and research professionals in contests fighting in your chosen style, allowing you to see the moves and sequences in practice.

STEP 2: PACING OF DIALOGUE

The pacing of your dialogue is also very important, most fight scenes including dialogue throughout the fight. No fight scene is in silence. The dialogue can be from playful dialogue or seriousness, the choice being up to the writer. 'One page of screenplay equals one minute of screen time.', meaning however long you plan to make the video last you should pace off of this knowledge. The pacing of the dialogue needs to be well decided as the dialogue can feel out of place or not natural to the audience watching, making the whole fight scene feel out of place.

Try to make all of the sentences sound natural, writing in the gaps where they would stop talking, or where they would drag out a word. This will help with the pacing, allowing you to understand the exact length of these sentences for the fight scene. You can perform the script out loud, timing how long the dialogue takes and see if it feels natural. Some un natural tones could be talking formally as many people don't say "I would not" but more naturally would say "I wouldn't." The difference of the words can make up a few seconds, allowing the pacing to change but can also fit better to your characters.

STEP 3: ADD CUES

'Screenwriters are going to have to add thorough information in the setup for the scene and what occurs while the dialogue is being said. This is the only way to ensure that instructions are being followed.'

Adding cues makes it easier to direct the actors when filming and can also refresh your memory on how the fight scene should be performed. It allows the actor to know what action they should perform before their dialogue, keeping the pacing correct and allowing them to have a lot more natural of a flow in their performance.

STEP 4: THE STEREOTYPICAL FIGHT SCENE

The villain escalates a tense scene into a physical one.
The villain attempts to block the hero (with varying success).
The hero loses track of the villain’s location.
The villain knocks the hero off his feet.
The hero experiences intense pain.
The hero responds to the villain’s trash talk while on the ground.
The villain attempts to hit the hero again.
The villain shows a point of weakness.
The hero makes a last hurrah.

Although this is a very stereotypical way of planning out to write your script, this is one of the best story lines for a fight scene. It works because it shows the dedication and motivation of the hero although they are physically weaker than the villain. Stories of determination work the best in influencing an audience and directs them to root for the weaker, in this case is the hero of your film, because determination is classically the innocence in a human who wants to do good in the World. The audience will naturally root for the underdog in any situation if their morals are correct, meaning the hero being in jeopardy will cause the audience to root of them.

STEP 5: LANGUAGE

'The appearance of words like ‘suddenly’, or ‘tremendous’ or ‘savage’ are not the best use of language for a fight scene. Try to find alternative ways to say the same thing. A ‘heavy swing’ with a sword might just become a ‘slash’.'

Mirroring a change in events with a change in grammar or language helps to keep the reader interested. As said before, some un natural tones could be talking formally as many people don't say "I would not" but more naturally would say "I wouldn't." The difference of the words can make up a few seconds, allowing the pacing to change but can also fit better to your characters. Explicit language is also something to decide on whether you want to include swear words or to avoid them completely. This can be decided by the target audience you're aiming for and how the rest of the film is wrote. If it suddenly changes to explicit language during the fight scene it will make the whole scene feel out of place and can even make your characters feel out of place along with them.

References

Magazine, Script, and View →. "WRITING FIGHT SCENES: A Kick In The Head - Script Magazine". Script Magazine. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 May 2017.
"Screenwriting: How To Write A Fight Scene - Steve's Digicams". Steves-digicams.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 May 2017.
Frazier, Christine. "How To Write A Fight Scene In 11 Steps". Better Novel Project. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 May 2017.
Davies, Marc. "Writing Fight Scenes | Fantasy-Faction". Fantasy-faction.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 May 2017.