lightsaber choreography in episode VII

[TheSelkie]

They are marginally more familiar with martial arts than kids in other countries but familiarity does not mean highly trained, nor does it suggest a higher proclivity to succeed when undergoing intense training.

 

My point is that the experts, choreographers and movie combat gurus over there can put this stuff together in a cinematic context better than anyone else and if the Disney folks are smart they will try to find the best talent for each element of these flicks.

I agree that the actors used could well have replicated the sort of things you see in Asian films, but Bob Anderson could certainly have choreographed such a fight. His fencing background is very, very apparent in the fights he worked on and it's clear that he was aiming to make them more practical than flashy - the question is simply where to draw the line. I was quite happy with the balance they got in EP1, but in an attempt to attract a younger audience they decided to make it progressively flashier.

 

Personally I avoid martial arts films now, the overdone swordplay and twirls just isn't for me. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

[Surinen]

as a blademaster myself I do not want realistic fights in SW, it would not be flashy at all with a fast ending to every duel. What I want is flashy combat with many useless stances and strikes that look like an eye candy tornado-typhoon

[Smashbrother]

They are marginally more familiar with martial arts than kids in other countries but familiarity does not mean highly trained, nor does it suggest a higher proclivity to succeed when undergoing intense training.

 

My point is that the experts, choreographers and movie combat gurus over there can put this stuff together in a cinematic context better than anyone else and if the Disney folks are smart they will try to find the best talent for each element of these flicks.

 

On the other hand, if they feel that live action can't match their vision for the fight scenes, they should look at maybe merging live action and computer animation. If you look at the SWTOR trailers like "Return", those fight scenes would be a good starting point. Could that choreography be achieved purely with actors and wire-fu? If so, great. If not, then use computers. Without sounding too machiavellian, the end result should dictate the methods, not vice versa. I doubt your average actor could transition between single to double to twin lightsabers seamlessly and without looking like a flunky in a Youtube lightsaber duel so maybe this is the way to go.

 

They're not "marginally" more familiar. It's a giant cultural thing between western and eastern countries. That's why there are boatloads of martial arts films coming out of Asia, and very few sport movies like basketball/baseball/soccer/etc. Growing up learning martial arts DOES make a person have better proclivity to it. How do you think we get these superstar professional athletes? They've been doing their respective sport since they were a child.

 

For example. Europe/SA have an extremely strong foundation for soccer and have many schools dedicated to training kids for the sport, whereas US doesn't have many right now. That is why the vast majority of the world's best players come from Europe/SA, and not the US.

[Stellatus]

as a blademaster myself I do not want realistic fights in SW, it would not be flashy at all with a fast ending to every duel. What I want is flashy combat with many useless stances and strikes that look like an eye candy tornado-typhoon

 

Yeah, you definitely sound like a 'blademaster' and not a tweenager.

Edited February 4, 2013 by Stellatus

[Surinen]

Yeah, you definitely sound like a 'blademaster' and not a tweenager.

because I want flashy moves? I thought that teenagers these days like to perceive themselves as sophisticated guru of seventh broken mountain. but yes, far from realism = better SW combat movie. and you are right I'm not only a blademaster but weaponmaster, thank you for your insight.

[Beniboybling]

because I want flashy moves? I thought that teenagers these days like to perceive themselves as sophisticated guru of seventh broken mountain. but yes, far from realism = better SW combat movie. and you are right I'm not only a blademaster but weaponmaster, thank you for your insight.

Lol.

[disgruntledsith]

It boggles the mind how people love to belittle others. Is there any proof that said person is not proficient in the usage of many weapons? Is it so unbelievable that somebody both enjoys fantastic and exotic action scenes, and also knows how real weapons are fought with?

 

Allow me, as somebody who also has training with various sword and other weapon fighting techniques, to weigh in here. I fully agree that flashy, exotic fighting makes for a fun visual experience. However, this must also be taken in moderation. The fight should not just aim to be flashy, but also believable. Take the duel between Luke and Vader in Episode VI for example, every swing felt like it had meaning and purpose. They weren't just swinging their laser swords around to look cool, they were fighting a deadly battle with lightsabers while Palpatine cackled in the background at his handiwork. Which, in turn, made it cool.

 

A little flair is fine. Yoda doing flips and stuff was totally awesome, partially because every part of those strikes felt meaningful, and partially because... Well, he's Yoda. Nuff said. As long as the fights don't get into the "let's see which one of us takes off like a helicopter" territory, I'm fine with acrobatics and spinning parries. Forget how impractical they might be with a real sword. We're talking about space wizards with laser blades. As long as the fighting looks believable, I'll enjoy it no matter how exotic it is.