Combat Scenes - Formatting?

Good afternoon! I've finished the first draft of a vampire script, and i'm in the slow and technical process of editing. There are a number of fight scenes in my script, and i'm a bit unsure of how to format them properly. I've been reading other scripts (script-o-rama rocks) and i'm relatively comfortable with the thought of approaching the editing of these scenes, but i wanted to get a general concensus of the proper way to format a fight scene. Fight scenes vary as follows:

- one -v- one

- one -v- two

I also have one specific scene that acts as a face off, where one group goes up against another group. It's about eight people fighting eachother at the same time.

Is a montage (series of shots) a good way to approach the above scene? Let me know!

Thanks, CD

I can't decipher your format example and the answer to your montage question is that using a montage or series of shots or not and what to include depends on the desired effect of the scene. There is no single right or wrong way to write any scene, every scene is written in service of the story. Chose the format and style that best serves your story.

HTH

I think when it comes to combat scenes, you may want to
give us a little visual of what's happening, but I don't think
in a group setting, you would want to give us a blow by blow
description.

Read terminator ii to get an idea of one on one fight scenes.

Charli

The combat scenes are, one against one, one against two, and then multiple's against multiple's. =)

As far as your comment about writing to achieve a desired effect, i think that's a nice little gray area that serves as the boundary between responsibility of writer, and responsibility of director. A combat scene as a montage would be something that could be set to music really well, and i think it would be the simplest. I just feel like it's the job of the writer to write what is happening in the scene, not how it is seen by the audience. Things like INSERT are things i try not to use, because it's not my decision to decide to close up on a particular object or anything like that. In regard to a fight scene, i guess i just want to be sure not to write in such a way that i'm not stepping on the toes of the director.

Thanks!

I'd maybe use mini slugs to move from fight to fight, e.g.

BRAD AND GEORGE

exchange vicious punches and kicks.

BRUCE AND GARY

are locked together, choking each other to death.

DEMI AND NICOLE

pull each others' hair out.

CLINT AND GENE

face each other, ready to shoot it out.

CLINT
Go ahead. Make my, you know.

Gene draws! Clint draws! BLAM BLAM! Both men stagger! Both men collapse!

BRAD AND GEORGE

look toward the sound of the shots.

BRAD
Clint!

George kicks Brad in the nuts. Brad doubles over and goes down.

etc. Shrug, 'tis but one approach.

-Derek

-----------------------

One of the many reasons you should never listen to dpat ~PipeWriter

BRAD
Clint!

ROTFLMAO :rollin

For some reason, that just struck me as ****ing hilarious.

I know of a SF series currently in production, called FINNEGAN'S SQUAD. It has lots of action and fight scenes. Perhaps you'll find examples of what you're looking for by browsing through the script pages they have available for your viewing pleasure. I haven't had the opportunity to read every single page so you might have to go on a bit of a hunting expedition. Hope you find something useful.

www.titanrainbow.com/fsqepi.html

The way I write one on one fight scenes is I just give a vague details on the fight and if there is supposed to be a cool stunt or something then it puts good detail on that.

Like

SHOT ON:

Jon and Link fighting.

Link delivers most of the offense while Jon struggles to evade.

Link kicks Jon in the gut.

Sending him into a crowd of metal barrels.

CU on Jon:

He lays weak in amongst the barrels.

Jon looks and sees.

a wrench.

So on and so forth.

Just basic fight stuff is really nothing too important.

But if you want someone thrown through glass then by Jeeps you put them through glass.

Why are we seeing this battle? Where is the hero? What is the hero doing?

If the hero isn't part of the battle - why do we even see it? It's just another offscreen Clone War.

If the hero *is* part of the battle - you have your POV character for the scene, and it's all about the hero fightin'.

If your love interest or sidekick or the hero's mom is involved in the battle, it may still be in the movie... but probably only the "good parts" version - and only the part of the scene that deals with the lover/sidekick/mom. So if the scene is about how the hero's mom gets killed in a huge battle, the important part of the battle is the mom's death - you really don't have to show much else (maybe a quick battle set up).

If your story works without the scene - get rid of it.

- Bill