In rec.sport.fencing on 4 Feb 2003 23:10:33 -0600
Perry Quan <ryersonfencing@yahoo.ca.invalid> wrote:
>
>It's very likely the case. I did a commercial once which featured
>fencing. The director had us fence and was sorely disappointed since
>all the actions were so small. He wanted "something bigger, bolder!"
>So I said to my partner in crime, "He wants crash, bang, wallop. So
>lets give him crash, bang, wallop!"
Of course. For one thing, the object of the fencer is to make small
deceptive movements, so that no one can tell where the sword is, where
it's going, or the timing.
The object of the director is to show the audience that the swords are
moving, and to have them anticipate where they are going to go.
Plus the director will likely have things they want the fighting to
say. The obvious example of this is the fencing scene in The Court
Jester, where the moves Danny Kaye makes change drastically depending
on whether he's the scared Giacomo or the hypnotised brave one. The
movements have to be exaggerated so the audience can read the body
language.
Not to mention that the actors have to learn the routine so they can
do it fast enough to look "right", and not hurt each other. If they
aren't fencers, then either it's got to be simple moves with swords
clashing together well off target, or it takes days and days of
rehearsal. Or you use someone else... much of the fencing scene in
the 1937 Prisoner of Zenda takes place at long distance because the
fencing master was standing in for Ronald Colman.
Stage fencing is an art with its own needs and rules. Annoying as
hell, because if someone sees a movie and wants to learn to fight with
sowrds, they don't want modern fencing, they want to fight like the
movies. The SCA armoured combat is the closest for untrained people,
and that's usually too much work and too many bruises
So fencers -
modern, classical, historic - have to work out how to enthuse them
with real fencing.
has anyone worked out what things about modern fencing strike a chord
with the average bod who only knows movie fencing?
Zebee
--
Zebee Johnstone (zebee@zip.com.au), proud holder of
aus.motorcycles Poser Permit #1.
"Motorcycles are like peanuts... who can stop at just one?"
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