Fencer Archive
Thread: THIS is what Fencer Fights Should Look Like
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Joshai
Fri Aug 22, 2003 11:52 pm
#1
http://download.theforce.net/theater/fxprojects/aots/ArtOfTheSaberMk2.mov
Its 43 mega-bytes...and its worth every **edit** second of download time.
Sarajin
Sat Aug 23, 2003 4:47 am
#2
OMG, that was one of the best amateur videos I've seen, thanks for the link man.
WinterRoseASFR
Sat Aug 23, 2003 4:59 am
#3
There are several REALLY well choreographed fanfilms on TheForce.net's Fan Theater.
There are bad ones too. Some you'll look at and think, (Lunge! **edit**! I could've done this guy 4 times over by now. Look at the openings he's leaving!) When it comes to those, you'll need to remember that they likely didn't have anything in the way of training in the weapons or choreographers to do it with. You'll know em when you see em. This is not to say that the production values are bad! Duality, by Crew of Two Productions, is a marvelously done piece. It's just that the choreography sometimes looks more like baton twirling than actual fencing.
Some you'll see, where you'll recognize the choreography going on as people doing what they've learned in martial arts literature and training, usually things like Kendo with some gee-wow choreography thrown in for show.
Going up the scale, you'll see a few where the choreography was lifted wholesale from other movies altogether. Specifically in this category are the works of Clay Kronke, a very talented rotoscope and lightsaber animator. You'll see in The New World, a training session between himself and a padawan. Yes it looks as though it were filmed at a community college. But this is some of the better animated and foleyed saberwork you're ever going to see. And the choreography? Lifted directly from the final battle of The Phantom Menace.
Kronke's other work, 'Brains & Steel' is a tribute piece. If any of you remember 'The Princess Bride, this is a Star Wars style tribute to the duel between the Man in Black (Cary Elwes) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patankin). Again, Kronke's talent with animation shows through as well as choreography. They manage to really recreate the moves that Elwes and Patankin did in TPB.
Both of Kronke's pieces shouldn't be missed. Needless to say I'm looking QUITE forward to his new piece, that ought to be along just any time since Dragoncon is imminent. For those of you not familiar with Dragoncon, that's the HUGE science Fiction and Fantasy convention usually held in Atlanta GA. in the US where ... Oh I can't remember. Either the Hugo or the Nebula awards for Science fiction are awarded there. It happens around the US Labor Day Holiday annually. And a lot of Star Wars Fanfilm Makers usually try to time their release dates so they can have them shown at the convention.
And finally, you'll get films that have their own choreography that look REALLY good. Happily, there are several of these. And even more happily, there are more of the high class brand of fanfilms coming along all the time. Among these I'd list films like:
1. Knightquest - (Sequel HAS been confirmed to be in the works) Note here how the actor in the Vader costume very admirably emulates David Prowse's style, gesture and body language when it comes to how he moves and fights.
2. Broken Alliegance - These folks REALLY went in depth into their fighting training when it came to the saber work you see. As a matter of fact, on the fan theater page you get this from, there's a making of film that shows just how much work went INTO it.
3. A Question of Faith - These folks are almost acrobatic when it comes to their choreography. There ARE a couple of running flips. As well as being the first film I remember that showcased someone fighting with two sabers at once. Yeah Anakin did in Attack of the Clones. But it was unmercifully brief, and Dooku messed him up HARD. THESE folks do it up FINE! There's also an out-takes film here where you can see all the mess ups that went into the saber practice.
4. Legacy of the Jedi - For another example of some nice saber work, have a look at this award winner. Voted best fanfilm of the year it was released, the ending is too good to spoil here. Suffice to say the saber work is WORTH the price of admission. And the ending... Well, that would be telling.
That ought to set you on for a bit. It's worth the time to download as many of these as you can to get a look. Beware 56K'ers. Some of these are in excess of 200 megs for really high res versions of em. Go get something like Getright or something to accellerate and resume the download. You don't want to miss em. They were worth the time involved when I was on 56K. ^_^
There are bad ones too. Some you'll look at and think, (Lunge! **edit**! I could've done this guy 4 times over by now. Look at the openings he's leaving!) When it comes to those, you'll need to remember that they likely didn't have anything in the way of training in the weapons or choreographers to do it with. You'll know em when you see em. This is not to say that the production values are bad! Duality, by Crew of Two Productions, is a marvelously done piece. It's just that the choreography sometimes looks more like baton twirling than actual fencing.
Some you'll see, where you'll recognize the choreography going on as people doing what they've learned in martial arts literature and training, usually things like Kendo with some gee-wow choreography thrown in for show.
Going up the scale, you'll see a few where the choreography was lifted wholesale from other movies altogether. Specifically in this category are the works of Clay Kronke, a very talented rotoscope and lightsaber animator. You'll see in The New World, a training session between himself and a padawan. Yes it looks as though it were filmed at a community college. But this is some of the better animated and foleyed saberwork you're ever going to see. And the choreography? Lifted directly from the final battle of The Phantom Menace.
Kronke's other work, 'Brains & Steel' is a tribute piece. If any of you remember 'The Princess Bride, this is a Star Wars style tribute to the duel between the Man in Black (Cary Elwes) and Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patankin). Again, Kronke's talent with animation shows through as well as choreography. They manage to really recreate the moves that Elwes and Patankin did in TPB.
Both of Kronke's pieces shouldn't be missed. Needless to say I'm looking QUITE forward to his new piece, that ought to be along just any time since Dragoncon is imminent. For those of you not familiar with Dragoncon, that's the HUGE science Fiction and Fantasy convention usually held in Atlanta GA. in the US where ... Oh I can't remember. Either the Hugo or the Nebula awards for Science fiction are awarded there. It happens around the US Labor Day Holiday annually. And a lot of Star Wars Fanfilm Makers usually try to time their release dates so they can have them shown at the convention.
And finally, you'll get films that have their own choreography that look REALLY good. Happily, there are several of these. And even more happily, there are more of the high class brand of fanfilms coming along all the time. Among these I'd list films like:
1. Knightquest - (Sequel HAS been confirmed to be in the works) Note here how the actor in the Vader costume very admirably emulates David Prowse's style, gesture and body language when it comes to how he moves and fights.
2. Broken Alliegance - These folks REALLY went in depth into their fighting training when it came to the saber work you see. As a matter of fact, on the fan theater page you get this from, there's a making of film that shows just how much work went INTO it.
3. A Question of Faith - These folks are almost acrobatic when it comes to their choreography. There ARE a couple of running flips. As well as being the first film I remember that showcased someone fighting with two sabers at once. Yeah Anakin did in Attack of the Clones. But it was unmercifully brief, and Dooku messed him up HARD. THESE folks do it up FINE! There's also an out-takes film here where you can see all the mess ups that went into the saber practice.
4. Legacy of the Jedi - For another example of some nice saber work, have a look at this award winner. Voted best fanfilm of the year it was released, the ending is too good to spoil here. Suffice to say the saber work is WORTH the price of admission. And the ending... Well, that would be telling.
That ought to set you on for a bit. It's worth the time to download as many of these as you can to get a look. Beware 56K'ers. Some of these are in excess of 200 megs for really high res versions of em. Go get something like Getright or something to accellerate and resume the download. You don't want to miss em. They were worth the time involved when I was on 56K. ^_^
Sarajin
Sat Aug 23, 2003 5:18 am
#4
Thanks for all the wonderful info on the indie films. I knew there were some out there, and have seen a few, but just never sought them out for some reason. I didn't realise they were so extensive. Looks like I have a lot of star wars viewing material now! Woohoo...
MaxPhoenix
Sat Aug 23, 2003 6:06 am
#5
I love that video , i talked to the creatorsa while back. they said they are working on a higher quality version 
FluxHavoc
Sat Aug 23, 2003 3:46 pm
#6
Seen this video before. Those are jedis lol.... not fencers... -_-
TheCrazyAZNRocker
Sat Aug 23, 2003 11:07 pm
#7
HAH!!! this is why i say that Lucas should have hired some chinese fight directors for the saber battles.
WinterRoseASFR
Mon Aug 25, 2003 3:57 am
#8
Mmmmmmmm wouldn't that be a nice thing... Anakin Vs. Kenobi as choreogrpahed by Yuen Wo Ping (Fist of Legend, The Matrix)
Also one you may want to keep an eye out for? The upcoming film 'Sins of the Jedi'. These folks are really running a production out in Wilmington NC. Professional folks have volunteered their time. They managed to get the 501st legion to show up and do Stormtrooper work. They've even got people leaping about on wires and hollywood caliber non-humans in it. They've even managed to get the help of folks over at Digital Asylum to do their effects work. (Which I think may have been responsible for some of the work done on Babylon 5) Go have a look at the trailers and news for this one over at:
http://www.sinsofthejedi.com/news.htm
Have fun!
Also one you may want to keep an eye out for? The upcoming film 'Sins of the Jedi'. These folks are really running a production out in Wilmington NC. Professional folks have volunteered their time. They managed to get the 501st legion to show up and do Stormtrooper work. They've even got people leaping about on wires and hollywood caliber non-humans in it. They've even managed to get the help of folks over at Digital Asylum to do their effects work. (Which I think may have been responsible for some of the work done on Babylon 5) Go have a look at the trailers and news for this one over at:
http://www.sinsofthejedi.com/news.htm
Have fun!
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