To Negotiate or Not, That is the Question: An Interview with Fight Director Mark Schryver

Although performing is a huge dimension of the stage combatant’s role, an audience member sees merely an end result of a long process. Several months prior to the performance, a Stage Combatant must respond to “ a fight call” and then negotiate a contract. Without a contract in place, many things could go wrong. So how, as an artist, do you negotiate for the best deal?

The Cost of Success Part 2: Brende Vs Hutch and "Low Budget Man" Episode 9

Now that I’ve shown you what big money can buy, let’s look at some low budget fight scenes.

Here is a brief fight that is performed by James Hutchison III and Solomom Brende. Both of these performers are incredibly well trained and skilled, as evident by their work. Take a look at something they put together and shared on YouTube:

The Cost of Success Part 1: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

A "hot topic" in the stage combat industry is whether or not big budgets means better fight scenes. The answer to this is not as straight forward as it may initially appear. When it comes to creating a professional film project, the more experienced Stunt Coordinators/Fight Directors will likely charge more for their time than an amateur. Something to consider, however, is the fact that these incredibly knowledgable Stunt Coordinators/ Fight Directors also bring years of training and experience to the table.  If a film has a higher budget, the producers can afford to hire the best of the best and therefore have better results, right? Not always! There is nothing stopping a group of excellent stage combatants from coming together to create some epic battles to film for fun and for free. While the overall quality of the footage may not be nearly as good as that of a feature film, would the impact of the fight itself suffer? Well, let's see. 

The Society of American Fight Directors and Their Impact

While Stage Combat seems like it’d be a “fun thing” to do, it is also particularly dangerous for the unskilled performer. It is not uncommon to hear of an actor getting their eye gauged out by a small sword, or even having a performer hit in the head by a quarterstaff. Such accidents are the result of untrained individuals not paying attention and not knowing how to perform a fight safely.

Whips and Anthony DeLongis

Ordinarily, this would be the time I would post about how epic a fight is and why. As I said in my very first post, looking at the work of the people who came before you is an excellent way to stand on their metaphorical shoulders. However, I also think it is equally as important to look at the people who inspire you and why that is.

Zorro vs. Elena

When you say "Zorro", I think sexy, Spanish Robin Hood.  When you say "Mask of", I think mystery and intrigue.  So, it should be no surprise that my next pick of fight scenes involves combining the two. Yes, we are looking at The Mask of Zorro.

Inigo Montoya vs.The Man in Black

The most epic quote in all of history comes from a love story.  But not just any love story, an epic one! For those of you who don't already know, I am an avid fangirl of The Princess Bride. I am a firm believer that if you have grown up without uttering the words: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!!!!” (The Princess Bride), you have seriously missed out.  Not only are there moments of adventure and romance, but mystery and politics. There is a plot device to satisfy almost every pallet.

The story itself is exceedingly complicated but I will try to summarize. In brief, it’s a about a man and a woman who fall in love and how they conquer every obstacle that comes their way, including several dramatic death scenes. (You read that right; the main male dies about 2 times through out the story!)