David Larsson this was really good I love sword fighting!!! I saw Origin: Unlimited Blade Works ruclips.net/video/etxEj71cYwk/видео.html and it was awesome! The intro is way to long but it’s good once the Fencing Starts.
Awesomepedia I thought it was an amazing duel however Sir Heavy Pants ruclips.net/video/cI9OO9MheUk/видео.html was good also even though it was clearly CGI. Definitely worth a watch.
My favorite fight in a novel is probably the one between the Mountain and the Viper (which I imagine is one you appreciate too as it gets some focus in this video). The stakes are so high during that fight and in so many different ways. Also, the tension comes from the conversation far more than the fight itself, which is brilliant. Solid work here!
I am glad you liked the video and I appreciate those concrete suggestions! I think Super Eyepatch Wolf has a video matching your first suggestion, title and all, and even though he focuses on animation I think it's pretty universal. I'll probably also make a video about writing villains but these take so darn long to make so I thought I'd recommend that one for now.
Gotta say Jon Snow vs The White Walker in Season 5 Episode 8 of Game Of Thrones is one of my favorite fight scenes ever. Jon was constantly fighting for his life and the tension was through the roof. I genuinely thought he was going to die. And when his Valyrian steel sword clashed with the walkers' ice spear it sent chills down my spine seeing that both characters were in as much shock as we the audience was. Thrilling to the last.
I know this video is quite old (in internet years), but the "weapons are heavy" thing needs to be addressed. Most melee weapon are a lot lighter than we think they are. An average longsword is about 2-3lbs (~1-1.5kg). A 6ft (1.83m) sword is maybe 5lbs (2.5kg). Many axes, maces, flails, spears, and other poelarms don't get a lot heavier than this with the exception of something like a pike or jousting lance (different from a war lance). Crossbows and rifles can be heavy, upwards of 8-10lbs (3.5-4kg). And a lot of melee weapons can be top-heavy, making them feel more weighty in the hand than they are. But if you were to grab it by the center of mass and do curls you'd feel cheated out of a workout.
@@Dark_AbsoI It also depends on how you're wielding the weapon and whether or not you're conditioned enough. Two handed weapons are easier to fight with with than single handed because you're distributing the weight in both hands, rather than forcing one arm to carry all the weight. When I first started fighting, my arms were sore as hell the day after, now there's still soreness but not nearly as much as before. Also like he said in the video. Fights don't actually last very long. Unless a fighter is deliberately stalling or if the fighters are evenly matched, the fight usually takes less than two or three minutes. Sometimes it's even shorter. I've seen fights where someone makes one stupid mistake and gets "killed" mere seconds after the fight starts.
I come back to watch this video every once in a while. I hope youll make another video like that someday again. I really love the structure and advicd and examples and the editing as well. Everything. Its fantastic and better than most bigger writing advice channel's videos. I still have a clip of "unlimited SPECIAL EFFECTS BUDGET *explosion sounds*"
I can't tell you how much I needed this video. I finished writing my fantasy novel and now on my second edit working on my fight scenes. This video was so helpful!
This guy, is so underrated. I have learned so much from this one video, I have almost written 5 fight scenes already. One tip I like to use to train with writing fight scenes is to write multiple of them, with completely different settings, with all the tips and tricks learned with this video.
My boyfriend found out this video and shared with me... it's so amazing, thank you for doing it! That was exactly what I need, I'm stuck in a battle scene, more precisely the final fight scene... and now I'm gonna use these 8 tips! My favorite fight scene is ALL the fight scenes in Prince of Persia - Sands of Time. Later I used to know they received guidelines from a Parkour instructor, what explained why I loved all the scenes... and I like very much Inigo x Wesley fight scene in Princess Bride, that was what had caught my attention in the movie. I have preference for short battles or talked-funny battles, really hate that long-cliche-fight-scenes where the good and the bad guy take seven years chasing each other and ALWAYS end up rolling and trying strangle each other while they try catch up the gun on the floor... man, I really hate that. Usually, I don't like fight scene so much, only when it's well-choreographed.
I'm into emotional stuff when writing, so I'm gonna focus precisely on that... totally agree with you when you say about the difference between books and movies. Reading is more about feeling with the words than about details and visual stuff.
I don't know why but the fight between Victarion Greyjoy and the Heir of Southshield when Victarion's hand is injured is an amazingly written fight scene, just as good as Viper v Mountain in my opinion, although the latter is much higher stakes and more important to the story, I just love the way Victarion v Serry is written... Hound V Dondarrion and Rourge/Biter V Brienne is great too. Actually Brienne VS Jamie/Mummers are all well done.
Hand weapons are light (swords typically weigh anywhere from 1.8-3.5 pounds depending on type, period, region, etc.), and the whole body is not always required for a swing of a sword, for example. Several schools of British military saber, for example, advise that the wrist is the primary force behind a cut. In Italian sidesword, cuts often come from the shoulder.
Dude, excellent work there. I was wondering myself of what made a fight scene to be good and your video reflects some of what I've noticed but shows much more! Also the presentation is just so clever, thanks for making this essay!
The Matrıx fight scenes are top notch. For character reveals, Morpheus vs Smith has a short, sweet but brutal fight by showing the until then dominant morpheus pulling out every trick in his book to stall smith, showing how desperate he is to survive the encounter. Smith, just in one move shows that he's an imposing adversary by using brute strength to pick himself up off the ground, as well as instead of blocking one of morpheus' punches, literally just counter-punches a oncoming fist in an attempt to break the hand. The small area of the bathroom creates a feeling that morpheus is trapped while smith literally breaks through the walls and throws morpheus into the sink and toilet to show the force hes applying and what punishment morpheus is willing to endure to save neo.
Overall I agree with the video. The thing I do disagree with though is the assertion that weapons are heavy (or that you should make them heavy). Historically, weapons were made to be as light as possible (even weapons designed for piercing armor) while remaining strong (1-2 kg). A heavy weapon is hard to wield and thus makes its user much more vulnerable if their first strike fails. Lighter weapons are much more common. Having characters use lighter weapons should be a better goal (in general, not always) as it supports the other goal of shorter, faster paced fights. There is more realism here too; historical fights only lasted a few strikes at most. Generally, the faster, more skilled fighter will win. A heavy weapon will only slow them down.
"historical fights only lasted a few strikes at most" That's a wrong assumption, and many people make it. Generally, historical fights were not fought without armour (and not with ignored armour like in HEMA either). And if you are in armour, even Gambeson, most hits won't do anything. Let's assume we're not talking about a battle here, but a skirmish or duel. If two knights with Chainmail have a duel with Longswords, there's almost no chance of an instantly winning hit. You have to bring down your opponent or at least disable his entire fighting capabilities for long enough to actually land a deciding hit. And, having done similar things, I can tell you, if you're fighting a skilled opponent, who has a weapon that can actually hurt you (I've done some fights with Gambeson + HEMA Mask and blunt swords, which isn't too dangerous, but still gives you another perspective); you're not going to rush in and tackle him. Rushing may work in plate armour, but even then there's the danger of your opponent using your attack against you. But with lighter armour, rushing in is the best way to atually get hit by one of the rare fight-ending strikes.
Burn Notice is a really great example, now that I think about it. The fights are normally extremely short, but they are almost always built up by Michael's internal dialogue before hand, making them extremely satisfying.
Having some injury or consequences of one can also be used in the fight. Pressing on a wound is an asshole move, but effective. Having injured your right shoulder two days prior might make you more likely to kick or strike with your left.
I like to write fight scenes between assassin types in which one good hit landing equals death. The entirety of the fight is based on movement and positioning, and the longest fight scenes I write are one Vs. many fights due to the fact that there's just more opponents to kill which means more hits that have to be delivered. (That fight scene consisted of the protagonist just running and luring the enemy into an ensnaring trap, and then finishing each enemy while they were tangled up and then the last two escaping to get back in the fight proper before he could finish them which put him in a bad situation.)
I've just started writing an action story. It's not what I usually write, but since I do focus on drama, death and sexual assault normally, shifting to action may not be a too big leap. I love watching and reading action, it's just not what I typically write. But after outlining roughly what I want the plot to be like, I already then noticed that the action scenes kinda bore me. Especially the last big one, and that's kind of a big problem. This video is hugely helpful! It helped me figure out what my story is lacking to make my fight scenes not boring and awkward. The smaller fights worked better because they have more tension and character development, they bring the story forward. But in the last, big fight, which I outlined in more detail (because my memory is crap) the villain has barely any emotional connection to the hero, and is mostly just throwing guards at her. There's not enough reason motivating the fight, and too much nudity, lol. I want it to be a humiliating fight, but it didn't become like I wanted, and instead just got weird and awkward. So that's a lot to work on, but luckily, there's tons of potential for me to work with, so hopefully I can bring it to life. And yeah, I haven't even written most of the story for real yet, as in not even the first draft, aside from like... the first chapter. Much of my writing, I draw from personal experiences, and then twist them around to something new. But I've never been in a fight, so I dunno what it's actually like, and this makes it a harder challenge. To write fights, I mean. But I think improving and tensing up the villain's connection to the hero will be hugely helpful, and changing the setting/scene to something more creative, as well as involving the villain more, both in the fight and in the story in general. Thanks for the advice, I greatly appreciate it!
Why have I not found your awesome channel earlier? Useful tips on writing topics I have never come across before, recommendations of channels such as SuperEyePatchWolf, and even Creo's music? I really hope you will come back to life one day.
A key element is having the hero and villain being evenly matched. Rewatching the Daryl and Beta fight in The Walking Dead, I realised how under utilised Daryl actually was in a fight until that moment. We've seen him and Rick 'fight', but it was more like a shoving and choking contest than anything else. Beta may be taller, bigger and stronger but Daryl is a master hunter, tracker and survivalist. Both are evenly matched despite having very different characteristics. Seeing this character actually prove how reliable and efficient he really is in a scenario where his life depends on it - and it's *not* slow moving, easy to hit targets - made the fight better than it already is. Especially when Beta gets stabbed in the chest, shrugs it off but then Daryl attacks him by surprise; shoving him down an elevator shaft. Again. Brawn vs Brain. Beta might be an expert at a fight, but he doesn't use the environment and its surroundings like Daryl does.
I have recently started a rather ambitious attempt on a show I saw that had incredibly interesting cast of characters, but did not give them enough time to develop, even ignoring nearly half of them. For that, I began a remake I had in my mind for the longest time. The idea was there, but once it came to the action scenes, just as you said in the video, they dragged on. I was too influenced by the Media and describing the fight scene between Will and Jack reminded me of when I read the books myself ages ago. Thanks a lot for these tips.
I’m not one to comment something but at 9:56 I think it would be wise to know that fencing requires your entire body. Coming from a foilist this is very important.
my favorite was the fight between jamie lannister and brienne of tarth in the woods. it captured the dynamic between the two perfectly in a few paragraphs and could just as easily have been a very aggressive angry sex scene since its two people who clearly have feelings for each other but refuse to admit it, which appropriately ends when theyre interrupted by people who catch them fighting and jaime looking at brienne up and down realizing her clothes are torn and thinking "ah shit those people are going to think i was fucking her. gross." and basically says to them "whoops you caught me hitting my wife" you know to clear his name because heavens forbid they think he was fucking her. its better if they think he was hitting her.
Great video Awesome pedia ive been figuring out the plot for my story for quite a while now. now i am nearly ready to write which to me is a battle on it's own :) I've written down these tips to help me remember them i cant wait to start writing my first book thanks for the information
The opening fight scene in Equilibrium or John Wick when the Russians first try and put him down after killing his dog, both super epic. Amazing Melee scenes are always gonna be rare, since the actors would need to be amazing Martial Artists first. Gun fights are easier to CG together.
Favorite fight; The final (and pretty much only) fight in Robert E Howard's, "the Phoenix on the Sword" between aging Conan, the rebels and then the demon thing.
I love anime brawls. The spectacle and tension feels strangely misplaced though when the fight is interrupted with monologues on what they’re doing. In my most recent story I put in my stance. The theatric of the team was blocking a doorway so his friends could escape. He then laid out to the confused chaser that every option and magic trick he has can be stopped by himself and that there’s no way to pass him by…then an explosion erupts from the doorway from the escaping allies’ perspective and the guard winks at them before the explosion knocks him out. It isn’t displayed as him being outsmarted. It’s displayed as him being an anime character and getting his ass kicked.
I read half of Traitor's Blade years ago (loved it just forgot to go back to it) and long before he was randomly mentioned I thought of Sebatian's Traitor's Blade scene with the fake Greatcoats. I gotta get back to that one.
Thanks! I thought this was exactly the type of video I wanted to make but after 2 I was a bit bored with the format. I also moved country and got a different job so things got in the way but I still have videos I want to make. I want to experiment with a few different formats, keeping the bits that worked from this and adding in new elements.
The Daredevil series that came out on Netflix.... The fight scenes were so well orchestrated. They were so claustrophobic! Not sure if it was the intention of those creative minds but.. they did a fantastic job putting you into the blind eyes of Matt Murdock. How "closed-in" you would feel if you had to fight baddy after baddy in a long pitch black hallway. They put you right into Matt's mind. I've seen literally 1000s of fight scenes and I have to believe the Daredevil fights were the most realistic.
Vladomier Pootis any place where I can read this story? (Sorry if you are being irritated, I simply just want to read someone else’s story, instead of continuing to write my own. Lol)
Bernard Cornwell writes good fight scenes in Saxon Stories. Its always a variation of the same thing but I always enjoy reading it because of the buildup.
I think my favorite fight is Spider-Man Vs Doc Ock on the train in Spider-Man 2. It’s definitely a problem solving scene, as Spider-Man wants Mary Jane, while Doc Ock wants the chemical from Harry. It’s definitely not realistic, but it’s very creative.
Easy: 1. Few quick-cuts 2. Each shot should last 2-3 seconds minimum 3. Proper choreography 4. Actors who can perform the choreography 5. Brutal violence that respects how horrific and graphic violence truly is 6. Good gore effects mixing between practical/minimal CGI blood ..... Or just watch The Raid: Berandal and John Wick 2 and copy those. Those two films are the greatest filmed action scenes of all time. They nail every single aspect that I mentioned above. Brutality is important in an R-rated action film. If there is no brutal consequence, there is no tension.
Thanks this helps a lot :) i love the fights between captain jack and will there first fight batman vs the joker from the dark knight but my most faviourit is the avengers vs thanos from both infinity war and endgame
here is a archeology major, in reality, weapons are light, a sword? depending on the type from 1 to 5 pounds, yes the heavier end is two handed swords. The heavy sword misconseption has a long history, and if your someone who will say that the sword they got off of amazon or wish ways 10 pounds, go do your reasurch, maybe look at hema. and i did not mean for this to be a rant but so be it
Weapons, at least medieval European weapons, were generally very light. Especially swords. A lot of people think that swords were sharpened clubs, but no, one-handed swords were like one to three pounds and two-handed swords were like five to ten pounds, as a rough estimate. And full-plate wasn't really that heavy, either. Less than sixty pounds.
I have one thing to say. The weapons were NOT that heavy. The heaviest european weapons that were designed to be used with one hand were only 0.9-1.1 kilo and twohanded weapon heavier than 2.5 kilo were ceremonial. It is not heavy unless you are chopping with it for hours.
About no need to describe all the details: I do agree, the reader does not need all the minutia, but the writers do. The writers better make a plan and if not choreograph the whole scene, he better know exactly who is doing something at any moment and what they are doing. Because then when switching between characters the writer can avoid making a mistake in the continuity. Because despite all the visual examples of the fight scenes, in the fight, everything is happening at once. A huge number of writers do this wrong. To try and visualize it, one doesn't need to have experience in actual fights. A group vs. group in an MMO can provide ample opportunities to study the dynamic. Anyone played a Star Trek game, any game. The first thing you realize, that you do not have time for an opponent to degrade your shields. The only way to survive is to unleash everything in your arsenal in the shortest amount of time. Exactly the opposite of what we see in the series.
Your channel has scuttled its way across my awareness and I couldn't be more impressed! Keep up the great work, I'm sure you'll be recognized on a larger scale in time. Oh, and please be careful with the bottle. Momentary pleasure isn't worth long-term entropy :C
Awesomepedia I know you're mainly talking novels in this video, but those films are just the craziest martial arts movies I've ever seen. Can't recommend them enough.
![On Writing: How to Master Fight Scenes! [ Avatar | Lord of the Rings | Star Wars ] ft. Shadiversity](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gSafcUuHFnk/mqdefault.jpg)
I will start writing a book now! It will only contain fight scenes though...
I'll have to make more videos to fill the other chapters!
Awesomepedia That's funny!
Oh make the fights funny
David Larsson this was really good I love sword fighting!!! I saw Origin: Unlimited Blade Works ruclips.net/video/etxEj71cYwk/видео.html and it was awesome! The intro is way to long but it’s good once the Fencing Starts.
Awesomepedia I thought it was an amazing duel however Sir Heavy Pants ruclips.net/video/cI9OO9MheUk/видео.html was good also even though it was clearly CGI. Definitely worth a watch.
David, did you finish your book?
My favorite fight in a novel is probably the one between the Mountain and the Viper (which I imagine is one you appreciate too as it gets some focus in this video). The stakes are so high during that fight and in so many different ways. Also, the tension comes from the conversation far more than the fight itself, which is brilliant.
Solid work here!
I should have figured I would run into you here.
@@mitwhitgaming7722 honestly, if it is GoT or Avatar related, there is a good chance I am already in the comments.
ew not you again
This was good. Do more. Maybe...
i) what makes a villain compelling
ii) what makes a villain do what they do
iii) avoiding female character cliches
I am glad you liked the video and I appreciate those concrete suggestions! I think Super Eyepatch Wolf has a video matching your first suggestion, title and all, and even though he focuses on animation I think it's pretty universal. I'll probably also make a video about writing villains but these take so darn long to make so I thought I'd recommend that one for now.
I love the Winter Soldier fight scenes
Margaretha Falco The camers moves Way too fast, and You dont care about the people hr knock out
Victor Ørum that’s an ABSOLUTE false statement
It looks like shit compare to dragons forever
They're extremely technical. Who doesn't?
@@mhdfrb9971 Bruh... The lead actors aren't martial art experts, as Jackie choreographs his own scenes most of the time.
I feel like I've learned more from a couple 20min videos then I have in an entire semester of writing classes.
Gotta say Jon Snow vs The White Walker in Season 5 Episode 8 of Game Of Thrones is one of my favorite fight scenes ever. Jon was constantly fighting for his life and the tension was through the roof. I genuinely thought he was going to die. And when his Valyrian steel sword clashed with the walkers' ice spear it sent chills down my spine seeing that both characters were in as much shock as we the audience was. Thrilling to the last.
I know this video is quite old (in internet years), but the "weapons are heavy" thing needs to be addressed.
Most melee weapon are a lot lighter than we think they are. An average longsword is about 2-3lbs (~1-1.5kg). A 6ft (1.83m) sword is maybe 5lbs (2.5kg). Many axes, maces, flails, spears, and other poelarms don't get a lot heavier than this with the exception of something like a pike or jousting lance (different from a war lance).
Crossbows and rifles can be heavy, upwards of 8-10lbs (3.5-4kg). And a lot of melee weapons can be top-heavy, making them feel more weighty in the hand than they are. But if you were to grab it by the center of mass and do curls you'd feel cheated out of a workout.
Perfect comment
@@Dark_AbsoI It also depends on how you're wielding the weapon and whether or not you're conditioned enough. Two handed weapons are easier to fight with with than single handed because you're distributing the weight in both hands, rather than forcing one arm to carry all the weight. When I first started fighting, my arms were sore as hell the day after, now there's still soreness but not nearly as much as before.
Also like he said in the video. Fights don't actually last very long. Unless a fighter is deliberately stalling or if the fighters are evenly matched, the fight usually takes less than two or three minutes. Sometimes it's even shorter. I've seen fights where someone makes one stupid mistake and gets "killed" mere seconds after the fight starts.
I used to study martial arts in high school and man after 10 swings of sword, that thing kept getting heavier and heavier
Old? It's from 2018!
@@carebear5491 Like I said - old in Internet Years.
Honestly, it already feels like it's been ages since I've written that comment... Ah, memories.
I come back to watch this video every once in a while. I hope youll make another video like that someday again. I really love the structure and advicd and examples and the editing as well. Everything.
Its fantastic and better than most bigger writing advice channel's videos. I still have a clip of "unlimited SPECIAL EFFECTS BUDGET *explosion sounds*"
I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DUEL!
ruclips.net/video/ZCQclCOBS4s/видео.html
across space and time?
Edd: "A duel?"
Rolf: "Prepare yourself, Ed-boy, as honor will be mine." [He storms away from the Eds.]
Eddy: "What'd I do now?"
I can't tell you how much I needed this video. I finished writing my fantasy novel and now on my second edit working on my fight scenes. This video was so helpful!
This guy, is so underrated. I have learned so much from this one video, I have almost written 5 fight scenes already. One tip I like to use to train with writing fight scenes is to write multiple of them, with completely different settings, with all the tips and tricks learned with this video.
My boyfriend found out this video and shared with me... it's so amazing, thank you for doing it! That was exactly what I need, I'm stuck in a battle scene, more precisely the final fight scene... and now I'm gonna use these 8 tips! My favorite fight scene is ALL the fight scenes in Prince of Persia - Sands of Time. Later I used to know they received guidelines from a Parkour instructor, what explained why I loved all the scenes... and I like very much Inigo x Wesley fight scene in Princess Bride, that was what had caught my attention in the movie. I have preference for short battles or talked-funny battles, really hate that long-cliche-fight-scenes where the good and the bad guy take seven years chasing each other and ALWAYS end up rolling and trying strangle each other while they try catch up the gun on the floor... man, I really hate that. Usually, I don't like fight scene so much, only when it's well-choreographed.
I'm into emotional stuff when writing, so I'm gonna focus precisely on that... totally agree with you when you say about the difference between books and movies. Reading is more about feeling with the words than about details and visual stuff.
I don't know why but the fight between Victarion Greyjoy and the Heir of Southshield when Victarion's hand is injured is an amazingly written fight scene, just as good as Viper v Mountain in my opinion, although the latter is much higher stakes and more important to the story, I just love the way Victarion v Serry is written... Hound V Dondarrion and Rourge/Biter V Brienne is great too. Actually Brienne VS Jamie/Mummers are all well done.
This video was suggested to me just as I was planning to start writing today and stop postponing it. And its totally great. Subscribed!
That Futurama clip made my heart happy.
The novel "Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa has great fight scenes (way more interesting than the same fights in the movies, by the way).
Hand weapons are light (swords typically weigh anywhere from 1.8-3.5 pounds depending on type, period, region, etc.), and the whole body is not always required for a swing of a sword, for example. Several schools of British military saber, for example, advise that the wrist is the primary force behind a cut. In Italian sidesword, cuts often come from the shoulder.
I kind of want a gif/ringtone/tattoo of the unlimited special effects budget
your wish: my command imgur.com/a/yga2See
A bit of an irony that it comes from a TV-production, a medium with very limited budget and time.
9:08
Dude, excellent work there. I was wondering myself of what made a fight scene to be good and your video reflects some of what I've noticed but shows much more! Also the presentation is just so clever, thanks for making this essay!
The Matrıx fight scenes are top notch. For character reveals, Morpheus vs Smith has a short, sweet but brutal fight by showing the until then dominant morpheus pulling out every trick in his book to stall smith, showing how desperate he is to survive the encounter.
Smith, just in one move shows that he's an imposing adversary by using brute strength to pick himself up off the ground, as well as instead of blocking one of morpheus' punches, literally just counter-punches a oncoming fist in an attempt to break the hand.
The small area of the bathroom creates a feeling that morpheus is trapped while smith literally breaks through the walls and throws morpheus into the sink and toilet to show the force hes applying and what punishment morpheus is willing to endure to save neo.
Scuttle.
Sahantara I too like the word scuttle, Secret New Friend
Consider using alcohol for COVID 19
"It's just too long!"
Alright most of my friends should know by now what they're getting into when I hand them parts of my stories to read
Overall I agree with the video. The thing I do disagree with though is the assertion that weapons are heavy (or that you should make them heavy). Historically, weapons were made to be as light as possible (even weapons designed for piercing armor) while remaining strong (1-2 kg). A heavy weapon is hard to wield and thus makes its user much more vulnerable if their first strike fails. Lighter weapons are much more common. Having characters use lighter weapons should be a better goal (in general, not always) as it supports the other goal of shorter, faster paced fights. There is more realism here too; historical fights only lasted a few strikes at most. Generally, the faster, more skilled fighter will win. A heavy weapon will only slow them down.
Thanks for your comment! I think that's a very important addition.
"historical fights only lasted a few strikes at most"
That's a wrong assumption, and many people make it. Generally, historical fights were not fought without armour (and not with ignored armour like in HEMA either). And if you are in armour, even Gambeson, most hits won't do anything.
Let's assume we're not talking about a battle here, but a skirmish or duel. If two knights with Chainmail have a duel with Longswords, there's almost no chance of an instantly winning hit. You have to bring down your opponent or at least disable his entire fighting capabilities for long enough to actually land a deciding hit.
And, having done similar things, I can tell you, if you're fighting a skilled opponent, who has a weapon that can actually hurt you (I've done some fights with Gambeson + HEMA Mask and blunt swords, which isn't too dangerous, but still gives you another perspective); you're not going to rush in and tackle him.
Rushing may work in plate armour, but even then there's the danger of your opponent using your attack against you. But with lighter armour, rushing in is the best way to atually get hit by one of the rare fight-ending strikes.
Best breakdown of writing fight scenes I've seen so far. Great job!
3:22
Reminds me of Burn Notice.
"For hand to hand, I prefer bathrooms.
Lots of hard surfaces"
Burn Notice is a really great example, now that I think about it. The fights are normally extremely short, but they are almost always built up by Michael's internal dialogue before hand, making them extremely satisfying.
Having some injury or consequences of one can also be used in the fight.
Pressing on a wound is an asshole move, but effective.
Having injured your right shoulder two days prior might make you more likely to kick or strike with your left.
I like to write fight scenes between assassin types in which one good hit landing equals death. The entirety of the fight is based on movement and positioning, and the longest fight scenes I write are one Vs. many fights due to the fact that there's just more opponents to kill which means more hits that have to be delivered. (That fight scene consisted of the protagonist just running and luring the enemy into an ensnaring trap, and then finishing each enemy while they were tangled up and then the last two escaping to get back in the fight proper before he could finish them which put him in a bad situation.)
I've just started writing an action story. It's not what I usually write, but since I do focus on drama, death and sexual assault normally, shifting to action may not be a too big leap. I love watching and reading action, it's just not what I typically write. But after outlining roughly what I want the plot to be like, I already then noticed that the action scenes kinda bore me. Especially the last big one, and that's kind of a big problem. This video is hugely helpful! It helped me figure out what my story is lacking to make my fight scenes not boring and awkward. The smaller fights worked better because they have more tension and character development, they bring the story forward. But in the last, big fight, which I outlined in more detail (because my memory is crap) the villain has barely any emotional connection to the hero, and is mostly just throwing guards at her. There's not enough reason motivating the fight, and too much nudity, lol. I want it to be a humiliating fight, but it didn't become like I wanted, and instead just got weird and awkward.
So that's a lot to work on, but luckily, there's tons of potential for me to work with, so hopefully I can bring it to life. And yeah, I haven't even written most of the story for real yet, as in not even the first draft, aside from like... the first chapter. Much of my writing, I draw from personal experiences, and then twist them around to something new. But I've never been in a fight, so I dunno what it's actually like, and this makes it a harder challenge. To write fights, I mean. But I think improving and tensing up the villain's connection to the hero will be hugely helpful, and changing the setting/scene to something more creative, as well as involving the villain more, both in the fight and in the story in general. Thanks for the advice, I greatly appreciate it!
This was good. Thanks for this. The problem solving thing was helpful in making my fight more interesting
Why have I not found your awesome channel earlier? Useful tips on writing topics I have never come across before, recommendations of channels such as SuperEyePatchWolf, and even Creo's music? I really hope you will come back to life one day.
Thanks I'm going to scuttle away and write my book now
Oh, you're fresh to this video essay thing. I just saw this in my feed, and assumed you were another 50k+ channel. I liked the video, so keep it up!
A key element is having the hero and villain being evenly matched.
Rewatching the Daryl and Beta fight in The Walking Dead, I realised how under utilised Daryl actually was in a fight until that moment. We've seen him and Rick 'fight', but it was more like a shoving and choking contest than anything else.
Beta may be taller, bigger and stronger but Daryl is a master hunter, tracker and survivalist. Both are evenly matched despite having very different characteristics. Seeing this character actually prove how reliable and efficient he really is in a scenario where his life depends on it - and it's *not* slow moving, easy to hit targets - made the fight better than it already is. Especially when Beta gets stabbed in the chest, shrugs it off but then Daryl attacks him by surprise; shoving him down an elevator shaft.
Again. Brawn vs Brain. Beta might be an expert at a fight, but he doesn't use the environment and its surroundings like Daryl does.
I have recently started a rather ambitious attempt on a show I saw that had incredibly interesting cast of characters, but did not give them enough time to develop, even ignoring nearly half of them. For that, I began a remake I had in my mind for the longest time. The idea was there, but once it came to the action scenes, just as you said in the video, they dragged on. I was too influenced by the Media and describing the fight scene between Will and Jack reminded me of when I read the books myself ages ago.
Thanks a lot for these tips.
Awesome video! I'm definitively going to use those tips on my RPG campaigns from now on!
Thanks Hirogawa, I'm glad you liked the video! What system do you use?
I’m not one to comment something but at 9:56 I think it would be wise to know that fencing requires your entire body. Coming from a foilist this is very important.
This was really informative! Thanks so much!
my favorite was the fight between jamie lannister and brienne of tarth in the woods. it captured the dynamic between the two perfectly in a few paragraphs and could just as easily have been a very aggressive angry sex scene since its two people who clearly have feelings for each other but refuse to admit it, which appropriately ends when theyre interrupted by people who catch them fighting and jaime looking at brienne up and down realizing her clothes are torn and thinking "ah shit those people are going to think i was fucking her. gross." and basically says to them "whoops you caught me hitting my wife" you know to clear his name because heavens forbid they think he was fucking her. its better if they think he was hitting her.
That was a great video. I think I'll scuttle my way over to the subscribe button. Keep it up bruv!
oh man, i forgot to scuttle...
*scuttles away in shame*
I love this video. So helpful
Great video Awesome pedia ive been figuring out the plot for my story for quite a while now. now i am nearly ready to write which to me is a battle on it's own :) I've written down these tips to help me remember them i cant wait to start writing my first book thanks for the information
This was actually super helpful. Thanks!
This video deserves more views.
Thank You.
The opening fight scene in Equilibrium or John Wick when the Russians first try and put him down after killing his dog, both super epic. Amazing Melee scenes are always gonna be rare, since the actors would need to be amazing Martial Artists first. Gun fights are easier to CG together.
perfect clip for the point made at 9:47 lol
This is a fantastic video, great work!! I"m going to link to this from my own "How to write a fight scene" video I'll be releasing soon!
It’s a lot to take in, but thanks for the video man!
It helped a lot and i’ll see how I can incorporate it into my story telling
Thanks again!
Favorite fight;
The final (and pretty much only) fight in Robert E Howard's, "the Phoenix on the Sword" between aging Conan, the rebels and then the demon thing.
I love anime brawls. The spectacle and tension feels strangely misplaced though when the fight is interrupted with monologues on what they’re doing. In my most recent story I put in my stance. The theatric of the team was blocking a doorway so his friends could escape. He then laid out to the confused chaser that every option and magic trick he has can be stopped by himself and that there’s no way to pass him by…then an explosion erupts from the doorway from the escaping allies’ perspective and the guard winks at them before the explosion knocks him out. It isn’t displayed as him being outsmarted. It’s displayed as him being an anime character and getting his ass kicked.
I read half of Traitor's Blade years ago (loved it just forgot to go back to it) and long before he was randomly mentioned I thought of Sebatian's Traitor's Blade scene with the fake Greatcoats. I gotta get back to that one.
Just found this a year ater it was uploaded. Where did you go? If you keep up video essays of this quality, you will get big
Thanks! I thought this was exactly the type of video I wanted to make but after 2 I was a bit bored with the format. I also moved country and got a different job so things got in the way but I still have videos I want to make. I want to experiment with a few different formats, keeping the bits that worked from this and adding in new elements.
Omg thank you for your contents. I'm an aspiring AU writer and I'm exploring more about this and thats❤️❤️
gotta love a good scuttle
you should read the novel - Down Here in the Warmth by Euel Arden. a bunch of amazing fight scenes.
The Daredevil series that came out on Netflix.... The fight scenes were so well orchestrated. They were so claustrophobic! Not sure if it was the intention of those creative minds but.. they did a fantastic job putting you into the blind eyes of Matt Murdock. How "closed-in" you would feel if you had to fight baddy after baddy in a long pitch black hallway. They put you right into Matt's mind.
I've seen literally 1000s of fight scenes and I have to believe the Daredevil fights were the most realistic.
I write a story in Wattpad. It have fight scenes. Thank you so much for your advices!
Thanks man, now i have an idea on how i can write a fight scene for my story: Project Alpha.
Vladomier Pootis any place where I can read this story? (Sorry if you are being irritated, I simply just want to read someone else’s story, instead of continuing to write my own. Lol)
@@Rock-my2ko go to reddit, and search for writers subreddits. you will find a lot of self made stories
even to this day, thank you for this video. I will for surely capture my readders
Just found your video and it's really helpful
i like the scuttling
text near the end
Good fight scenes keep you from scuttling to the fast forward button on the remote, like any fight in The Raid or John Wick movies.
Thank you! I am sure I would use some of your knowledge to write my own story now (in my native language, sorry for my english)
Bernard Cornwell writes good fight scenes in Saxon Stories. Its always a variation of the same thing but I always enjoy reading it because of the buildup.
I think my favorite fight is Spider-Man Vs Doc Ock on the train in Spider-Man 2. It’s definitely a problem solving scene, as Spider-Man wants Mary Jane, while Doc Ock wants the chemical from Harry. It’s definitely not realistic, but it’s very creative.
Great channel. You need more subs for this quality content
a really excellent video!
Masterful video.
Please create more videos about writing. 😊 Also I worked in the word "scuttle" like your asked.
Easy:
1. Few quick-cuts
2. Each shot should last 2-3 seconds minimum
3. Proper choreography
4. Actors who can perform the choreography
5. Brutal violence that respects how horrific and graphic violence truly is
6. Good gore effects mixing between practical/minimal CGI blood
.....
Or just watch The Raid: Berandal and John Wick 2 and copy those. Those two films are the greatest filmed action scenes of all time. They nail every single aspect that I mentioned above. Brutality is important in an R-rated action film. If there is no brutal consequence, there is no tension.
My fight scene is set in a fantasy world as more of a reason to start reading the book and the details come later and that’s what I need help with
You, my good sir, made a great, informative and knowledge filled video.
This much work and effort that you've exerted is most appreciated.
Thank you.
This comment reminded me why I spent so many hours on this. Thank you!!
Great vid!
I'm glad you liked the video and thanks for commenting, JB!
I love Troy’s Hector vs Achilles.
I know i'm late to reply but this video 'scuttled' its way into my heart ;) Guys skip to 3.03 and actually read the long example of overexplaining.
Thanks this helps a lot :) i love the fights between captain jack and will there first fight
batman vs the joker from the dark knight but my most faviourit is the avengers vs thanos from both infinity war and endgame
here is a archeology major, in reality, weapons are light, a sword? depending on the type from 1 to 5 pounds, yes the heavier end is two handed swords. The heavy sword misconseption has a long history, and if your someone who will say that the sword they got off of amazon or wish ways 10 pounds, go do your reasurch, maybe look at hema.
and i did not mean for this to be a rant but so be it
idk if you know this but scuttles? pretty great.
9:07 I bursted out in laughter hahaha Genius video
shit va grym du har blivit på att göra videos!
Älskar såna här typer av youtube videos, amazing
Tack så mycket!! Ska göra fler till dig i så fall.
Weapons, at least medieval European weapons, were generally very light. Especially swords. A lot of people think that swords were sharpened clubs, but no, one-handed swords were like one to three pounds and two-handed swords were like five to ten pounds, as a rough estimate. And full-plate wasn't really that heavy, either. Less than sixty pounds.
You all should read “song of Roland” the fight scenes are brutal asf
Great video :)
Tack Jonas! :D
"scuttle" 3:08
This really helped me! Thanks a lot =)
6:09 Lmao, I actually watch that karate youtuber occasionally. Because I uhh.. practice karate-
thank you
I have one thing to say. The weapons were NOT that heavy. The heaviest european weapons that were designed to be used with one hand were only 0.9-1.1 kilo and twohanded weapon heavier than 2.5 kilo were ceremonial. It is not heavy unless you are chopping with it for hours.
About no need to describe all the details: I do agree, the reader does not need all the minutia, but the writers do. The writers better make a plan and if not choreograph the whole scene, he better know exactly who is doing something at any moment and what they are doing. Because then when switching between characters the writer can avoid making a mistake in the continuity.
Because despite all the visual examples of the fight scenes, in the fight, everything is happening at once.
A huge number of writers do this wrong. To try and visualize it, one doesn't need to have experience in actual fights. A group vs. group in an MMO can provide ample opportunities to study the dynamic.
Anyone played a Star Trek game, any game. The first thing you realize, that you do not have time for an opponent to degrade your shields. The only way to survive is to unleash everything in your arsenal in the shortest amount of time. Exactly the opposite of what we see in the series.
Great video! Does anyone know the source of the chinese style animated fight at 5:58?
This was perfect
Thank you, I'm glad you found it helpful!
The scene between the headless horseman and Depp in sleepy hollow.
... Technicle??? 😨
Your channel has scuttled its way across my awareness and I couldn't be more impressed! Keep up the great work, I'm sure you'll be recognized on a larger scale in time. Oh, and please be careful with the bottle. Momentary pleasure isn't worth long-term entropy :C
You should go watch this video from Reality Price Studios, BUT YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE-!
I have. 2 months ago. xD
Scuttle!
I knew subscribing was a good decision.
Bruh, the fight at the end of The Raid 2...I gave a standing ovation for that shit.
I'm also glad you took that decision. I haven't seen that yet but I'll have to check it out.
Awesomepedia I know you're mainly talking novels in this video, but those films are just the craziest martial arts movies I've ever seen. Can't recommend them enough.
im just adding a comment for more viewer engagement. the algorithm likes that
did you drop this 👑 ?
I don't know how to use the word scuttle, yet I still completed my goal.
6:37 Me- Oh yeah I've seen that movie now!
Bvs warehouse scene is ICONIC