‘It’s not about kicks and punches!’ How to board a fight scene
One of the most common storyboards people want to put in their portfolios is a fight scene. I’m not completely sure why this is, maybe it’s what people think of when they want to board an action sequence? Whatever the reason might be, beginner storyboard artists are often working on a fight scene, usually focussing on the specific fight choreography.
But here’s the thing, a fight scene it is not about the kicks and punches. So many of these fight storyboards end up with two faceless characters punching each other -and it is so boring! If you would board a fight scene for a job, chances are that an animator or stunt coordinator would be coming up with the actual fight geography anyway, so instead of trying to get the moves right as a storyboarder it is better to focus on the story of the fight.
What is the story of this scene? Who is the good guy and who is the bad guy? Apart from defeating the opponent the objective of the fight should be clear. Why are they fighting? Is the hero desperately trying to survive? Is the goal to free someone being held captive? Is the hero trying to stop a bomb from blowing up? Is the hero trying to prevent the villain from escaping...? It helps to make your characters very specific too, a super hero fight is very different than two old ladies going at each other with their handbags.
Once the objective is clear, you should constantly tell us how close the hero and villain are to achieving their objectives. Reaction shots are very important. They show the audience how things are going for the hero. Don’t make the fight easy. We admire a character for trying more than for their successes. Indiana Jones gets punched around constantly only to triumph at the last minute.
Story reversals are very important too. Remember Shane Black’s Haystack Game? “The point is, every time you give something you take it away. And you twist things constantly. And you go, oh my God they're save-- oh, oh, they're not save. Oh, but they are gonna make it, no they're not gonna make it. And the more that you can do that, throughout a story . . . To me that's, giving people a surprise and keeping them jumping. And not knowing that they're safe to just sit back and expect what's coming next. I think that's important.”
Try to find something that makes this fight special. Jackie Chan has a fight where he’s holding a live chicken, in the Bourne Supremacy Matt Damon fights a guy and they keep getting smashed into the blinds covering the window, Indiana Jones fights a Nazi brute while they have to dodge a plane’s propellor...
Don’t have two character fight against an empty background, set your fight in location that enhances the story. Use props that are specific for the setting of your fight. (Jackie Chan is an absolute master at this, check out this demonstration from his documentary ‘My Stunts’) What tone is your fight? Funny (Jackie Chan), Brutal (From Russia with Love), realistic (Haywire), a fight can even be romantic! (Mask of Zorro).
Just like any other scene, a fight scene should tell a story. The key to doing a good fight scene is to tell a good story.
