Author Topic: REHEARSALS: Fight Notation  (Read 16132 times)

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amandaackovitz

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REHEARSALS: Fight Notation
« on: Nov 19, 2012, 03:44 am »
Hi y'all!

This past summer, I worked on a production of King Lear and found myself running my very first fight rehearsals (I was an SM intern). The fight choreographer was very kind and incredibly patient with me while I tried to wrap my head around everything, but the experience really opened my eyes to a weakness of mine: I know nothing about stage combat, much less how to notate it in a blocking script.

How do y'all take fight notation?


Edit to add topic tag. - Maribeth
« Last Edit: Feb 11, 2013, 08:24 pm by Maribeth »

nick_tochelli

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #1 on: Nov 19, 2012, 09:13 am »
The lazy answer: You don't! That's what a fight captain is for!  ;) (That's not really true....don't take that piece of "advice" to heart!)

Here's the the easiest way to notate fights (for me at least). Use a number in the script, then break it out to a separate page. So the line is "to the death!" I indicate a #1 in a circle, and on the opposite page, I start writing out the choreography. I write it out long hand along with a "dance map" of the positioning at each move. Sword fights are different because you are using potentially really fast movements and positions. So the positioning would be written out (using keywords the choreographer focuses on. Like "really bash it" or " push through the impact" etc...it's helpful to recall those things to the cast members) but as for the attack positions, I use the 5 sword positions to indicate where the strike is to occur, and then the type of strike being used (thrust, slash, High to low, low to high etc). These positions are the same as basic fencing. http://www.thecuttingedge.s5.com/images/Positions_and_Visual_aids_FULL.gif

Some choreographers add parry positions beyond 5. It's pretty fluid. Otherwise, fights would look boring and paint by numbers-esque.

See if you can find a stage combat class. Learn some of the basics to help inform you as a stage manager. I took classes through high school and college (during the dark days when I was an actor), but it pays for itself when you're working on a Shakespeare history! It's also way more fun than reading on the subject.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #2 on: Nov 19, 2012, 10:08 am »
And now AEA allows us to video tape fight work for rehearsal purposes . . .

thank goodness for smart phones!!!
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

nick_tochelli

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #3 on: Nov 19, 2012, 01:12 pm »
And now AEA allows us to video tape fight work for rehearsal purposes . . .

thank goodness for smart phones!!!

Whoa wait...say what??!!

Man....Thanks AEA. Where was that rule when I needed it???!!! I hate being technologically ahead of the curve! *goes off into a corner and grumbles*

maximillionx

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #4 on: Nov 19, 2012, 10:58 pm »
The notation method I was taught:
C - cut
P - parry
1 - area 1
2 - area 2
etc...through 8 if memory serves (there was 5a (which was the backwards holding of 5 parry), 6 (behind back parry), 7 (upside-down 1 parry) and 8 (upside-down 2 parry).
Special moves like cloise (which is the cool slide your blade with mine), jump, punches, etc... you write out.
All this goes in two columns labeled fighter A and B.  The offensive move is written for a fighter next to the defensive move of the other fighter. Offense and defense is noted with an arrow between the columns.
Bowstaff is similar when parry-ing, but you have to specify which section of the bowstaff is attacking (1, 2 or 3/top, middle or bottom)

Hope this helps!

babens

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #5 on: Nov 20, 2012, 01:34 am »
I guess I've been lucky in that the few fight choreographers that I've worked with in the past have always either come in with the fight already notated or have later notated it themselves (or had one of their assistants do it) and then passed out copies of said notation to everyone.

MatthewShiner

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #6 on: Nov 20, 2012, 11:24 am »
And now AEA allows us to video tape fight work for rehearsal purposes . . .

thank goodness for smart phones!!!



Whoa wait...say what??!!

Man....Thanks AEA. Where was that rule when I needed it???!!! I hate being technologically ahead of the curve! *goes off into a corner and grumbles*


Check your contract, but this has been in place for LORT for awhile . . .
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

nick_tochelli

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #7 on: Nov 20, 2012, 02:16 pm »
I'm sure it was there the whole time I just skipped over it when I was elected fight captain for a production. I just got on my feet and learned it since I had to know it anyway. But I bet it was there and I done just skipped over it in the contract.

amandaackovitz

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #8 on: Nov 20, 2012, 03:01 pm »
Thanks, y'all! I did end up taping the fights, but only because the fight choreographer was also the fight captain and was also one of the actors in the majority of the fights and he needed to see what he had choreo-ed.

Cedes

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #9 on: Dec 13, 2012, 01:02 pm »
And now AEA allows us to video tape fight work for rehearsal purposes . . .

thank goodness for smart phones!!!

THIS.

When I was in rehearsals for my current show, it would have been a nightmare to grab the fight notation as my choreographer was working. So...I video taped all of them, and had them constantly on hand for the understudies and review sessions before we opened.

Quillons

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #10 on: Dec 13, 2012, 10:49 pm »
If your choreographer or fight captain does write down the blocking, you might also want to have them draw a diagram of what cut/thrust goes where.  Not for every move, but something at the top of the page.  There are multiple systems that a choreographer might use- 1-8 with a 5a, 1-9, 1-9 with a 5a...

Cedes

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Re: Fight Notation
« Reply #11 on: Jan 11, 2013, 01:13 pm »
I also have old-school choreography sheets that I can use when the time allows. Sometimes, if I'm working for a theatre that still likes hard copies, I transcribe the videos to sheets so they have them for future use if needed.

K_Darby

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Re: REHEARSALS: Fight Notation
« Reply #12 on: Jun 27, 2013, 11:26 pm »
I see that it has been a while since anyone as posted on this particular topic but I will ask anyway.

In the Fall, I will be stage managing a production of Macbeth with heavy fight choreo. This is a college production and I am going to be working with a guest director. I have only done a small amount of fight notation and just kind of winged it the last time.

How in-depth should the notations be; should each move be recorded or just the general idea of the fight?

Would you recommend that fight notation be included along side the normal blocking notes or should it be separated somehow (for example by color?)


Thanks!

MatthewShiner

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Re: REHEARSALS: Fight Notation
« Reply #13 on: Jun 27, 2013, 11:43 pm »
Discuss with the fight director and fight captain - since either will have to maintain the fight work, see what you can do to help.

In in AEA situations, we are allowed to video tape fight work . . . which is probably the best thing and easiest.

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

K_Darby

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Re: REHEARSALS: Fight Notation
« Reply #14 on: Jun 27, 2013, 11:57 pm »
The main reason I was asking was this production does not have a fight captain and the director is doubling as both fight director and director. Now that I am thinking about it more, discussing how the responsibilities are going to be allotted will probably be the best course of action.
 Thank you for the advice though, I had not thought about filming the fight rehearsals.

 

riotous