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VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION – Movie sword and shield training tip two, how to perform cinematic short sword attacks with the movie sword and shield that look great for film and tv. Yeah. So we’ll answer in today’s video. Hi, my name is Dillon Wilson with CBT stunt alliance. Train hard, perform easy. We help actors, sound performers, filmmakers, and content creators learn professional stunt training for use in film, tv, and live action performances.
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(BACK) See FREE Movie Shield & Sword Training Tip 1 of 4: Posture and Stances
(ADVANCE) See FREE Movie Shield & Sword Training Tip 3 of 4: DEFENSE!
Before we get underway, if you’re interested in adding baton, short sword, sword and dagger, even sword and shield, movie fight choreography to your current acting or stunt performer skill set, check out our highly popular online master course at www.ShortSwordMovieFighting.com you can learn attacking angles, Sword fight choreography, sword and dagger, sword and Larry Shield, even how to market your career. You can sign up now and start training now. Go to www.shortswordmoviefighting.com for more info.
Okay, so we get a lot of questions about movie baton and shortsword fighting tips, so we’re going to share a few things with you now, I’m actually an experienced stunt coordinator turned full time director. This is something I plan to do from the beginning of my career up to and including even attending and graduating film school as director. Now, along my journey, I learned that being a stunt coordinator made me a better director, and being a director made me a better stunt coordinator. And what this means to you is that I can offer insights and experience from both sides of the camera as well as all phases of production. When we thought about what would help you the most, we decided to put together this free video course that will cover the basics of movie baton and short Sword movie fighting techniques. This way, you can use it for your real upcoming auditions and even your own content. For actual performances and highly competitive auditions, you need more training like we provide in our highly popular online master course.
Why does this work? Because for self tapes, many sword auditions, mocap, and performances, you just have to look like you know how to use a, ah, movie baton or short sword. If you’re not the lead or a featured fighter, you’re going to throw anywhere from zero to two strikes and then you’re killed. Anyway, check out this following clip to see this in action.
Now, how many strikes did each performer get to throw in that action sequence? Exactly. Exactly. So in today’s video, we’re going to cover how to safely and cinematically launch short sword and shield attacks. All right, so how do we do the 15 attacking angles with the large shield? Oh, my goodness. Because that can be very complicated. Well, guess what? It’s actually quite simple. So we’re going to use, what we just covered in the two different ways of using the shield. All you’re going to do, if you’re doing your 15 attacking angles, the only difference is I’m going to look at it from the side. So angle 1234, right, is you’re going to do this and you’re going to extend the shield out like that.
And that’s all you’re going to do. And think of the shield as being like an umbrella. And then you’re just going to do all the 15 attacking angles on the inside of the shield. See that? That’s it. Everything just happens inside. So if you’re practicing, that’s it. Angle 123-4567. When you’re finished, you bring it back in again with the large shield. You’re going to feel it in your arms because there’s weight to it. That’s why you have to practice. That’s how you do it. And that’s the correct combat way. And it’s cinematic. If the sound coordinator wishes to change it, they will, as long as you’re doing it correctly, you’re correct. And that’s always going to impress people. That’s the simplest way.
Stage combat classes online for film and TV
There are two positions when we’re doing the 15 attacking angles. The first one is this one. Just extending it out. And then all the, pretty much the majority of the 15 attacking angles are you’re done in here. If it’s too much for you to do to learn the second position, you can do all 15 inside. It ain’t wrong to do it right yet. The way that we do it in CBT is that, there’s two other positions. So whenever you attack someone’s legs, like with angle eight, you are exposing your head. So I come in and I attack your legs. You see how my head is? So when we attack low targets, like with angle eight, angle eleven, the shield goes up here. So now when I attack someone’s leg with an angle eight or angle eleven, my head’s not exposed. It’s one of the benefits of having a shield.
So as we go from, as we’re doing angle eight or angle eleven, we’ll hold the shield above our hit like this. So that’s the position. Um, that’s what to know. All right. So if you ever do angle eight, you’re here. If you’re tackling angle eleven, you’re there. And that protects your head. All you’re doing is games like you’re punching and you’re just holding it above your head. Don’t hold it back above your head. Like this. Hold it slightly forward so if they hit it, it’s impacting with that. Again, if it’s too much for you to do, just stick with this and you’re never going to go wrong. All right? So that’s the other way, is doing like this. Now, the only other thing is that there is.
And these are the variations of the basics. Again, you can use as much or as little as you like in your own choreography or for your training. We don’t teach you everything and we teach you enough that you can be very versatile. The only other variation, we’ll say is a third position is here. Right. So again, here for most of them. Here for eight and eleven. And here for 14 and 15. Okay, now, why is that 14 and 15 come right over the top of the shield. 14 is a very deadly strike. Very deadly strike. And it’s been used throughout cultures, all around the world because you don’t see it coming, right? So 14 to 15, this is 14. This is 15. You see this coming at you, right? You see this, but you don’t see that. And especially if someone’s coming in and they do that, it just takes someone’s head right off. So from the side, 14 and 15 come over the top and you’re very safe.
And look how long the sword reaches in front of the shield. So if your opponent isn’t aware of the range of your sword, you can just be approaching them like this or approaching, like, in frontal posture. And you know you’re going to do angle 14. Boom, take the head. So just for 14 and 15, the same way you learned it before, 14 and 15. The only difference is now the shields are in front of you. That’s what you’re doing, right? And those are the 15 attack angles. I’m going to flow through all 15 for you once we’re done. You see how it all ties together. If you can get it like we do it, great. If not, you have options. Now you can do it again. 1415. 1415. All right, I’m going to do all 15 attacking angles now. And you’re going to see it as if you’re my opponent. It now, like I said,
Stage combat classes near me – Film and TV
is just tossing the shield up. We’ll stick with the ways that we taught you. So what we do on the right, we’re going to do on the left. I’m going to do it from the side now so that you can see it how it looks from the side and, even with the shield and everything. All right, 15 attacking angles. Go. Okay. And those are the 15 attacking angles. And that’s using it with the shield. So the same exact angles you learned before. The only difference is now you got a shield. And the shield is going to be a game changer, especially cinematically. So, like I said, go ahead, take your time. Rewind this video.
Watch them, because the more of these movements, these subtle movements that you saw me doing that you can learn, the more the audience reads you as being an expert, and so does a stunt coordinator, so does a fight choreographer. And believe it or not, all the stunt performers and actors around you can’t tell you how many times you end up, wowing other stunt performers who don’t have these skills or have this much skill. And you have what appears to be a lot more. And those same stunt performers refer you to other gigs because they’ll tell me, oh, she’s really good with the sword.
She could use a sword, a sword and shield, or he’s really good with sword and shield, all that type those weapons and everything. So, watch this video, practice it and perfect these movements. Determine which one works best for you. The first way of keeping the shield near yourself, or actually the second way with the shield, is actually more active in the combat choreography. So stop the video now and give this a try, broken down, step by step to ensure that you learn it both easily and quickly. Lastly, we’re going to share a few pro tips with you yet before we do, check this out.
So if any of the topics that we covered are of interest to you, definitely head on over to our website and take the free video tour. Now we’ll share a pro tip with you. Pro tip. Practice first doing it stationary, and then next walking normally. A lot of issues that, newbies have is that they try to get to the final form right away. They don’t want to put in the work. They say, show me the technique. They want to be able to learn it, especially if they’re not experienced martial artists.
Usually experienced martial artists know there’s always a progression and evolution that you go through and they just accept that. A lot of times for action actors, stunt performers who are just starting out, they see a, stunt coordinator, fight choreographer do it and they want to be able to do it perfectly. It just doesn’t work that way. Right. It takes time for your body to learn this. So the thing to do is to first do it from a stationary position. Give you an example. So if we’re just doing choreography, this is how we wish to learn it, right. We’re just looping it right. Now.
Once you’re smooth with that, then you do it with movement and usually with fort, sword, usually with movie, sword fighting, you’re going to be moving as you’re fighting, as you’re going to be standing there doing this type stuff, right? So with the same motion, all I’m going to do now is I’m just walking forwards and in reverse. See that? And because I’ve already learned the choreography from a stationary position, it’s not a challenge for me to do it when moving. Right. And you’re going to have a lot more going on. On shoot day. I mean, there’s going to be a bunch of 30 to 50 people around you or more people running back and forth. There’s going to be pressure, going to be all kinds of things going on.
So you want to be able to be natural with this. And this is how you get really good. People can tell if you’re a performing choreographer, even by yourself, even an audition, and you’re moving around smoothly and you’re not even thinking about it. They know that you’re very experienced here. You’ve only been practicing for a week. These are little shortcuts, right? That’s why they’re pro tips. As long as you do it like this, learn it first from a stationary position, then from moving, then you’re always going to look good in all your performances.
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Lastly, if you like more information about our highly popular online movie Baton and short sword fighting master course, go to www.ShortSwordMovieFighting.com or click on the link below this video. Again, my name is Dillon Wilson with CBT stunt alliance. Train hard, perform easy. Don’t miss our next video when we share with you another movie baton and short sword fighting tip.