Dueling & Staged Combat -- ONLINE COMPETITIONS!

[Novastar]

I suppose I may have some delusions of grandeur, but... I would indeed like to start seeing:

1. People who actually own sabers... DUELING with them.
2. Those who are interested in choreography either putting stuff together or asking questions or working with others or all of the above.
3. Videos of such duels... whether "uber"-looking or not.

In February 2008, I added this video to my wacky entourage of stuff on Youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LyxlEEyqw-M

Now, as far as I know, Yoda and I have not seen much interest, so... I'm not sure how useful the S.M.A.C.C. D.O.W.N.S. would actually be (or if they'd be worth it to go through the logistics of prizes, organization, voting, etc.)... but... I really would like to see it happen.

However, like so many things out there... it takes a village, as they say! :)

So... if anyone is actually interested in going the distance with:

* Learning about staged combat... using a system to help... having a plan...
* Getting footage out there for people to help with and to critique...
* Winning saber-related prizes and such...
* Maybe helping to benefit larger causes (that is... if we work as a large team, and not just individuals)

...well... here we are today! :cool: :cool:

Finally, it's not like I won't give even MORE support. :D When I release the Novastar Crystal Focus Sound Compendium CD... it will indeed also include a staged combat tutorial video, along with other helpful items.

Your thoughts/questions/help/support/interest??

[chase]

Like I said before, I'm down. I do both and was really looking forward to s.m.a.c.c. I plan on rallying everyone I can for this competition. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would be interested in posting videos and such. I'll work on getting some people together and making a video to post. I guess one of each (one dueling one choreographed) to show the big difference will suffice.

[DDanDevious]

dude, I am down like 4 flat tires... Im just starting to work on some choreagraphy and Im seriously not that great at it (but its fun) and Im always down to learn more and get a better grip on a system that allows for safe and exciting combat. Would love to see some good duels with some of the awesome sabers built here.

so the plan is for a competition or just sort of a compendium of videos instructionals and whatnots?

DDD!

[Tom Starkiller]

I've got a few videos showing choreography (And non-chreographed stuff), a couple of them are videos from the NYJedi that I've been working on, but hey, it's something and may give people ideas and motivation.

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=doctorwho11&p=r

[DARTH KALEL]

the only problem with anything similiar is there are way too many people that think in a staged duel you have to swing you blade around and around without trying to contact your opponent. How would it be judged, and like? I stopped posting vids because people kept bi@#$ing about not twirling the blades alot. i'm into real dueling staged or not but it has to fit an actuall form not just a few twirls from watching a tutorial with 5 or 6 clashes in 10 minutes, plus use alot of hand to hand moves. I really like how RVD2 did this. It would have to be full contact to be worth anything, and have a point system for clean hits and fight ending hits. And would like to see actuall forms against each other, as you can tell i'm not a big fan of the baton saber clubs as my little sister can twirl a double blade better than Ray Parks himself. now if you can incorporate some spins that are fiesable to use when dueling then cool, otherwise how would you like your head mounted. lol

[Tom Starkiller]

I think it should have style, but not over the top.... it should be believable. The spins are cool, so long as you don't overdo it, for example, one guy stands there just to let the other do a few flashy spins, or both stand apart and have a spin off contest. The spins should be part of the moves.

[DARTH KALEL]

amen tom I think that's why most people laugh when they see someone wielding a lightsaber, and all swordsmen think it's ridduculous that we swing for affect and never try to end the fight. It's not hard to choregraph a real fight, but you have to remember that lightsaber dueling is two opponents trying to kill each other, not impress the local bith, Remember it's a physical chess match, so lets see some skill, we have got enough people spinning lights in the dark.
I am in the Denver CO area, but i'm more than happy to give some pointers and show some advanced moves and forms

[Hasid Lafre]

This was a short vid me and my bro did did, we dident really think much and kinda did it at the last min.

Now remember this was last year so we got some catching up to do and get rid of the rust.

Me an dmy bro dueling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alVM4qt-As0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alVM4qt-As0)

Bros spins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXER50r3Q1c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXER50r3Q1c)

ME spins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PxRBhuW44E (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PxRBhuW44E)

I think this was my bro I cant remember and I cant go by the voices cause me an dmy bro sound the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBIJTL79V1k (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBIJTL79V1k)

again I dont remember who this was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tg5JLqEb6M (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tg5JLqEb6M)

[sekrogue1985]

my input is this;

i've never actually choreographed a fight in my life. Actually that's a lie, i've attempted to when i was little till i actually learned how to use a sword which actually allowed me to figure it out. anywho best scenes that me an my friends have done are just random fights. Yeah they may not look clean and sometimes it looks like someone is massacring the other but most of our friends say if taken seriously and we actually are trying to hurt eachother they look very very real. the down fall is when the blood lust sets in then it goes from refined dueling to well just a brawl of guys that know what they are doing but I(^(&(*^ it kill. Sadly we slaughter the camera guy in a duel once so we've lost him permanatly and his camera skills :( But yeah I've done both. doing staged fights are hard because you have to make it look so real and have to follow so much but if you do it with a guy you know and the trust is there it works out great. The other side is fun but tricky to get a good fight out of. BEst thing i can say is it is like old samurai flicks the duels are over in mere minutes or even seconds. But are fricking sweet:) Alright enough of my banter back to finals week. IF i ever get a new camera guy other than my skater of a brother and his fish eye i'll post them on the web some time.

[Darth_DevilGuy]

very down over here, I'd even go so far as to finally fix my car to make attending stuff aound the bay area possible.

[Tom Starkiller]

Cool vids Has.

Nova, do the sabers used have to be luxeon?

I don't have one yet, and no-one around me does, so would bamboo sticks be OK?

[BlackDOG]

Nova,
I asked about hand positioning way back and I am very interested in doing some film stuff. Sadly, I am the only saber wielding fruit loop over the age of 25 in my area.....

But count me in....I am working on a script, wherein a saber battle will take place!


BD

[DDanDevious]

this would be alot easier to do if everyone with sabers werent spread so far across the galaxy. or country or whatever.

my friend and I that I work with duel all the time at work. Id like to be more refined, but we end up sort of poking at each other at awkward angles trying to get the "kill". Im usually working on how to block from different angles, and hes usually busy jabbing me in the side or something like that.

I will try to convince him to make a vid with me. Id like to see some vids of different stances and styles... I do the underhand or whatever you call it saber hold (saber facing down) its just more natural and I can parry alot easier that way... Id like to see where to move my body/saber to block at different angles, counterattacks etc...

word.

DDD!

[Hasid Lafre]

Hay black dog I noticed that your in NC.

Iam not in Carolina but I do attend the Carolina saber web accadmey.

http://www.carolinasaberacademy.org/

Where kinda slow moving right now but hopefully it will pick up again sence its getting warmer out maybe people will come.

[37H4N]

I need to kick myself into choreographing saber fights again. Also need to get myself some thinwalled blades as I use thick walls and DACOTA uses thin walls and it just doesn't end well. :lol: Also thin walls are faster which is closer to actualy sabers if they existed.
Third thing I need to do is find a charger for my video camera, or see if my dad will let me use our HD camera. :wink:

Sounds realy cool and fun Novastar!

[Novastar]

Ah, beautiful, beautiful... now THIS is what we want to see... discussion and people taking the bull by the horns!

Let's see... to cover a few bits of ground:

* Using a system

For people that want some basics that can help them, my upcoming staged combat video (included with the CF Sound Compendium) will help people quite a bit.

* Needing to meet up with people...

Well, it's true that you'll need a dedicated partner, but... you DO NOT need to go "meet somewhere" for the competition. It will be done online.

* Scoring, judging, rules, etc.

I've posted a little bit about that on fx-sabers, but... yeah, it will all get figured out. I have some good ideas for that I think too... to make it easy, yet effective... but... we'll see. The point is... for now--who cares, the idea is to maybe start planning somethin'... :)

Finally:


Nova, do the sabers used have to be luxeon?

Well, I would say yes and no. Yes that they should be lit. No that they must be Luxeon.

But Why "only lit" sabers.

Well, the point is to do something DIFFERENT than the current rotoscoped competition stuff. I mean, sure--effects are cool, but... why not just enter THOSE competitions, and then who cares about this one, right? :)

Also, some people do not have the tools or skills--or even the will, money and time to get involved in all of that (Adobe Premiere, After Effects, HD cameras, video codecs from hell, frame-by-frame roto-work... 30fps x 4 mins. footage = 7200 frames)...

So... in my thinking, this competition is open to any who want to do it, and yet you don't need to be a film guy. You CAN be, but... you do not HAVE to be! :)

I'll try to get more details out to you guys so that we can start identifying some "pairs" out there who might have an entry ready at one time or another. It's no rush. This is a "comin'... when it's READY" kinda thing right now... :)

[Moordak]

I would love to get into this and learn. I'm most definitely a noob though when it comes to this kind of thing. That and I don't have a practice partner since oddly enough I can't get any of my friends to do it. Still though, I'm looking forward to Nova's upcoming video.

[Tom Starkiller]

I wasn't saying rotoscoped.

(After finishing my current project, I intend on takeing a break from lightsaber work.)

The only non-lux, non-FFX left is hasbro, and the lights are, well, crap.

[chase]

I think everyone who does dueling with sabers should all move to the same town so we never have to worry about having a dueling partner again. I was the first in my town to get a lux saber, then my brother, then another friend, then I got more than one so I could teach other friends who are too lazy to get a job and buy their own....

One of them asked about spins and how they do in actual combat. I stabbed him. He got the point (haha).

Nova, I know in the video you posted about this comp. you talked about what the requirements would be for the comp. Maybe you should post them on here.

[DDanDevious]

I think everyone who does dueling with sabers should all move to the same town so we never have to worry about having a dueling partner again...


dooooood, good plan! You guys all move to florida ok?

is there some sort of database where members can post their whereabouts to aid in finding dueling partners, saber building assistance, etc etc... that would be fresh.


DDD!

[Kant Lavar]

Sabertown, USA.

You wimpy metal blade people need not apply. In this town, we duel with lightsabers!

(Geez, sounds like an X-Play segment.)

[Dandura]

My friend and I duke it out all the time, now my sabers broken. We don't do staged fighting we just fight until someone "loses fuctionality" i.e. you get hit in the arm it's gone. I hope i don't have to duel the black knight, he is always functional.

[chase]

The system I use is a points system. Kill points for the spots that would kill you (of course) and limb points for limbs (seriously). 3 limb points equal a kill point. 3 kill points you win. It works pretty well for us....until you duel a guy who fenced at the University of Georgia for 4 years....I got stabbed in the ARMPIT 4 TIMES! It hurt! Has anyone been stabbed in the armpit?!

[sekrogue1985]

freshmen year of college there was a league of us that would duel with the cheapo sabers because well "Scott just hit's too hard and goes for the win and it hurts!" and the cheapo 20 dollar ones were easy for us college goers to buy on a need be basis. Then well it came down to one thing that shattered it all WORLD OF WARCRAFT. Yup I lost them all to sitting on their butts for days playing WOW so yeah i did find some others but they are either too drunk to fight or just lazy so yeah. Anyone wanna come to INDY lol.

Correct that all I bought all the stuff they just got lazy and my friend just said. warcraft did little with it but kept them on their ass all day.

[chase]

I remember those things. I still have about 5 broken hasbro sabers in my closet. They were cool at first and then after about 3 minutes of going at it, the blades would bend and crack and be annoying...thats why I started looking for something better....thus finding TCSS. Now instead of a nice slap on the arm for missing a block you get a nice swollen knuckle or broken blood vessle (good thing I don't miss hahhahaha! jk!). Cracks on the knuckles are terrible though.