Shutter speed test on fight footage.

GageFX

GageFX

Carbonite Member
I'm still deciding how I will shoot my fight footage. Here are some clips from training monday night. The lighting is just the dojo's fluors as well as a 750w Tota reflected off the ceiling and a 250w Pro with softbox directed at the subjects. The point was only to provide light, not try anything creative.

Very briefly about what you see. There is no sound. I was filming and I am sick and I was making all sorts of gross sick sounds. Hence, no sound. The male is the stunt/fight coordinator. Great guy, very talented. Was invited this Spring to China to work with Jackie Chan (in the middle training for my film) and to my benefit he turned it down as his wife was about to deliver.

The girl is the lead and she is phenominal. Beyond training for the film, she has not a second of any sort of fight training. The routine you see here was choreographed about 5 minutes before I asked to do the shutter test.

I also have some sword fight footage I will post later.

Let me know what you think about the different shutter speeds.

Please right click SAVE TARGET AS.
http://www.rivenmovie.com/randomclips/Fight%20Shutter%20Test.mov

http://www.rivenmovie.com/randomclip...ter%20test.mov

(second footage added so it's together)


-GageFX
 
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I think it depends on your intended feeling of the fight. The 1/250th shutter obviously makes things more caotic and more Zombie looking so I think its more actiony and fast feeling. It might be a little too much though if thats not the look you want. I say in terms of the look of each one, the "shutter off" looks much better. Not too stroby and not to blurred like the 1/48th was. I say use that one, seems to be perfect IMO.

-Kyle
 
Shutter off doesn't look filmic though.

1/48 is good if you don't want too much of an effect, it all depends what you are looking for.
 
:)

lol... I know it depends on what I'm going for.

I'm just sharing for those that haven't seen fight footage at the different speeds and wondering what others like. Not necessarily looking for a concensus on what I should do.

But please dont take that wrong, I certainly appreciate the input.

Here is some sword footage with sound. Again, the segment was just choreographed (rehearsed maybe twice before shooting this) and she had never picked up any sort of sword weapon before last week. She's had maybe 3 hours total of sword handling/training at this point.

Please RIGHT CLICK SAVE TARGET AS
http://www.rivenmovie.com/randomclips/sword%20shutter%20test.mov


-GageFX
 
I liked the 1/48th the most, but is that the max speed they are gonna be fighting? If they went any faster I would go with 1/60 or even 1/100 to capture a bit more.
 
I would sacrifice the film look for a fight scene if it means seeing the moves of the choreography. Sometimes you have to concentrate on whats best for the film itself not making sure every shot you take looks "film like."

-Kyle
 
I hadnt really put much thought into it until I saw The Descent. Horror, not action, and gore, not fighting, but the creatures always attacked with a very high shutter speed and I thought that it added to their apparent speed and viciousness.

......watching footage again...

...okay...

I like the 1/24. In a way, the blurriness kinda makes it seem faster. ie. fast action tends to blur. I also like the higher speeds because they also have a fast feel to them. The 1/250, I think, looks pretty fast and actiony.

Mack said:
but is that the max speed they are gonna be fighting?
Click to expand...

Yes and no. I mentioned that they had only walked through that segment 2 times before I started the shutter test runs. Also, I did not do the test in the order that you see the clips. I started with 1/48, which is why they are moving the slowest - that was actually their first "full speed" run though of the segment. 1/250 and then Shutter Off were the last two which is why they are much faster on their parts.

That is the fight stuff. As for the sword stuff, that is pretty much full speed. Again, she's been on sword for maybe 3 hours at this point and the first clip - 1/24 - was their first full speed of that segment. I have to imagine she will get faster, but she's moving pretty quick. Also note, those are hard wood sticks, full speed, full contact.
....

On looking again, yeah, she will get faster. And I'm still torn. Like the blur, like the stutter. It will come to me.

Thanks for all your input. I hope for more.

-GageFX
 
Didnt change any deafault setting in the cam other than the Zebra. I though it seemed 1/48ish.

-GageFX
 
heh. Probably because the Off take was their last take so it was one of the smoothest and fastest performance-wise. Im interested to figure out why it is that speed, though.

- GageFX
 
Hope she's going to look like she's fighting for film and not in the gym...

Did she take any "fighting for screen" classes or just the martial arts courses you mentioned?
 
She's fine. And I'll have to reread, but I dont recall mentioning any martial arts classes she's taken. I did say she has no fight experience. Either way, it's covered.


- GageFX
 
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Kholi said:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=659002&postcount=11

I might've gotten the wrong thing out of that.

When's the final product to be shown?
Click to expand...


I can see where you got that. I wasn't very clear.

For 6 months she has been training for the film. Fight and firearms training - no classes, all training specific and only for the film. The closest to classes that she comes, is she warns up with an Israeli Haganah class for a half hour before training. Stretching and such.

She's trained go knife fighting - fixed blade, folder, and butterfly. She's awesome with that.

Firearms: All auto loading handguns almost all calibers. 9 mm Police carbine rifle. M 40. And the MP5 9 mm.

As for completion date, that depends on when we finish. :) we have 20% of scenes shot. Hope to be edited and scored by Christmas. We'll see.

Please excuse spelling errors. I'm T9ing on my phone.

- GageFX
 
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