Customer Reviews

Fight Choreography: The Art of Non-Verbal Dialogue

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First, my background.I have been a professional stuntman for over fifteen years.Most of my work has consisted of fighting onscreen,against some well known action stars[van damme,rowdy roddy piper,russell wong,to name a few.] I am only one third through this book,got it a couple days ago.
I have yet to see anything so concise ,and to the point on the subject of fighting for the camera.Even professionals will learn something.If you really want learn how to be a great "screen" fighter,then this book should be in your library.
I want to ask one thing though,I seem to remember an older version of this book that included a companion DVD.Does anyone have this?

John Kreng is obviously a passionate researcher, as this book will attest to. Well written and thoroughly annotated, this book takes the reader on a multi faceted tour through the craft of stunt fighting. Every aspect of the art of filmic combat is detailed so that every student of film can grasp the intricacies and nuances involved in creating a stand out fight sequence.

The book is riff with examples from many films, some notable and some obscure, but the author manages to instill in the reader a wanting to view these films and or revisit them with a new perspective.

This book will be a primer for all film schools, and serious film students. This is the only book of its kind and I can't think of anyone matching this. Bravo!

I am an independent filmmaker who has had experience shooting fight scenes. Basically, this book teaches nothing new. All he really does is tell you what a good fight scene should have (which is not a bad thing) and then tell you to watch certain movies containing these elements (not bad either). Here is where I felt ripped-off. He tells nothing about how you can achieve this yourself. For example, rhythm is important in choreography, the author tells you that, he lets you know what films have great rhythm... and that's it. No suggestions on how you can being.

He spends a great deal of time talking history, which I enjoyed. Not many books do that. He talks about taking the character's background into consideration when fighting. Wonderful, very few films do that today. However, there is no talk about doing ACTUAL CHOREOGRAPHY. He never explains shooting or editing a fight scene properly (although, he tells many tales of badly shot or edited fights). What I was looking for the most way a way to record choreography (like writing down the moves while choreographing so they can be performed on location later). No such luck.

In summary, if you have never shot a fight scene, this book can begin to help. But if you are already experienced, I suggest renting this book at the library. It's not worth your time (I waited around 2 years for this to come out) or your money.

I purchased this book as part of my preparation for a summer youth camp on martial arts film fight choreography and I was impressed with how comprehensively it covered the topic. It truly addresses the concept of "non-verbal dialogue" showing the importance of how to structure a fight sequence that moves a story along instead of having one of those "and now these guys fight" moments. This book would be of interest to anyone interested in film in general, martial arts or action films in specific, and many of the suggestions are quite valid as well for stage combat and even choreographing demonstrations for a martial arts school. I was also pleased that it was NOT just addressing Asian martial arts but truly fight methods from everything from a classic western to a spy thriller. Well written, well organized, and most importantly, applicable information. (In this case, you can judge the book by the cover: "36 Chambers of Shaolin" is possibly the coolest Kung-fu movie ever!)

The Art of Non-Verbal Dialogue is a perfect title for this book packed with Knowledge. It has almost everything you want to know. It covers what a fight scene should be. Not just a bunch of fancy moves that look cool, but how to turn those moves into a story. You can have all the coolest kicks and punches in the world, but if your fight scenes does not tell us a story, then what good is it.

This book talks about fight scenes like if they were screen plays. You need to have a start, middle and end. The main character has to have a goal. "Get out of the builing". There are people trying to stop him from reaching his goal. "Bad guys" and so on.

If you are interested in creating fight scenes that MAKE SENSE then this book is ideal. It's a pretty long read, but it's worth it.

John Kreng is not only a professional fight choreographer but is also a Hong Kong and Hollywood action cinema expert dedicated to bringing a deeper understanding of the art of fight choreography to the West. I am a Hong Kong cinema enthusiast and online kung fu movie reviewer who wanted to gain a real appreciation for the wonderful fight scenes I had admired for so long. I was ecstatic to finally get the low down on cinematic action through Kreng's book.

Fight Choreography fully analyzes all the dramatic and physical elements of successful, and unsuccessful, fight scenes. Kreng's comparisons and contrasts clearly illustrate differences, and his orderly, explicit writing is simple yet far from shallow. My handicap is that I have not seen many of the Western films that he discusses but because he uses both Eastern and Western film examples, I was able to gain a solid foundation of understanding. The more I analyze Hong Kong action films using Kreng's information, the more valuable I find his book.

Much like a book about sewing will not sew your jacket for you, Fight Choreography will not film a fight scene for you. It will, however, give you all the tools you need to create, analyze, appreciate, or just enjoy the complex non-verbal world of fight choreography. A must-have for Hong Kong action film fans who want to be in the know.

If you know nothing about fight choreography, then this book is an excellent introduction to the whole process of what makes a good fight scene and what must come together and go on behind the scenes for those criteria to be met. Kreng references numerous action movies as examples of the various aspects of fight choreography that he discusses from chapter to chapter which serves to broaden the "applicability" of what he talks about. However, as a long time fan of HK choreography, my one gripe w/ the author is that he doesn't focus as much attention on major innovative choreographers such as Jackie Chan and Yuen Wo Ping as I think he could have. He does mention them and talk to some extent about their styles, but I felt there was so much more he could have covered in depth in relation to their method of envisioning and creating the signature choreography masterpieces that they have become famous for. Also, there were a few specific fight films whose choreography I really would have liked to read about in more detail (e.g. Legend of Drunken Master, SPL, Bourne films -- all of which, except for maybe the first, represent distinct changes in the standard choreography contexts from which they came out of). All in all, however, it is an informative and enjoyable read.
(Note: this review is written by her grandson, to whom this book was given as a Christmas present.)

John Kreng is an expert in action films and in martial arts. He knows fighting, real, faked, and virtual (he also creates video games). Kreng brings this passion to all his activities, and he is a talented and clever writer.

Books of any worth concerning stunt work and choreography are difficult to find as it is and this book is one of the finest I've seen if you are serious about understanding and getting involved in the stunt/fight choreography end of the film business. As someone who has been involved in martial arts for over 30 years, I'm, of course, obsessed with any film concerning martial arts. Mr. Kreng's insight is invaluable whether you are just looking for an insider view of how these films are made or are interested in getting involved in film/stunt industry as a martial artist. I hope we'll see more books of this kind from him in the future.

I am not in the film industry, and I have never choreographed a fight in my life! I am just a fan, a fan of Martial Arts cinema, and martial arts in general(though I am not a practitioner). All that aside I still find John's book fascinating! Don't think you have to know anything about the art of Fight choreography to enjoy this book, its not like alot of resource material where if you are not in the field it will bore you to tears. It is just packed with page after page of great information written by someone who is truly passionate about his craft! And as a fan of the genre I find its a perfect guide to how something I have been enjoying for years and years is actually brought to life. Sure its been shown on countless behind the scenes documentaries, but never has any interview or featurette been so informative. I highly recommend this book to any fan of Martial Arts films, or Martial Arts in general. It really opens your eyes and gives you a whole new appreciation for the kind of work that goes behind even the smallest of on screen battles. And as a bonus it also helps you, as a viewer, see what is being done right on the screen, and who needs to get themself a copy of this book! (This should be manditory read for anyone in Hollywood who even thinks of crafting on an screen fight!)