"Hello? Yes, this is Jackie speaking."
topic of the day 042 & video of the day 038
Jackie Chan: How to do Action Comedy
What? Who?
For forty years, Jackie Chan has been spearheading action comedies with his effective no-nonsense philosophies and with the Western filmmakers failed to adapt to his style again and again, here is Every Frame a Painting to break down his techniques and understand what makes him such a lovable action star.
For forty years, Jackie Chan has been spearheading action comedies with his effective no-nonsense philosophies and with the Western filmmakers failed to adapt to his style again and again, here is Every Frame a Painting to break down his techniques and understand what makes him such a lovable action star.
How? Why?
Rather than combining action sequences with comedy bits, for him, action is comedy. Rather than feeling that the two different scenes are being directed by two different directors with two different styles, Jackie's style shows that the same film-making principles apply whether you want to be funny or as he said, "kick ass!" How he create action that is also funny?
First, he gives himself a disadvantage by being the underdog: whether in elevation, restricted or facing an impending threat, he will always needs to fight his way back to the top. Each action creates logical reaction, and by following that logic, the joke was born and made sense.
By being creative under duress, he uses anything around him to his advantage, the most famous aspect of his particular styles (I wholeheartedly agree!). Take everyday objects that we are familiar with and do something unfamiliar with them i.e. chair, chopsticks and even keyboards, which will make the fight feel organic and grounded, and also provide jokes that won't happen anywhere else.
Third, he likes clarity as in he doesn't do dark scenes but rather in well-lit environment with color coded (and contrasting) bright clothes. Moreover, the clear framing of the action sequences let us see every blow being exchanged between the performers and also setting up where it would led to by subtly guiding the eyes of the viewers. Compared to Hollywood approach, the use of handheld and dolly moves make them rely more on how they can cut around the actors instead of just rely on them to do the choreographs successfully. Having an actor that can do the fights in Jackie Chan is certainly beneficial in portraying realistic scenes when using wide angle lens, having action and reaction in the same frame make it look all that more impressive and most importantly believable.
Why don't more directors do this? Because they do not have the time. Jackie is a perfectionist, willing to do as many takes as necessary to get it right and this approach is supported by the studios in his native land, resulting with all these little, novel scenes littered throughout his works. He didn't have to do it and it would cost them precious time and money but he still did them just because he wanted to, going above and beyond for the audiences and I also respect and admire the most. We only see the perfect, cut version of his fights on the screen, making us believe that he is that good of a fighter but we never know it is all down to patience as there were many mistakes made behind the scenes that he willingly shown in the credits, letting us know just how dedicated he is to the art.
Another vital part that's missing from his works in America is rhythm. The way the shots are performed and subsequently the way they are edited dictate the 'musical rhythm' that he knows is so vital that he is willing to work on set with the performers just to get the perfect timings. He learned the trade from his predecessor, just like the Chinese opera, and he created something that is truly unique by working with his own stunt teams. In USA, the directors and editors didn't understand this timing and eventually ruin it by cutting at every single hit whereby in the filmmakers in Hong Kong hold the shot long enough for the audiences to "feel the rhythm".
Editing holds a special power in giving the shot that extra "oomph!", with him and Sammo Hung use this technique by showing the same action twice with an extra frame to trick the viewer's mind into registering a much more impactful hit. In comparison, the American editing cut out the exact moment or frame of impact, removing the pain aspect of the fight and all that is left is just two individuals performing a choreographed sequence without any of the repercussion.
Speaking of which, unlike a lot of action stars that want to appear invincible, Jackie gets hurt, a lot. It is synonymous with his works, there is always room for a joke among the impressive stunts he's done. Pain humanizes him that no matter how skilled he is, he still gets hurt in end, and he looks like it. His greatest assets is his emotive face that the looks he give is all it takes to sell the joke.
In the end, the real payoff is seeing him fight his way up from the bottom and earning himself a spectacular finish, not because he is a better fighter but rather from just being relentless and not giving up hence a satisfying finale that is both impressive and funny.
First, he gives himself a disadvantage by being the underdog: whether in elevation, restricted or facing an impending threat, he will always needs to fight his way back to the top. Each action creates logical reaction, and by following that logic, the joke was born and made sense.
By being creative under duress, he uses anything around him to his advantage, the most famous aspect of his particular styles (I wholeheartedly agree!). Take everyday objects that we are familiar with and do something unfamiliar with them i.e. chair, chopsticks and even keyboards, which will make the fight feel organic and grounded, and also provide jokes that won't happen anywhere else.
Third, he likes clarity as in he doesn't do dark scenes but rather in well-lit environment with color coded (and contrasting) bright clothes. Moreover, the clear framing of the action sequences let us see every blow being exchanged between the performers and also setting up where it would led to by subtly guiding the eyes of the viewers. Compared to Hollywood approach, the use of handheld and dolly moves make them rely more on how they can cut around the actors instead of just rely on them to do the choreographs successfully. Having an actor that can do the fights in Jackie Chan is certainly beneficial in portraying realistic scenes when using wide angle lens, having action and reaction in the same frame make it look all that more impressive and most importantly believable.
Why don't more directors do this? Because they do not have the time. Jackie is a perfectionist, willing to do as many takes as necessary to get it right and this approach is supported by the studios in his native land, resulting with all these little, novel scenes littered throughout his works. He didn't have to do it and it would cost them precious time and money but he still did them just because he wanted to, going above and beyond for the audiences and I also respect and admire the most. We only see the perfect, cut version of his fights on the screen, making us believe that he is that good of a fighter but we never know it is all down to patience as there were many mistakes made behind the scenes that he willingly shown in the credits, letting us know just how dedicated he is to the art.
Another vital part that's missing from his works in America is rhythm. The way the shots are performed and subsequently the way they are edited dictate the 'musical rhythm' that he knows is so vital that he is willing to work on set with the performers just to get the perfect timings. He learned the trade from his predecessor, just like the Chinese opera, and he created something that is truly unique by working with his own stunt teams. In USA, the directors and editors didn't understand this timing and eventually ruin it by cutting at every single hit whereby in the filmmakers in Hong Kong hold the shot long enough for the audiences to "feel the rhythm".
Editing holds a special power in giving the shot that extra "oomph!", with him and Sammo Hung use this technique by showing the same action twice with an extra frame to trick the viewer's mind into registering a much more impactful hit. In comparison, the American editing cut out the exact moment or frame of impact, removing the pain aspect of the fight and all that is left is just two individuals performing a choreographed sequence without any of the repercussion.
Speaking of which, unlike a lot of action stars that want to appear invincible, Jackie gets hurt, a lot. It is synonymous with his works, there is always room for a joke among the impressive stunts he's done. Pain humanizes him that no matter how skilled he is, he still gets hurt in end, and he looks like it. His greatest assets is his emotive face that the looks he give is all it takes to sell the joke.
In the end, the real payoff is seeing him fight his way up from the bottom and earning himself a spectacular finish, not because he is a better fighter but rather from just being relentless and not giving up hence a satisfying finale that is both impressive and funny.
Then? So?
All in all, his approach and style proves that action and comedy are not all that different, with both genres want to showcase the performers' talents upfront. These actors are skilled artists and some of the best in the world and if the directors and editors could not match their skill level and properly present them for the paying audiences to see in the cinema.
Lesson Learned:
Understanding what makes an effective comedy and action scene would allow you to portray them together successfully is the mantra of Jackie Chan's lifelong approach.source: YouTube, Every Frame a Painting
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