Jackie Chan on why american action comedies suck

[DetlefK]

https://vimeo.com/113439313

1. The hero has to be the underdog and work his way up in logical events.

2. Incorporate the environment and the objects around into the fight.

3. If the actor knows how to fight, the camera shows the whole place, guiding the viewer through the scene. If the place is badly lit, if the camera changes angle during a punch, if the camera shakes, then this is done to obscure that the actor doesn't know how to fight. (Looking at you, Liam Neeson...)

4. Action and reaction have to be in the same shot.

5. Impressive improbable action needs lots of shots to get it right. American studios don't like that because time is money.

6. Fight scenes need rhythm and timing and the right editing. The audience can't tell that it's there but it definitely can tell when it's NOT there. American directors break the rhythm by rapidly switching points-of-view.

7. American directors edit punches in a way that leaves out the moment of impact. Jackie Chan edited the punches to slightly overlap, giving the viewer a few fractions of a second to realize that he's looking at the same scene from a different direction. And he emphasized that this makes the punch look harder.

8. Show that your hero isn't invincible but clearly capable of pain. This will humanize him to the audience and provide opportunities for comedy.

9. The hero should win because of his tenacity, not because of some big explosion blowing away the villain.

[longship]

1. A happy R&K He's correct. nt