Screenwriting : Fight scene by Ann Burr

Read screenplays by Walter Hill and Shane Black. You need all of the important details of the fight scene and none of the unimportant ones.... and a fight scene is a story scene and a character scene so those moments are important. I have a whole book on this, so condensing it to a brief answer is difficult. One thing: You can't just type "They fight" because that means the fight scene is not a story scene and doesn't belong in your screenplay.

Also Google Tony Gilroy's BOURNE IDENTITY scripts.

Check out the section on ACTION STACKING in THE SCREENWRITER'S BIBLE.

I don't leave anything up to anyone. I focus on well told, well written stories that stand on their own. Well told means evoking emotion. Does your fight scene evoke emotion? Is your fight scene entertaining to read?

Thank you Leon. Silverado is full of great scenes. I'm reading it now per your suggestion. Very detailed.perfect. I wasn't sure how far in detail I should go. Wasn't sure if it was more for the choreographer to do that, but I guess they need a lead also.

Hello. On a similar note, can anyone suggest an example of a script with a detailed chase scene?

Leon/Shawn - So when writing your fight/action scenes, do you try to stick to no more then 4 lines of action at a time? I know this isn't always possible. The goal is to make your script easy to read yet compelling to read. If there is a big page of action will that throw off the reader or potential producer? Love to hear your thoughts on this.

Hello, Erica! Check out ACTION STACKING in THE SCREENWRTIER'S BIBLE. Or check out the first page of KINGSTOWN as an example. This page includes action stacking and fits the specifications for the current spec market in the US. https://www.stage32.com/sites/stage32.com/files/assets/screenplay/185490...

I will. Thank you.

Eric try to stick to 2-3 lines at a time. I've written a ton of action scenes and very rarely do I end up with 4 lines of action. But there are no strict rules on the subject, so try out different styles and get people to read them. If they don't mention anything about it, you've got yourself a winner.

Or read the opening sequence of "Absolute Power" great example as a starting point, although the master of fight scenes is Quentin Tarantino, "Kill Bill" wow.

The big thing I've learned is it needs to read at the same pace as the action.

And paragraph depth should be pretty low down your list of concerns.