Stage Combat/ Choreography Lessons??

Hi David, Jeff and others, I'd like to clear up a few inaccuracies and then offer some opinions. Firstly, there is no such thing, to my knowledge, as a National Fight Choreography Agency. I think what Jeff is referring to is the Society of Australian Fight Directors Inc. (SAFDI). Yes, I am a member holding the rank of Fight Director and am the WA Rep for them. We are not an agency and do not offer employment opportunities as such. The "Inc." in the title merely refers to the fact that the Society was incorporated in Queensland when it was formed in 1994 and provides us with a slight difference to our fellow Society in the US - the Society of American Fight Directors, or SAFD. We are actually an association of professional stage combat practitioners (Fight Directors and Stage Combat Instructors) who gain employment on an individual basis from institutions who include Stage Combat as part of their Drama/Acting Training programmes and from the Australian Entertainment Industry at large when fight direction is required. Our members teach at a variety of institutions such as WAAPA, NIDA, QUT, etc., we run training courses and workshops independently and we have choreographed fight scenes for productions of all scales from local amateur theatre to the two most recent Star Wars films. Furthermore, we are a part of the global stage combat community which includes the aforementioned American group, plus others such as the British Academy of Dramatic Combat (where I myself first trained), Fight Directors Canada, New Zealand Stage Combat Society, Nordic Stage Fight Society and others. Through workshops, conferences and regular communication, we keep each other abreast of developments in our art form which then filter through to our students and the performers we work with. Phew! Hope that's all clear. Now, as to courses and the relevant costs associated with them: Jeff, you're view that my courses and others like mine charge 'extortionate' fees is only in the eye of the beholder. The last workshop I ran in July of this year was a one week intensive course (fully seven days) and the full fee was $495. This included everything: tuition, weapons & equipment provision, exam fee and workshop folder containing all the relevant handouts and info. A $50 discount was available to anyone who was a MEAA member/member of the ITA or other Dramatic Society in WA/full-time student/unemployed. I'll leave it to others to judge whether that is extortionate or not, but the nine people who participated (a wonderful mix of individuals from a variety of backgrounds) stated to me that they felt it was excellent value for money. Particularly in light of the fact that a Sydney-based colleague, Kyle Rowling, flew over to teach with me. This meant that there were two teachers for nine students. Without trying to sound too harsh Jeff, from both our personal correspondence earlier this year and other posts of yours on this website, it strikes me that the cost of training (of any sort) seems to be a real issue for you and that somehow, people who offer courses should be charging fees that are next to nothing. I believe that this is a frightfully naive viewpoint and doesn't demonstrate any recognition of the costs associated with getting a workshop such as this off the ground. Venue hire, insurance, tax, photocopying, etc., etc. even tea and biscuits (!) all had to come out of the fees. Of course, Kyle and I got paid a wage for it, but it was a close run thing. It was only a week out from the start of the course that I had enough registrants to go ahead, and Kyle had already booked and paid for his flight... However, I am mindful that not everyone is able, or willing to sign up for such a course. To that end, during 2004 I ran a Monthly Masterclass for a period of four months. These were one-off sessions lasting two hours and concentrated on a specific area of stage combat each session. For these classes, I charged each person the princely sum of $10...hardly extortionate, particularly when compared with, say, a voice teacher who will charge $45 per hour (admittedly for a one-on-one lesson). Anyway, the first month was great, but by the fourth of these things when only three people turned up, I gave up as it simply wasn't worth the time and effort. Despite a cheap fee, fairly central location and putting the word out wherever I could (including this website - Thanks Grant!), people didn't want to know. It would seem as though 'cost' isn't the be all and end all. I am planning to revive this programme though, as many students and performers over the last while have let me know in no uncertain terms that they'd like to have that facility. I also feel passionately about trying to provide performers with the opportunity to receive affordable training. About a week ago I replied to a post in the Billboard section on this very topic and I would refer anyone interested to check out that post, or please contact me directly on: stagecombatperth@yahoo.com.au Ultimately though, I am a professional, and we are largely in the minority when it comes to this website. That's fine, I'm realistic about that. For any sort of training, a professional will always have to charge a fee and perhaps Jeff, this is where I will always disappoint you. Teaching Stage Combat and being a Fight Director on productions is what I do. I have a wife, a child, a mortgage and bills like everyone else. You may not be able to afford my fees, but I cannot afford to subsidise your activities. David, I wish you all the best with your animation project, it does indeed sound interesting. However, I have a question mark with regard to your teaching of Stage Combat and possibly setting up a school. Of course, you can do what you like, but how does your experience and expertise as a martial artist make you a knowledgeable Stage Combat teacher? Martial arts, of any style, are completely different to Stage Combat and it is quite a leap to assume that being a proficient martial artist means that one can teach Stage Combat. An analogy would be that being a good squash player would automatically make one a good tennis player. Sure there are similarities (balls, rackets, a court), but the rest is completely different. On a personal level, I have trained in several styles of both armed and unarmed martial arts, but I would never presume to teach any of them. I'm only qualified to teach Stage Combat. Anyway, I'll sign off for now. Boy, if you've read to the end of this, you sure are brave! Best Wishes for all your projects. Happy Swashbuckling! Andy Fraser Fight Director