iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Wire Fu

Wire fu is an element of Hong Kong action cinema, exemplified by the work of Tsui Hark, Yuen Wo-Ping, and Jet Li, that has been appropriated by Hollywood.[1] It involves the use of wire-work (the name being a combination of "wire work" and "kung fu") to perform qing gong stunts.

Almost all modern wuxia movies fall in this category. However, not all martial arts films used wire work.

In practice

The basic concept is not very complex, and originates in the mechanical effects of stagecraft. The most common, Western example being the "flying angel cliche" of elementary school or church play.

Planning and persistence is important, as it often takes many takes to accomplish the stunt, let alone making it look just right.

The batteries beneath the cape

Typically a harness is hidden under a costume, and a cable and pulley system is attached to the harness. When live sets are used, wire removal is done in post production. Another technique of creating wire fu is by using a green screen. This is done for more complex stunts and camera angles. The actors are suspended in the air by green wires. Then special effects are added to the scene such as the location.

One of the more famous uses of wire fu was in the film The Matrix. Possibly the most famous scene in it is when Agent Smith and Neo leap into the air and are suspended, with weapons firing at each other. The scene was done with the green screen technique and bullet time, though many scenes in the movie were done completely on set without need for green screens. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon the characters can almost fly, vaulting into the air with ease. This was spoofed in a Pepsi commercial when the characters fly off the rooftops and battle for a can of Pepsi.

References

1. ^ Shohini Chaudhuri (2005). Contemporary World Cinema: Europe, the Middle East, East Asia and South Asia. Edinburgh University Press, 125. ISBN 074861799X. 

See also

Examples of wire fu movies

Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action movie, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a
..... Click the link for more information.
Tsui Hark (Chinese: ; Pinyin: Xú Kè; Wade-Giles: Hsü K'o) (born Tsui Man-kong (徐文光) on February 15, 1950) is a New Wave film director in Hong Kong who is also a highly
..... Click the link for more information.
Yuen Woo-ping

Yuen Woo-ping on the set of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Born 1945
Guangzhou, China

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Yuen.

..... Click the link for more information.
Jet Li
李连?

Birth name Traditional:
Simplified:
Hanyu Pinyin: Lǐ Liánjié
Wade-Giles: Li Lien-chieh
Cantonese: Lei5 Lin4 Git6
Born March 26 1963
..... Click the link for more information.
Hollywood is a district in Los Angeles, California, situated west-northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word "Hollywood" is often used as a metonym for the Cinema of the United States.
..... Click the link for more information.
Chinese martial arts

List of Chinese martial arts
Terms
  • Kung fu
  • Wushu
  • San Soo
Historical places
  • Shaolin Temple
  • Wudang Mountains
Historical people
  • Bodhidharma
  • Dong Haichuan
  • Huo Yuanjia

..... Click the link for more information.
This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.
This article has been tagged since September 2007.

..... Click the link for more information.
Chinese martial arts

List of Chinese martial arts
Terms
  • Kung fu
  • Wushu
  • San Soo
Historical places
  • Shaolin Temple
  • Wudang Mountains
Historical people
  • Bodhidharma
  • Dong Haichuan
  • Huo Yuanjia

..... Click the link for more information.
Martial arts film is a film genre that originated in the Pacific Rim. This genre is a type of action film characterized by extensive fighting scenes employing various types of martial arts.
..... Click the link for more information.
Stagecraft is a generic term referring to the technical aspects of theatrical, film, and video production. It includes, but is not limited to, constructing and rigging scenery, hanging and focusing of lighting, design and procurement of costumes, makeup, and recording and mixing of
..... Click the link for more information.
angel (Lat. angelus, pl. angeli) is a supernatural being found in many religions. In Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, angels, as attendants or guardians to man, typically act as messengers from God.
..... Click the link for more information.
A cliché (from French, klɪ'ʃe) is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful
..... Click the link for more information.
play or stageplay, written by a playwright, or dramatist, is a form of literature, almost always consisting of dialogue between characters, intended for performance rather than reading.
..... Click the link for more information.
For the Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein documentary, see "The Take."

A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production.
..... Click the link for more information.
A climbing harness is a piece of equipment used in certain types of rock-climbing, abseiling or other activities requiring the use of ropes to provide access and/or safety (eg industrial rope access, working at heights, etc.).
..... Click the link for more information.
pulley (also called a sheave or block) is a wheel with a groove between two flanges around its circumference. The groove normally locates a rope, cable or belt. Pulleys are used to change the direction of an applied force, transmit rotational motion, or realize a mechanical
..... Click the link for more information.
Wire removal is a visual effects technique used to remove wires in films, usually to simulate flying in actors or miniatures.

Wire removal can be partly automated through various forms of keying, or each frame can be edited manually.
..... Click the link for more information.
Post-production occurs in the making of audio recordings, films/movies, photography and digital art, videos and television programs. It is the general term for all stages of production occurring after the actual recording and ending with the completed work.
..... Click the link for more information.
The camera angle marks the specific location at which a camera is placed to take a shot. A scene may be shot from several camera angles.

Psychological effects

Where the camera is placed in relation to the subject greatly affects the way the viewer perceives that subject.
..... Click the link for more information.
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving.
..... Click the link for more information.
This article may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.
This article has been tagged since October 2007.

..... Click the link for more information.
Neo (alias Thomas A. Anderson) is a fictional character in the Matrix trilogy: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions. He was played by Keanu Reeves in all three films.
..... Click the link for more information.
Bullet time (or bullet-time) is a computer enhanced simulation of variable speed (ie. slow motion, time lapse, other) photography used in recent films, broadcast advertisements and computer games.
..... Click the link for more information.
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Traditional Chinese: 臥虎藏龍; Simplified Chinese:
..... Click the link for more information.
This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims.
Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the for details.
This article has been tagged since September 2007.

..... Click the link for more information.
IMDb profile
Sister Street Fighter is a spin off of The Street Fighter (1974). The plot revolves around Tina Long, the female martial artist of the title. When her brother Lee is kidnapped by druglords, she seeks revenge.
..... Click the link for more information.
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving.
..... Click the link for more information.
IMDb profile
Charlie's Angels (2000) is an action/comedy feature film based on (and something of a sequel to) the 1970s television series Charlie's Angels.
..... Click the link for more information.
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Traditional Chinese: 臥虎藏龍; Simplified Chinese:
..... Click the link for more information.
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Hero (Chinese: 英雄; Pinyin: Yīngxióng) is a Chinese wuxia film, directed by Zhang Yimou with music by Tan Dun.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter