'I choreograph violence'

When you're at dinner parties and civilised house parties, the conversation invariably comes round to a handful of topics. Firstly what you do, secondly how you know the host or hostess, and thirdly where you live in London (and depending on the prevailing age, the property prices there). I normally answer honestly with little imagination, and then hear people tell me much more interesting examples from their own lives. One of the ones I heard on Saturday night, at a very nice cocktail party in the docklands, was a man who said he was a Fight Director. This seemed reasonably plausible, the hostess was an actress. He said he essentially acted as a consultant to directors and filmmakers, to add realism and responsible depiction to violent scenes. He had studied martial arts from an early age, he boxed, he no doubt had some experience fencing and possibly with guns too. We had a chat about the difference between the A-Team, where thousands of rounds never actually hit anyone, grittier films, where every shot fired has a consequence, and Star Wars, where very violent scenes are done in a way so far removed from reality, that there's no real concern that they'll be taken seriously anyway.

Next time I get asked what I do at a party, I'm going to be a fight director.