Carter Ferguson : Fight Director : Scotland : UK

Fight Direction

Pro Practice

Fight Notation

Insurance

"Eric the Red" - surface rust

In my LINKS and ARMOURIES sections I have listed several companies and individuals that will supply, rent or sell weapons for production in the UK. Be aware that there are many, many other companies hiring weaponry and that I list only those based in Scotland.

Weapon Hire

FIREARMS

The hire of firearms is only possible as described in my RULES & REGULATIONS section. Before hiring a firearm, consider these points. e.g. period of use, will it be required to fire, do I require a holster, should I use a theatrical firearm or an actual firearm, will the gun shots be required "live" or can we add them in post production? etc.

OTHER WEAPONS

There are several potential pit falls when considering the hire of a sword or knife, or staff etc. The most common problem relates to the hire of swords. Swords which are required to be used in theatrical combat must be of fighting quality.

A bad sword will do one of four things.

1. It will bend when it makes contact with another blade.

2. It will snap when it makes contact with another blade.

3. It will shatter when it makes contact with another blade.

4. It will chip or serrate when it makes contact with another blade.

Number 4 is perhaps the worst offender on this list as it can turn the weapon into a very dangerous thing indeed, almost like a saw. Fighting quality weapons are designed to be friendly. Yes, in the wrong hands they can be very dangerous things but when used in combat they should be strong enough to take a parry without appearing on the offenders list above.

Other things to consider when hiring a weapon are the period of use, the style of the piece, do I require scabbards, what exactly will this weapon be used for, is there textual evidence about the weapon, is it worth buying the weapon, how much time do I require it for, should I hire a "spare" in case of a break? etc. Do not be afraid to ask any questions of the supplier!

Weapon Care

Insure that you have personal and public liability cover at least before engaging in contracts. If you are a member of the British Actor's Equity Union you are covered for personal and public liability in their standard cover whilst directing fights. Please note that this is whether you are on Equity's fight register or not. Our problems arise when the fight is completed and the production is running.

Whilst you're there you are covered but the when you have completed the fight action it becomes part of the play and is covered by the theatre companies production insurance. You have no way of guaranteeing that the fight will remain unchanged and lets face it, it rarely will remain exactly as you left it.

The problem issue I mention above is this situation;
There is an accident in the fight, the theatre company claim on their insurance, the insurance company in turn blame you and whether your fault or not you are left with a legal battle.

Only if you had professional indemnity insurance could you cover this expense and the cost always has been prohibitive. No fight director has this cover, no stunt person either, and the situation has not arisen, as far as I can tell. But be aware of this possibility and don't get yourself in a position where you sign away responsibility. Never sign anything that says you will remain responsible for the actions of those doing the fight when on tour or in a run. As fight directors you should know that the minute you leave the fight will be altered and seeing a fight you've directed even a week down the line can be a frightening experience.

Cover yourself by stating that the fight must remain unaltered while in production, and insuring that you have sufficient time in rehearsal to allow the actors to truly own and understand the fight and it's dangers. If changes are required they should be done under your direction, at the cost of the company. One possibility I'm also looking into as an alternative is product liability insurance, which will cover the product - in this case the fight you have created would be the product.