Chop Socky

1. Chop Socky Alyssa Aguilos, Jonathan Onglacto, Ronald Ouyang Film Studies P1

2. What is Chopsocky? • The name is a spinoff from the name of a Chinese dish called Chopsuey. • “Chop” as a martial arts move, and ”sock” as in hitting somebody. • There are two types of Chopsocky: -Wu Xia -Yannang

3. What is Chopsocky? (cont.) • Inspired by the Shaolin Monks (the monks did not film any movie) • People were fascinated with their kung fu and their code, which is why people began to make these films. • The first films were made in Shanghai in the 1920's. • In the beginning, Chopsocky films were more serious, but when people like Jackie Chan came in, they became comedic through their Chinese Opera style .

4. What is Chopsocky? (cont.) • Bruce Lee made Chopsocky popular in the West, due to his amazing fighting style. • He opened the way for people like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh and any other Asian actors who wanted to have a job in Hollywood. • Bruce Lee also opened the way for white and black people to be in Chopsocky, such as Chuck Norris and Kareem Abdul-Jabar.  • Notable people today: Jason Statham and Chris Tucker

5. Wu Xia Chopsocky • Characterized by the honorable hero • Focuses more on the storyline rather than the violence of the movie • Usually has the hero go through incredible hardship • Some movie examples: • Jet Li's Tai Chi Master, Curse of the Golden Flower, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and House of Flying Daggers. To name a few.

6. YanangChopsocky • The more violent side of Chopsocky • Focuses more on the fight scenes rather than the story • Tend to have a lot of gore. • The hero is usually more selfish in this type of Chopsocky and tends to only care about himself. • Most Bruce Lee movies tend to be considered Yannang Chopsocky • Mortal Kombat would be considered a Yannang Chopsocky

7. Iconography • The hero in a Chop Socky has super-human abilities. • “Palm power” - ability of the hero to move stuff around in the air. • Hero can take a lot of punishment and jump really long distances.

8. Iconography • Chinese culture is really prominent in Chop Socky films. • Red color is very common. It is a symbol for luck and power in the Chinese culture • Older weaponry is used: staffs, swords, etc. Also the lesser known “flying guillotine” • A lot of dragons which represents power and pride 

9. Setting • Usually in ancient China or Japan. • In modern chopsocky films, it can be set in modern times.

10. Plot Devices • The hero trains for revenge. • Foreigners are unwelcome to the Chinese. • Characters have heroic deaths. • Betrayals, hunger for power, wanting of love causing a corruption.

11. Character Types • Chivalrous hero, uninterested in worldly reward, representing the goodness of human nature. • Fighters with respect only for their own fighting skills. • Age matters. Older = better. • Blind or disabled masters who can no longer fight, instead teach the younger generation. • Many good characters are poor, and evil are rich • Recently, introduction of non-asian stars. • Comedy fighters such as Jackie Chan.

12. Character Types (cont.) • The people who are good are usually offered riches in return for service (usually to an evil emperor) but the good person often refuse • Examples: Tai Chi Master (starring Jet Li). Jet Li's character Jun Bao, is offered by his friend TienBao, wealth and power as long as Jun offers his service to the government, but Jun refuses and becomes a rebel, which helps him become a master. • The fighting style of the actor, in the movie (if they know how to do kung fu in real life) tends to define the actor. • Ex: Ip Man series, Donnie Yen is known for Wing Chun because of Ip Man. 

13. Fighting Scenes: What's different? What makes Chopsocky action different?: • *Their abilities tend to be exaggerated (i.e impossible jumps, incredible flips, unnaturally quick movements) • *The fighting styles in Chopsocky tend not to be regular fighting styles like boxing or kickboxing. The fighting styles are normally Wing Chun, Jitkundo, Karate, and any other Asian fighting style. • *Preparation takes a long time during the fight. Adds dramatic effect.

14. Notable Chop Socky Actors Bruce Lee: The most famous and notable actor in Chopsocky. Bruce Lee is responsible for getting Chopsocky more exposed in the Western hemisphere as well as paving the way for other notable Chopsocky actors, such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Bruce Lee electrified audiences because of the speed of his amazing speed. Bruce Lee would fall under the Yannang philosophy due to most of his movies focusing on fight scenes and his very brash and arrogant demeanor in the movies  *Fun Tip: Bruce Lee was constantly told by directors to slow down during fight scenes because the camera was not able to record his movements when he was going full speed. *Style: Jitkundo

15. Notable Chop Socky Actors Jackie Chan: Made his name in "Drunken Master," Chan brought a whole new look to the Chopsocky genre. Chan, who originated as a Chinese opera star, brought comedy into the Chopsocky genre. Prior to him, most movies were very serious and focused on revenge or protecting the people or both. Now, humor could be added to any of these stories, which he shows through the Rush Hour series. Style: No specific fighting style, it is doubtful he knows kung fu in real life, but he featured the drunken style in his movie "Drunken Master."

16. Notable Chop Socky Actors Donnie Yen: A famous actor turned choreographer, he is known for the "Ip Man" series as well as choreographing some notable movies, such as "Fist of Legend: The Return of Chen Zhen." Yen is considered Hong Kong's top action star and went on to be in movies with Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Michelle Yeoh. Some notable Hollywood movies Yen starred in are: Hero and Shanghai Knights. Style: Wing Chun 

17. Changes in Conventions • Chop Socky Films were known for their Operatic fight scenes. However this fightng style was very unrealistic. • In 1969, the movie “Come Drink with Me” changed the fighting style to cleaner, more beautiful fighting. • Focus shifted from Philosophy and Psychology to Violence • Jeet kun do- introduced by Bruce Lee. He introduced one-hit kills, and the use of parries lessened

18. Changes in Conventions • Gentlemanly hero to Fighter with respect for only his own skills • Jackie Chan brought the Comedic approach to the movie screen

19. Emotional Effect • Intense Fight Scenes- Excitement • Loss of friend/family- Sadness • Main Antagonist- Anger

20.  Special Effects: Then and Now Flying • Actors would jump OFF of an object, and in editing, the shot would be reversed to make the actor fly ON to the object • Wiring Palm Power • Before the development of CGI, flying weapons were painted directly onto the film negatives Slow-motion • Undercranking

21. Cinematic Techniques • Camera angles change constantly to make the fighting more realistic • Film entire fight sequences over and over to obtain several different angles. Later, the editor of the film would switch up the shots • “Editing in the camera” technique

22. Cinematic Techniques • Slow Motion • Canted shots • Quick zoom-in or Quick zoom-out emphasis shots • Music tends to be very Dramatic. Usually Orchestra sound

23. Video clips • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTsKEgUJyUQ • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqzQ2qrtBeg • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6abecTih3Xw • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOc5mDUKjZw • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRsVI9mDZRk

24. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon *The meaning of the title is linked with the characters and is easier to see if people can read the Chinese character version of the title *Jen (Zhang Ziyi) has the word "dragon" in her name and it represents her well because the dragon represents power and arrogance. People born under the sign of the dragon are known to be stubborn, but it is that stubbornness that makes them great, as we see in the film. 

25. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon *The bamboo fight, according to one of our articles, represents Jen's true form coming out. Throughout the whole movie, she was putting up multiple façades and in this fight scene we see who she truly is, a young, naive person looking for a purpose. *The bamboo scene also showed the feelings that Jen had toward Li. Li cared for her, but his duty was to be a warrior and he could not have her as just a friend, but a student. Jen wanted to be his friend and because he did not want that, Li threw the sword 

26. Works Cited • http://csc.ziyi.org/filmography/cthd/titlemeaning.html • http://www.chikung.org.tw/etxt/20010222-1.htm

27. 80s to Now

28. 80s to Now: 80s • In the 80s, there was a rise of 'macho America' in response to the end of the Vietnam War and the hostage crisis in Iran. • There was the rise of action stars. • Mel Gibson • Arnold Schwarzenegger • Chuck Norris • Arms race with the Soviet Russia causes sci-fi films resurgence. • -ET • -Tron

29. 80s to Now: 80s • Big-budget blockbusters became common. But not all of them would be box office successes. • Studios lost a lot of money. Many people in the industry predicted that Hollywood would soon be in demise. • Many American studios were bought by multinational or foreign companies. • Foreign directors or art influence.

30. 80s to Now: 80s • VCR's and cable TV were introduced, allowing home-based watching of movies for the first time. • Helped to kill small theaters or drive-in movie places. • A lot of suspicion about piracy and videotape sharing made the studios worried that they would lose a lot of revenue. In fact, the extra money from selling videos soon completely eclipsed the money from box office tickets.

31. 80s to Now: 80s • Series films. • Studios made lots of sequels, to milk as much money they could out of the franchise. • Star Wars, Indiana Jones • Low quality compared with the originals.

32. 80s to Now: 80s • “MTV Generation” causes a rise in dumbed-down films. • Sex comedies aimed at a teen audience. • There was an increase in violence. • Introduction of the PG-13 rating by the MPAA.

33. 80s to Now: 80s • Feminism and women's increasing equality allowed for new family types in drama and comedy films. • Stay at home dad • Single mom • Neo-noir femme fatales

34. 80s to Now: 90s • After the decline in the 80s, movie studios returned to profitability. • It allowed for an epidemic of highly paid stars who had a lot of control over their movies. • Introduction of DVD was more convenient than VHS. More people bought them, and it gave the studios more profit.

35. 80s to Now: 90s • Digital revolution had improvement of sound, CGI and the first completely CGI movie (Toy Story) which was a new genre • Disney renaissance of animated films. • Lion King • A Bug's Life • (helped to restore musicals to popularity.)

36. 80s to Now: 90s • Big budget films were popular again • Titanic • Independence Day • Jurassic Park • new NC-17 rating • adult films

37. 80s to Now: 90s • Surprise endings • Neo Noir • The Usual Suspects • Fight Club

38. 80s to Now: 00s • New technology innovations. • First films were shot without film. • They invented video on demand, and more people watched movies at home than before. • Internet-based viral marketing. 

39. 80s to Now: 00s • 9-11 and Afghanistan and Iraq caused a rise in desert war films • Torture • Dirty war  • There was a lot of government suspicion. • Documentaries and investigation films. • Controversy over 9/11 and environment.

40. 80s to Now: 00s • Rise of “chick flicks”. Twilight. • Indie and cult successes • 3D was a hyped fad again.