How 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Animated Its Realistic Fight Scenes | Movies Insider

When the creators of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" decided that they wanted to have accurate martial arts in their show, they needed to find a martial arts choreographer and stunt performer. They would film the stunt actor performing martial arts movements, which the animators could then use as reference footage. The person that they ended up picking was Sifu Kisu, an all-in-one master martial artist and fight choreographer. Kisu worked alongside the directors to create the intricate martial arts movements for each character. Director Giancarlo Volpe said that having a stunt performer working on the show ended up saving time overall because it reduced the time spent drawing character movements.

The stunt performances were often filmed at very precise camera angles to make it easier for storyboard artists and animators to draw the actors accurately. Having reference footage was especially helpful for the animation team in Korea that handled the final steps of the animation process and had to draw every frame of movement.

While having reference footage is ideal, sometimes it was impossible to capture accurate live-action reference footage — mostly because the characters possess magical powers. In these situations, reference footage was still used, but the action had to be split up into several chunks and then edited together.

This technique worked so well in "Avatar" that Kisu also worked on Nickelodeon's sequel to the show, "The Legend of Korra."

Thank you to Sifu Kisu and Giancarlo Volpe for speaking with us.
Check out more of their work here:

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How 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Animated Its Realistic Fight Scenes | Movies Insider

[martincipres]

Almost twenty years later and we’re still talking about how amazing Avatar is.

[geethakarthikeyan]

The level of detailing in the show, shows how much passion and dedication the creators had. NO WONDER ITS SUCH A MASTERPIECE.

[andrewgarfield]

Everyone who worked on this show is honestly amazing for giving us the greatest show of all time

[andrewgotlost]

The Agni Kai between Zuko and Azula still gives me goosebumps. Most emotional fight scene ive ever seen.

[Myhalamanz]

No wonder their fight sequences were so beautiful. They're like a dance choreography. So enticing.

[alfredotohonan]

okay, got it

gonna rewatch the last airbender again

[EChacon]

Anything involving how the fight sequences in Avatar The Last Airbender were done always makes me curious and excites me.

[JadeMythriil]

The martial art movements in Avatar is what made the elemental bending so much more alive. Like its an actual skill you practice not just something you just learn to do. It also makes each element impact more strongly because you can see the effort each bender makes and that translate to the power of the bending.

[Nightwatcher]

In conclusion, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a masterpiece.

[Forsythe-]

Everyone else: Tight Martial arts movements and fierce concentration
Aang: BREAKDANCE

[Michelle-xxye]

They need a series on the behind the scene because I'm falling in love all over again

[KyojiMizusenpai]

2021 I just realized Piandao who taught Zuko and Sokka is designed after Sifu Kisu.

[sargeamigo]

I love hearing 0:36 “that would be dope” because it feels so chill and casual like they’re in their garage just goofing around while also making my favorite animated show

[dheei]

5:22
Korra: Charismatic run
Reference actor: *WEEEE~*

[tumbke]

Oh man i really wish any kind of live action “remake” put as much thought into their scenes as the original did. They think so low of animation and yet they do so much more.

[redyantedjo]

Avatar the last airbender is the best animation ever.

[zhenthewei]

It's hard to believe that almost 20 years now, the animations still look so good

[Boketto]

This is the coolest thing about Avatar. The fight scenes were real and the movements were taken from actual martial arts. I could watch Avatar fights whole day.

[ienjoy]

Tbh one thing I really like in the medium of animation is how a well choreographed hand to hand combat is translated. It can bounce pass the impossibility while being so real

[sammydreams]

This is the content I live for!!! Avatar really changed the game!! As a kid who’s passionate about martial arts, I LOVED watching this show and felt represented as an Asian American. I’m really happy so many ppl no matter what background can bond together over this. I still love watching this show and recommend it to my friends even as an adult. 🥰