Building the Violence: Choreographing Jacob’s Rage

By Ernie Rivera

When we started planning the fight choreography for Citadel Lost, I had one rule:

It couldn’t look cool.It had to hurt.

Jacob Marcos isn’t a flashy fighter. He’s not balletic, or graceful, or showy. He’s a man who was taught to destroy—and then told to forget what that feels like. So when we crafted his fight scenes, we built them from a place of desperation, not dominance.

Every punch, every slam, every strike of the hammer is emotional before it's physical.Jacob doesn’t fight to win—he fights because it’s the only language his body remembers when he's terrified.And in Citadel Lost, violence isn’t a thrill. It’s a symptom.

Working with our choreographer, I designed sequences that:

• Draw from Jacob’s past training in military close-quarters combat

• Incorporate PTSD-triggered aggression patterns (brief hesitations, overcompensations)

• Reflect a man fighting ghosts, not just enemies

We rehearsed like we were telling a story—because we were.

And behind all of it, I was changing too.I trained. I cut fat. I built muscle. Not just to “look the part,” but to move like him.To earn the pain on screen.To bleed with purpose.

Because that’s what Citadel Lost is:A story told through scars and impact, not slow-motion spectacle.

The teaser will show you glimpses.The short film will reveal the full weight.And in every frame, Jacob will be doing what he was trained to do…While praying it’s not the last thing he ever teaches his son.

— Ernie Rivera