Having seen a few GoPro edits on here over the season I'd thought I'd put our little effort up here. Footage was taken from a trip me and the missus took in early Feb - the resort was pretty empty as you'll see from the vid.
I was hoping to provoke some discussion - as you'll see my gf and I are very easy going skiers so action is pretty tame. Just wondering what kind of shots most people find effective for more modest skiers. We've tried some simple POV shots and found that without someone else as a reference point things get quite dull, hence me and gf tried a few crossing over shots to get a sense of movement. I'd love to see examples of peoples videos for some ideas for next season. What have people done with their GoPro?
Editing wise, we used iMovie which seems to handle things ok albeit the fact that you can't pin certain video clips to certain parts of the music is a little annoying when you want to delete bits of footage midway through your video. I was wondering if anyone can comment on the relative merits of a slightly more capable editing software for someone mucking about just like us.
Any other advice would be welcome
Cheers
Nick
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Nick S welcome to snowheads
Try shooting from a different viewpoint other than just from behind the subject. Skiing past the subject while keeping them in frame looks good too. And shoot from different levels rather than just head height.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Ian Brown soundtrack, that's good enough for me.
How about some rear facing shots like this. Works well when you've got people following you and gives a different perspective. Like this sort of thing:-
Actually, editing and filming wise, I thought it was really good, and well put together.
Personally I don't like most of the fancy angles people get with gopros. On the end of a stick works for a little while, but only in super deep snow or off big kickers, otherwise it's boring. I really don't like uktrailmonster's backwards stuff - maybe for 20 secs of filler and variation, but no more. Mounted on top of a ski can make some cool filler too, but again only around 20 secs or it gets boring.
By far the best way is proper third person footage from a normal camera, although this can be a problem as concentrating properly on filming (as you have to if you want to make a properly good clip) takes a lot away from the skiing experience.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Tiger2, - thanks for the welcome. I like the idea of skiing past the subject and keeping them in shot. I actually tried this on the last day but went about it in a dumb way. I still had the camera on my helmet, I tried to turn my head whilst keeping my eyes facing forwards, needless to say I started drifting all over the place. I think I need a pole mount or something to enable this shot, but I like the idea for sure.
uktrailmonster, hadn't thought about the rear facing, I'll definitely give this a go next time. At first it seemed a little disorientating but as soon as other people were in shot it looked great. This could also solve a problem I faced when filming the subject in front of me - I found that I tried so hard to keep them in shot that it really affected my rhythm and made skiing more difficult. With the subject behind you you can do more of your own thing and both enjoy it a bit more. Cheers!
Nick S, Yes, it's not a very good quality clip on youtube (low res). Looks much better on the original footage with the powder plumb trailing behind. But I agree with clarky999 you need to mix up the various shots to keep the interest up.
The main thing for me is not to let the filming get in the way of the skiing at all - so none of this camera on a stick stuff for me.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I find that in 1080 mode the gopro is quite jerky when skiing, 720p suits movement better when not fixed to an imovable object!
The other view I like is from the chesty mount, gives a different perspective and more going on in the shot. Example from Les Gets this year.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thanks for all the tips - lots of options here!
clarky999, I think next year we'll try some more 3rd person shots with our other camera (Lumix still camera) - we used it a little this year for the odd segway. I can see as the week wears on and the legs get a little more tired the camera will out for some more arty shots.
Chattonmill, I know what you mean about the shakiness - it was a tradeoff for us. We thought that with the 720p mode because of the wide fisheye perspective the subject looks very far away. Switching to 1080p mode brings the subject a lot closer but you get more shake and sometime a jelly look to the video. Your vid is great - you got some serious speed up there yet the footage is stable as anything - did you use stabilisation in your editor if so what is the editor?
Snapzzz, your vid brings back some great memories we were out there the week before you. I know what you mean about that shaky clip, we tried to stabilise it in iMovie but I guess the software just had too much work to do and it looked bad, we therefore took off the stabilisation. It was the last run of the day on a cut up and bumpy piste. Loving the angles in your vid btw - its a great advert for the GoPro's versatility. That shot you get low on the skis, is the camera on the front of the binding or on your boot? Again, what editor do you use for the stabilisation?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Lovely scenery! Haven't been to Flaine for years, I think it's a great resort.
GoPro/video footage really flattens everything out, doesn't it? It makes it look like all you were skiing was green runs when of course that wasn't the case.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
First off it could do with some major colour correction in a lot of the shots, some brilliant intro shots but every shot could have done with some image stabilization, be it a steadicam or some sort of post production editing.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Nick S, No stabilization, the only editing was a couple of bits cut out at the beinning and the end on the Ipad.
The mixture of the Chesty mount and using 720 gives a very stable image.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Nick S wrote:
Snapzzz, your vid brings back some great memories we were out there the week before you. I know what you mean about that shaky clip, we tried to stabilise it in iMovie but I guess the software just had too much work to do and it looked bad, we therefore took off the stabilisation. It was the last run of the day on a cut up and bumpy piste. Loving the angles in your vid btw - its a great advert for the GoPro's versatility. That shot you get low on the skis, is the camera on the front of the binding or on your boot? Again, what editor do you use for the stabilisation?
The low angles were taken by strapping the cam around my ankle, over the top of my sallos and boot. I used the head mount that came with the kit, the elastic straps that you wear if you do not have a helmet mount. As i had no need for it i just butchered it to remove the section that goes over your head and then used the two side pieces to tie it around my leg. I plan on making a better version for next year.
I did all the edit in iMovie and used it's stabilisation and it seemed ok. BUT when i uploaded to you tube i accidentally clicked for their stabilisation too which made the video bit fisheye and wobbly in places.
I loved flaine, a great resort.....apart from the flats off the top of the main lift.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I also thought it looked a bit jerky in 1080P. Makes me wonder whether the full 1080P version is worth buying over the cheaper 720P option. Chattonmill, defo like the chesty mount, gives a much better first person angle than a helmet mount.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
If you chuck it through Youtube, it has got a pretty useful tool for removing the shakiness. But it is very jerky, much more than my Gopro in 1080p - example here. http://youtube.com/v/D0TgrO6jpuw no idea why, but it is much smoother as it plays, nothing fancy done to it other than uploading it and tweaking the light and contrast, and removing the shake with Youtube.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Piccadilly, yeah, the camera does flatten the slopes out, moreso in 720p mode than in 1080p. That being said, most of our shots were only on blues, we found it harder to stay as close on the reds.
mag1882, re the stabilisation - I really should have stabilised the static shots, there isn't too much shake to correct there so iMovie would have done ok. As for the colour correction - I'm more used to editing still photos taken as RAW files. On a RAW file you have so much control of temperature, exposure, contrast etc, I was really surprised by how burnt in the colours were on the video files. We tried a little correction but it was so difficult to getting a good look that in most cases we didint bother. Next time I'll set the white balance settings manually on the camera to get the image sorted from the beggining.
Chattonmill, Great results with no stabilisation! Chesty mount for Xmas I think!
Snapzzz, great Blue Peter job there with the headstrap - I too never used it, I will now! I know what you mean abotu the flats, in the end we only used the DMC to get to Faust on the left or the red run to the right (Mephisto Superieur I think?). For anything else along the top of thebowl we used the new chair (desert blanc?)
uktrailmonster, don't give up on the 1080p version just yet! I think a lot of the jerkiness came from our choice of mounting - we bought the helmet front mount. As the camera is bounced up and down the front mount allows it to pivot a fraction which resulst in all that shake. I think with the chest mount / telly tubby helmet mount the image would be more stable. I like the fact that the 1080p view isn't fisheyed and gets a lot closer to the subject.
Monium, Nice deep powder I'll have to put this through YouTube tonight - I'll post the results tomorrow. I went with Vimeo as it seems to offer an image quality that is a little more faithful to the original but that stabilisation in youtube could be what I'm after.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
we were out there the week before you. I know what you mean about that shaky clip, we tried to stabilise it in iMovie but I guess the software just had too much work to do and it looked bad, we therefore took off the stabilisation. It was the last run of the day on a cut up and bumpy piste. Loving the angles in your vid btw - its a great advert for the GoPro's versatility. That shot you get low on the skis, is the camera on the front of the binding or on your boot? Again, what editor do you use for the stabilisation?
I'll have to put this through YouTube tonight - I'll post the results tomorrow. I went with Vimeo as it seems to offer an image quality that is a little more faithful to the original but that stabilisation in youtube could be what I'm after.