GO(ing) PRO: 7 tips for getting great video footage for your Chopshop edit
Here are a couple tips to help you make the most of the precious space on your GoPro memory card, so we can work our magic to compile your adventures into high-quality edits for you to share with your friends.
Portable, durable, versatile, easy to use- the benefits of the personal action camera (think GoPro, Sony action cam, Hitcase) are a-plenty. While they make it incredibly easy to capture your moments of glory, strapping one to your helmet and asking your buddy “is this thing on?!” does not automatically result in an epic edit. Here are a couple tips to help you make the most of the precious space on your memory card, so we can work our magic to compile your adventures into high-quality edits for you to share with your friends.
- Be selective about when you press record.
While we know it’s hard to predict when you’ll make that life-changing powder turn, stomp a huge cliff, or your toddler will do something hilarious. But, pressing record as you take your first sip of coffee in the morning and turning it off when you tuck yourself in at night is a surefire way to kill your filming mojo and fill your hard drive with mundane footage.
Think about the edit you want to create as a highlight reel of your day. Turn your camera on when you drop in and off when you stop- even if it’s multiple times per run or ride. It’s easier to find the glory moments in short clips than sifting through hours of shaky footage of you sideslipping down ice.
2. Test your mounts and check the angle of your camera.
There are endless mounting options for your personal camera. From mounting on your body, on your gear, on your car or on your selfie stick- they all have the potential to capture amazing action.
Testing your mounts and the angle that your camera is pointing is super important. If you strap your camera to your helmet via sticky mount check the angle (Go Pro has a handy iphone app, or you can review your footage later). Try to take note of what works and what doesn’t and repeat what works as often as you can.
3. Get to know your camera’s range.
Remember that helmet cams are usually set on wide angle settings. This allows you to capture a wide frame of view, and works best if you are looking to film action at that is roughly 2–3 meters in front of you.
Subjects way off in the distance will look super tiny so try to keep them within the 2–3 meter bubble and aim the camera at their midsection so you are getting a head to toe shot of them shredding the gnar.
4. Be creative and change things up.
While head cam footage of your tips plowing through perfect virgin pow is cool, mixing up the shots keeps it interesting for your viewers. Follow a buddy with the camera on your head, steady it on a rock or tripod to film them going past you, use a pole mount stuffed into your backpack to get an overhead shot, or use your selfie stick to get a cool angle from the side as you are in motion. It takes a bit of experimenting to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Don’t be afraid to try new things and film from a variety of angles.
5. Charge your batteries!
It’s inevitable that at some point in your GoPro-ing career, your batteries will die right before your big moment of glory. Make sure you recharge your battery every night and consider getting an extra for backup on those epic adventures. On super cold days it is good to keep your batteries some place warm (on your body, or in a pocket with a hand warmer).
6. Consider different accessories.
The more you get into filming, the more you may want to invest in a set of mounts and accessories that can help up your game. If you want to get really fancy; drones, tripods and gimbles can help keep the camera steady and mix up your angles even more.
7. Have fun!
At the end of the day, filming is all a bit of trial and error and the most important thing is that you are out there having fun. Don’t get too caught up in making every shot perfect. The more time you spend doing the things you love- they more luck you will have filming and the more stories you will have to share.
(And that’s where we come in!) Get your Chopshop edit at chopshop.co
