Vacation Filming Advice

[Scott Francis]

What TYPE of footage are you shooting? Depending on what you are shooting will help us help you with ideas and such. The list of places really doesn’t tell us what is there that will be filmed…

Thanks

Xavier (Scott) Francis
Mind’s Eye Audio/Video Productions

[Kell Hymer]

Thanks for the reply. Ok, so I will be filming various things such as scenery, inside and outside of the ancient Cambodian Angkor temples, the street markets and sights in Ho Chi Minh City (day and night), and from a boat in Ha Long bay. I will also snorkel in Ha Long and will get some underwater footage. I just don’t want everything to be POV and typical vacation footage where I follow everyone around and give a monologue about where we are and what we are doing. I want the filming to tell the story so to speak. For example, I have seen where someone places a camera at ground level and films just people feet as they walk by or simply filming the street signs or street lights changing. These otherwise boring shots break up the footage and make it more interesting when added to the film to break up scenes. These are the kind of tips and tricks I am looking for or anything else that would add variance to the video to keep it interesting.

[Orlando Diaz]

What your wanting to accomplish is much the same for myself. Though I’ve learned a lot of the technical side of video and post editing, my cinematic prowess is lacking.
I try to watch lots of videos made by others to get ideas but they don’t always translate correctly when I attempt them myself. In many was it’s simply a talent but one that I fell can be learned to an extant through lots of practice and experimentation.

I started filming underwater when scuba diving and now I’m beginning to turn it to top side as well. A fellow diver who does the same starting producing some very good vacation videos while on his trips. He stated that what made a big impact on his style of filming was a book called “How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck”. He uses a GoPro and came up with some really cool, entertaining stuff.

I’ve been meaning to give this book a read myself. It couldn’t hurt.

Edit: I just bought it for my tablet so here I go.

[Kell Hymer]

Thanks! I am looking the book up now.

Update: just bought the book and it seems like a great practical guide. So far it has quantified the things that keeps a video interesting that would otherwise be hard to pick up on just by watching films/TV.

[Nigel O’neill]

[Orlando Diaz] “I try to watch lots of videos made by others to get ideas”

Kell, that’s pretty much what I do. I watch what others do, plus watch documentaries. You will notice that in addition to the usual set shots, they do a lot of cutaway shots, close ups, dutch angles, pans and wide shots to introduce variety. They don’t need to be super long, but you do need to hold the shot for at least 5 seconds to be useful in the edit. I was also video the signage, plaques, arch ways and things that identify the location. If sound is going to be important to you, make sure you have a decent mic with some sort of dead cat to block out wind noise.

If there is a travelling companion who is taking still shots, you can also integrate them into your edit.

My system specs: Intel i7 970, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 12 (x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6

[Kell Hymer]

Awesome info Nigel. Thank you! I am googling some of these shots now to learn about them. Unfortunately I am going to have to stick with the GoPro audio as I have no audio gear yet. I may buy a mic after the trip and do a number of test videos to learn to be proficient using the GoPro and mic quickly and effectively.

[Nigel O’neill]

Other handy hints:

Take a small bean bag with you to place the camera on for shooting when you are in a moving vehicle or perhaps even when you are walking. The bag absorbs small bumps and shakes.

A mini tripod or gorilla pod might be handy to have around for those shots where you want to use a tripod but don’t want to carry around too much equipment. You even set it up so that you are in the shot occasionally :-).

I would experiment with these before the trip.

My system specs: Intel i7 970, 12GB RAM, ASUS P6T, Vegas Pro 12 (x64), Windows 7 x64 Ultimate, Vegas Production Assistant 1.0, VASST Ultimate S Pro 4.1, Neat Video Pro 2.6

[Scott Francis]

There are a large number of mounts that GOPRO has that can REALLY add to your creativity as well. I purchased a ton on EBAY in several packs that are really cool.
I find POV view can me cool, also setting up the camera at various angles that are not common POV for people to see from. Waist height, on the ground, dutch angles from in a tree limb crook. If you are going places that have low walls, or big enough holes in a wall with rock or something, putting the GP in there may be cool. Also, if if get the clip mount, you can attach it to about anything that is 1.5″ or thinner, which could be a tree branch or table, etc.

Gopros are really good for that, however they have like NO DOF and the fisheye view can be odd at times. I would be sure to use the WIFI app which can help you to get a view of what you are shooting from your smartphone. Also take a TON of batteries and a portable charger too with the proper electrical connections for the country you will be in.

As those above have mentioned, WATCH, WATCH WATCH to get ideas, and use your creativity!!!

Have a great trip!

Best

Xavier (Scott) Francis
Mind’s Eye Audio/Video Productions

[Kell Hymer]

Thanks All for the advice! I have bought a number of accessories so I should be able to mount the GoPro almost anywhere. I have 5 batteries, 4X 64GB memory cards (Sandisk Extreme Plus and Lexar 633x). I am even bringing a battery pack to charge on the go. I have found that Vegas can remove the fisheye effect without a problem. I am just debating if I will film in 1080p or higher resolution. The higher res will allow me to stabilize shaky video in post at the expense of storage space.

Current System: Intel i7 3820 | Asus P9X79 Deluxe | Nvidia Quadro 4000 & 2000 | OCZ Revo 480 GB PCI Express SSD | Windows 7 64 bit | Vegas Pro 12 (64)