Kiteboarding California at DVinfo.net

Mike Gorski · April 8th, 2011, 07:22 PM

Thought I would share a small edit that I put together for my buddy and his local kite club. I'm getting into kiting myself but enjoy shooting the sport since you can ride anywhere there is wind and water. As for the video its roughly 2 minutes shot in 720 30P on a consumer Sony NEX-3. I demoed the cam and just bought a Panasonic HMC40 and really loving the overall quality of the Panasonic for the price point.

Interested in all feedback. Thanks.

Sverker Hahn · April 13th, 2011, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Gorski

Interested in all feedback.

Do you want people to get inspired to go kiteboarding with this?

Blurry footage, half-second-clips, ear crushing sounds, strange vignetting.

If you made it sharp, with long clips and the sound of the ocean, even I could be inspired.

But now - never ...

Phil Sobolev · April 14th, 2011, 02:31 AM

Ok - so maybe the Swede was a tad harsh. But he's got a valid point. Most folks I know (whether they kite or not) don't want to watch a few intermediate level riders trying basic tricks with bad form and crashing on most. Comes off like just another home movie on youtube that looks like it was cut in imovie.

Kiting skills aside, the shots did seem pretty out of focus and there was too much repetitive action from the same angles (i.e. the water angle seemed like 10 shots from the same spot and all in a row). There also seemed to be a ton of shots from super far away. Wide shots that include both the kite and rider usually only work during big mega loops so you can fully appreciate the height and distance traveled during the yank. Also to determine if the rider got above the kite. Or if crazy English guys are clearing the Brighton Pier YouTube - Kitesurfer Jumps Brighton Pier - Lewis Crathern Kitesurfing Stunt. In general, you want to try and mix it up a bit more. Variety is key. Different angles, different conditions, different times of day, different spots, etc. The guys were probably stoked to see themselves on camera and if the point was just to promote the club and help your friend, then all good there. But maybe get some more rider shots and even guys hanging in the parking lot, on the beach rigging, interacting, etc. Just to show a bit more personality of club members.

Lastly, try not to include shots where the rider clearly botched a landing but it gets cut a frame too late to claim anything else. Bit of no no in the action sports world. Better off either showing it as the crash it was or better yet, just drop it from the edit completely. Only A-grade stuff should make the cut. This is generally why it takes weeks of shooting to get a 30 second teaser. And sometimes, not even that. Keep it up though. Practice make perfect right?

Mike Gorski · April 14th, 2011, 03:00 PM

Sverker I appreciate you even posting, I know a lot of people look and regardless of a thought don't reply so thanks. Not trying to inspire but too bad I ruined it for you .. missing out on a great sport. Good luck.

Phil, solid feedback and really want to thank you for your input. Solid solid points, and this whole thing was pieced from an epic condition day but forgot the tripod and shot the first portion on the NEX-3 so thats the main reason for the short cuts and mostly blown out exposures.

As of now I just upgraded to the Panny HMC40 and working on some project ideas to capture the lifestyle that you had mentioned. Can't agree more.

As for you do you shoot kiting yourself/company or kite? Just from your feedback it seems like your involved somehow in the sport or industry and know whats up. What was your reaction to "catching air" series that was beamed to the public?

Thanks again.

MG

Phil Sobolev · April 17th, 2011, 01:41 PM

Mike - I know all about forgetting stuff. Took a little road trip yesterday and also space out on the sticks. So pissed at myself. Every shot will need to be stabilized to try and be salvaged! What a pain. Can live it since it was just for fun. But paying jobs always mean running through the full prep night / dry run routine the night before to avoid any such oversights.

I'm a kiter first and a shooter second. I work for a kitesurfing brand here in Hawaii. But just really starting to get into the filming side of things. Sort of fell into it by accident. But it's one of the many hats I wear at my job every day. No formal training. Totally self taught (actually, still learning). So I'm really thankful that there's resources like this forum with real seasoned pros in a bunch of various industries that can offer some insight and advice on all the various aspects shooting video as well as post production.

Was the Catching Air series the one recently aired on Discovery HD? We don't get that channel so I never saw it. Heard pretty mixed reviews about it though. Sounded mostly like people hating because they're just bitter. In general, the people who usually rant the most online about such things means they're just not getting enough water time themselves. I personally feel that those types of shows never do a sport justice as far as showing the riding or personalities in the best light. That goes for snow, wake, surf, moto, and probably most reality shows, etc. I had the pleasure of meeting Andy and Sean a bunch a years ago back in Florida during another premier party and can say they both seemed like really mellow, down-to-earth guys. Really good riders too! Hope they're getting compensated well for their efforts.

April 8th, 2011, 07:22 PM	#1
Mike Gorski Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hermosa Beach, CA Posts: 163	Kiteboarding California Thought I would share a small edit that I put together for my buddy and his local kite club. I'm getting into kiting myself but enjoy shooting the sport since you can ride anywhere there is wind and water. As for the video its roughly 2 minutes shot in 720 30P on a consumer Sony NEX-3. I demoed the cam and just bought a Panasonic HMC40 and really loving the overall quality of the Panasonic for the price point. Interested in all feedback. Thanks. Kiteboarding CA Short Mix 2011 on Vimeo

April 14th, 2011, 02:31 AM	#3
Phil Sobolev New Boot Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Maui, HI Posts: 20	Re: Kiteboarding California Ok - so maybe the Swede was a tad harsh. But he's got a valid point. Most folks I know (whether they kite or not) don't want to watch a few intermediate level riders trying basic tricks with bad form and crashing on most. Comes off like just another home movie on youtube that looks like it was cut in imovie. Kiting skills aside, the shots did seem pretty out of focus and there was too much repetitive action from the same angles (i.e. the water angle seemed like 10 shots from the same spot and all in a row). There also seemed to be a ton of shots from super far away. Wide shots that include both the kite and rider usually only work during big mega loops so you can fully appreciate the height and distance traveled during the yank. Also to determine if the rider got above the kite. Or if crazy English guys are clearing the Brighton Pier YouTube - Kitesurfer Jumps Brighton Pier - Lewis Crathern Kitesurfing Stunt. In general, you want to try and mix it up a bit more. Variety is key. Different angles, different conditions, different times of day, different spots, etc. The guys were probably stoked to see themselves on camera and if the point was just to promote the club and help your friend, then all good there. But maybe get some more rider shots and even guys hanging in the parking lot, on the beach rigging, interacting, etc. Just to show a bit more personality of club members. Lastly, try not to include shots where the rider clearly botched a landing but it gets cut a frame too late to claim anything else. Bit of no no in the action sports world. Better off either showing it as the crash it was or better yet, just drop it from the edit completely. Only A-grade stuff should make the cut. This is generally why it takes weeks of shooting to get a 30 second teaser. And sometimes, not even that. Keep it up though. Practice make perfect right?

April 14th, 2011, 03:00 PM	#4
Mike Gorski Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hermosa Beach, CA Posts: 163	Re: Kiteboarding California Sverker I appreciate you even posting, I know a lot of people look and regardless of a thought don't reply so thanks. Not trying to inspire but too bad I ruined it for you .. missing out on a great sport. Good luck. Phil, solid feedback and really want to thank you for your input. Solid solid points, and this whole thing was pieced from an epic condition day but forgot the tripod and shot the first portion on the NEX-3 so thats the main reason for the short cuts and mostly blown out exposures. As of now I just upgraded to the Panny HMC40 and working on some project ideas to capture the lifestyle that you had mentioned. Can't agree more. As for you do you shoot kiting yourself/company or kite? Just from your feedback it seems like your involved somehow in the sport or industry and know whats up. What was your reaction to "catching air" series that was beamed to the public? Thanks again. MG

April 17th, 2011, 01:41 PM	#5
Phil Sobolev New Boot Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Maui, HI Posts: 20	Re: Kiteboarding California Mike - I know all about forgetting stuff. Took a little road trip yesterday and also space out on the sticks. So pissed at myself. Every shot will need to be stabilized to try and be salvaged! What a pain. Can live it since it was just for fun. But paying jobs always mean running through the full prep night / dry run routine the night before to avoid any such oversights. I'm a kiter first and a shooter second. I work for a kitesurfing brand here in Hawaii. But just really starting to get into the filming side of things. Sort of fell into it by accident. But it's one of the many hats I wear at my job every day. No formal training. Totally self taught (actually, still learning). So I'm really thankful that there's resources like this forum with real seasoned pros in a bunch of various industries that can offer some insight and advice on all the various aspects shooting video as well as post production. Was the Catching Air series the one recently aired on Discovery HD? We don't get that channel so I never saw it. Heard pretty mixed reviews about it though. Sounded mostly like people hating because they're just bitter. In general, the people who usually rant the most online about such things means they're just not getting enough water time themselves. I personally feel that those types of shows never do a sport justice as far as showing the riding or personalities in the best light. That goes for snow, wake, surf, moto, and probably most reality shows, etc. I had the pleasure of meeting Andy and Sean a bunch a years ago back in Florida during another premier party and can say they both seemed like really mellow, down-to-earth guys. Really good riders too! Hope they're getting compensated well for their efforts.