taking video of climbing?

[Jens]

I want to make a short (30ish minutes) video of climbing with a soundtrack. Should I just find a buddy with a camcorder and go to it or should I try anything else? I've filmed climbers on routes before but it never seems as exciting at home when you are watching. I'd like to have a little editing done and have the filmer above me or using a tripod off to the side. Should I just purchase a VHS tape and try to find somebody off this site and pay them 50 bucks? Is anyone interested in filming? I was thinking of more of a rock climbing film with some stunt work (I'll do the climbing) anyone interested? I'll drive, buy the tape, take the falls for the film, and buy the beer.

Anyone interested?

 

-proceed to flame away!

[Alex]

I've been taking video of general climbing and sailing on my DVD camcorder for about 2 years now, and have learned alot about production, pace, storytelling, etc just watching the others (like mvs and philfort) and myself evolve our techniques and material. Not that my stuff is all that great these days, but its a hell of a lot better than where I was a year ago. I watch some of my stuff from last year and cringe...

 

Here are a few thoughts:

 

* 30 min is a very very long time for a home production. 10 min is probably more ideal. (That doesnt mean you only shoot 10 min of vid, tho, much of the content invariably ends up on the cutting room floor.) I've recently made one production that was about 18 min long, but it was of 3 distinct alpine climbs in the rockies so there was alot of content to work with and nice scenery and decent climbing shots.

 

* Unique content matters. Watching vid of "just rockclimbing" or "just ice climbing" or "just turns in the Crystal bc" gets old.

 

*Filming climbing so that its not boring is hard. An independent cameraman is pretty indespensable, so if contemplating something for film you're options are pretty much have someone film you who is rapping/jugging beside the route, or (in the mountains) climb as a party of 3 so that one of the seconds can play dedicated photog. Otherwise you wnd up with real choppy action, and invariably miss the "big moments" like falls or broaches (on a boat) or what-not

 

* Quality of the camera matters.

 

* Production and editing using quality software makes a huge difference. I was using some piece of crap stuff, but on Phil's suggestion went to using Sony Vegas. Good software makes it easier to choreograph the production, mix in sound, make judicous use of subtitles, and so on.

 

* "Special" post production can kill a video. I just watched some vid of some ice climbing, and at the end there was an interview with the climber that completely killed the pace and stoke of what up to that point had been a good show!