WayneRATS 0 #1 August 27, 2003 i've watched many a tandem video in my 3 months i've been jumping,, the lads at the dz are incredible camera fliers, what i want to know is how do you get those shots, the sun shining down thru the canopy as he deploys, really capturing the moment? how do you go about filming the exit the questions to ask the passenger when he lands how do you get down and into possition for the landing.. all good stuff how do you do it and STILL manage to have a safe decent?------------------------ Can You Ere Me Now? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #2 August 27, 2003 Wayne, my DZ does an 8 to 12 minute max tandem video. We have an editor, so we land, give up the tapes and film, and start the next one, on a busy day. The editor is looking for specific visual clues in order to streamline the process, so every video starts with a shot of my DZ's banner, then whatever script we use to fluff "Hey! What brings you out to skydive today?!" "You out here with a group?" "So what does your Auntie think of you going to skydive?" Then the takeoff filmed out the door, then a short in-plane interview "You still ready to do this?" Then the exit. After filming a good exit the priority is to get right up on the passenger and get a very close, very low closeup of their face. The tandem master will turn the passenger into the sun for this, and if they don't I"ll loiter in the position I want until they do. The TM's are all pro's at this and they know the drill. We might get a dock in here if the speed is right. On very fast tandems, I can't dock and drop down, so I don't. Then the pop-up or orbit shot that shows the drogue, bridle and tandem pair, then back in close for the deployment. The TM will make eye contact, and wave me off and as they reach back to collapse the drogue and deploy I begin knee-flying. The bag comes off and I rotate onto my back and get my wings as big as I can so that I can get as much of the deployment recorded as possible. (Very important to have the video camera on "sports" shutter setting to get the best slow-motion footage). Once the canopy is fully deployed I collapse my wings get my hands and feet in the shot waving "bye-bye" then backflip to belly to earth. If I'm on a good spot I'll get my digital altimeter in the shot counting down to 3 grand and I'll deploy. The tandem opened at 5 grand and that is one huge parachute. I'm on a highly loaded Spectre, so I'm on the ground way before the tandem. I strip out of my suit and rig, see how many stills I took in the air, and photograph the landing with my video running. "Hey Skydiver! How did that feel when you got out of the plane? Looked like you were having fun! You gonna do this again? Let's get one last group shot with your buddies!" Getting the great shots is just a matter of practice. Always have the sun to your back, hit the tongue switch when you sense coolness. Then if I'm lucky, I do that 8 or 9 more times that day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivejersey 0 #3 August 27, 2003 Its a piece of piss when you put it like that.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #4 August 27, 2003 I need a translation. When I do other types of skydiving photography and video, I can get creative and artistic. I have a second helmet for that stuff, and it's primarily for me. The tandem routine is exactly that because the passenger is paying me to get some pretty specific shots. On the roll of 36 shots I can pretty much guarantee a nice boarding picture, a nice picture in the plane, and nice exit, a freefall close-up, and an opening. They are usually not magazine quality, but they are exactly what the passenger wants to show-off their experience. When I shoot creatively, I may only get one shot I truly dig out of a flight. That's worth it, though. For tandems, the goal is to get the most decent pictures out of the 36 exposures. Attached is one of my favorite pictures that captures the feeling of the post-tandem experience. Is this a piece of piss? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydivejersey 0 #5 August 27, 2003 Let me elaborate kind sir.... What I mean is that you make it sound easy when it is plainly not. I tip my hat at your obvious and abundant skills. ie [sarcasm]its a piece of piss[/sarcasm] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #6 August 27, 2003 No worries! I guess we'd say something like a "piece of cake" I'm always careful since you never know what things mean locally. Found that out in an embarrasing way in Australia a few years ago. I told a young lady I liked her "bangs" and she blushed furiously. Aussies refer to the short hair above a woman's eyebrows as "fringe". "Bangs" was her reproductive gear. Whoops. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skydivejersey 0 #7 August 27, 2003 your cake my piss and never the two shall meet! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ffejdraga 0 #8 August 28, 2003 Deuce, kudos man, way to go.... a catch all for how to do tandem videos. I have been doing them for yeaars, and that says it all!! jeff d-16906 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyingfrog 0 #9 August 28, 2003 there is nothing much I can say more about.... I'm filming a lot of Tandems here in Switzerland... usually a vid has to be something between 10 and 15 minutes, also getting a lot of shots on the ground when the passenger get ready and doing some exercises in the grass.. walking to the plane or heli... than some nice shots of the plane which I took before as well as how the plane takes off. The rest is more or less how Deuce described it. blue skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MattM 0 #10 August 28, 2003 how are you guys exiting with the tandem, off the step? in front? I've just started videoing tandems, I've done maybe 8 or 10... but anyways I have been exiting infront of the passenger holding on to the front of their harness. What a great shot this makes. But ofcourse I only do this with TMs I trust. After that, I try and stay on my back directly below them, as long as I can hold it since I'm not very good at it yet. Then I flip over for a few seconds and film the deploymet. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites davelepka 4 #11 August 28, 2003 Directly below them is an interesting place to be when one of your closing loops break, your Cypress misfires, your pilot chute makes works it's way out of the pouch, the drouge relaese gets a mind of it's own, etc. Move over a couple feet and make it safer for everyone involved. Oh yeah, wait untill the tandem passenger grabs onto your harness. Been there, done that, didn't like it (they don't know not to touch the silver thingy). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MattM 0 #12 August 28, 2003 I'm aware of these risks. My arms are fully extended and my face is chest level with the passenger on exit which would make it quite impossible for them to reach all the way down to my handles, unless the passenger is Shaq and has 4 foot arms. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites davelepka 4 #13 August 28, 2003 Actaully the passenger who grabbed me took ahold of my head on an extreme close up during the middle of the jump. The reserve handle problem was theoretical. This doesn't address the additional rick you are putting on the student by flying under them. Yes this is common practice in freeflying (I do it frequently), but other freefliers understand the risks, and choose to participate. The student was not informed that you will be putting them at this additional risk. If the student had the choice between camera flyers, and it was explained that if your gear was to malfunction it would endanger their life, but this other camer flyer would either slide off to the side for back flying, or belly fly in front of them with greatly reduced risk, I think you would have a hard time finding video work. I used to fly under tandems all the time. When I switched DZ's one of the tandem masters pulled me aside and related the story where he saw an unitentional reserve deployment from his camera man, and that it was way to close for comfort. Since then I have moved myself off to the side, or out in front, and the shot is still good, and all involved are safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites MattM 0 #14 August 28, 2003 QuoteSince then I have moved myself off to the side Are you still somewhat beneath them? Or are you off to the side on your belly? Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites davelepka 4 #15 August 28, 2003 On my back, but out of the "danger zone" (no Top Gun reference implied or intended). If you picture the tandem pair poised on the tip of a cone, with the walls of the cone extending downward at 45 degree angles from center of the tandem, just stay out of the cone. There will always be risks involved in skydiving, and yes accidents can happen even if you are outside of "the cone", but being inside the cone, in my opinion, adds to that risk significantly without having any real benefit. There is a similar cone above the tandem as well, which needs to be respected as much as the lower cone. Again, from expereince, although it may look fluffy and friendly, the drouge is not something you want to touch (or even come close, you'd be in the cone). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Deuce 1 #16 August 28, 2003 Quotehow are you guys exiting with the tandem, off the step? in front? I'm almost always out of a KingAir, and it's a tough shot to get. I grab the lower half of the door with both hands, trail my right leg, and keep the ball of my left foot on the trailing edge of the step. We've got a new pilot, and he's keeping airspeed way up. Safe, but really, really hard to hang on, since I'm first out and hanging on for dear life while the TM pair sets up. Sometimes I have to grab the lower part of the door with my left hand and still hang on to the peg with my right. Lower is better, because the passenger almost always looks just about straight down until the TM pulls their head back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites PhreeZone 20 #17 August 28, 2003 I've tried the front float exit but as I've started to do the tandems I've realized I don't like having to try and get stable with another 200 pounds on the front of me and my student. If the videographer is willing to float the exit very cool other wise back on the camera step they go. Most my jumps are tailgate which hanging on to the front is not a viable option since unless you back it out the tandem usually does a rotation or two before getting the drogue out. I've started to do the cruch low on the gate and grab a leg to maintain proximity for a second out the door then I let go to allow the TM to fly it and toss the drogue. I'd rather have a killer shot of the tandem leaving the plane and the plane diving in the background then I would a in your face exit shot showing blue green blue green blue while the tandem gets stable.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites flyingfrog 0 #18 August 28, 2003 depending what we are jumping... e.g. when we jump the cessna I'll dive after the tandem porter I usually do a float exit and heli... normally staying outside and going on my back or a float exit, very nice shots, because there is no real wind and you can nearly keep the speed of the tandem from the early beginning ok... sometimes not but close to Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
skydivejersey 0 #7 August 27, 2003 your cake my piss and never the two shall meet! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ffejdraga 0 #8 August 28, 2003 Deuce, kudos man, way to go.... a catch all for how to do tandem videos. I have been doing them for yeaars, and that says it all!! jeff d-16906 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingfrog 0 #9 August 28, 2003 there is nothing much I can say more about.... I'm filming a lot of Tandems here in Switzerland... usually a vid has to be something between 10 and 15 minutes, also getting a lot of shots on the ground when the passenger get ready and doing some exercises in the grass.. walking to the plane or heli... than some nice shots of the plane which I took before as well as how the plane takes off. The rest is more or less how Deuce described it. blue skies Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattM 0 #10 August 28, 2003 how are you guys exiting with the tandem, off the step? in front? I've just started videoing tandems, I've done maybe 8 or 10... but anyways I have been exiting infront of the passenger holding on to the front of their harness. What a great shot this makes. But ofcourse I only do this with TMs I trust. After that, I try and stay on my back directly below them, as long as I can hold it since I'm not very good at it yet. Then I flip over for a few seconds and film the deploymet. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #11 August 28, 2003 Directly below them is an interesting place to be when one of your closing loops break, your Cypress misfires, your pilot chute makes works it's way out of the pouch, the drouge relaese gets a mind of it's own, etc. Move over a couple feet and make it safer for everyone involved. Oh yeah, wait untill the tandem passenger grabs onto your harness. Been there, done that, didn't like it (they don't know not to touch the silver thingy). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattM 0 #12 August 28, 2003 I'm aware of these risks. My arms are fully extended and my face is chest level with the passenger on exit which would make it quite impossible for them to reach all the way down to my handles, unless the passenger is Shaq and has 4 foot arms. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #13 August 28, 2003 Actaully the passenger who grabbed me took ahold of my head on an extreme close up during the middle of the jump. The reserve handle problem was theoretical. This doesn't address the additional rick you are putting on the student by flying under them. Yes this is common practice in freeflying (I do it frequently), but other freefliers understand the risks, and choose to participate. The student was not informed that you will be putting them at this additional risk. If the student had the choice between camera flyers, and it was explained that if your gear was to malfunction it would endanger their life, but this other camer flyer would either slide off to the side for back flying, or belly fly in front of them with greatly reduced risk, I think you would have a hard time finding video work. I used to fly under tandems all the time. When I switched DZ's one of the tandem masters pulled me aside and related the story where he saw an unitentional reserve deployment from his camera man, and that it was way to close for comfort. Since then I have moved myself off to the side, or out in front, and the shot is still good, and all involved are safer. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattM 0 #14 August 28, 2003 QuoteSince then I have moved myself off to the side Are you still somewhat beneath them? Or are you off to the side on your belly? Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #15 August 28, 2003 On my back, but out of the "danger zone" (no Top Gun reference implied or intended). If you picture the tandem pair poised on the tip of a cone, with the walls of the cone extending downward at 45 degree angles from center of the tandem, just stay out of the cone. There will always be risks involved in skydiving, and yes accidents can happen even if you are outside of "the cone", but being inside the cone, in my opinion, adds to that risk significantly without having any real benefit. There is a similar cone above the tandem as well, which needs to be respected as much as the lower cone. Again, from expereince, although it may look fluffy and friendly, the drouge is not something you want to touch (or even come close, you'd be in the cone). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #16 August 28, 2003 Quotehow are you guys exiting with the tandem, off the step? in front? I'm almost always out of a KingAir, and it's a tough shot to get. I grab the lower half of the door with both hands, trail my right leg, and keep the ball of my left foot on the trailing edge of the step. We've got a new pilot, and he's keeping airspeed way up. Safe, but really, really hard to hang on, since I'm first out and hanging on for dear life while the TM pair sets up. Sometimes I have to grab the lower part of the door with my left hand and still hang on to the peg with my right. Lower is better, because the passenger almost always looks just about straight down until the TM pulls their head back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #17 August 28, 2003 I've tried the front float exit but as I've started to do the tandems I've realized I don't like having to try and get stable with another 200 pounds on the front of me and my student. If the videographer is willing to float the exit very cool other wise back on the camera step they go. Most my jumps are tailgate which hanging on to the front is not a viable option since unless you back it out the tandem usually does a rotation or two before getting the drogue out. I've started to do the cruch low on the gate and grab a leg to maintain proximity for a second out the door then I let go to allow the TM to fly it and toss the drogue. I'd rather have a killer shot of the tandem leaving the plane and the plane diving in the background then I would a in your face exit shot showing blue green blue green blue while the tandem gets stable.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingfrog 0 #18 August 28, 2003 depending what we are jumping... e.g. when we jump the cessna I'll dive after the tandem porter I usually do a float exit and heli... normally staying outside and going on my back or a float exit, very nice shots, because there is no real wind and you can nearly keep the speed of the tandem from the early beginning ok... sometimes not but close to Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
