flyinmedic 0 #1 November 10, 2003 Hi, I'm new to skydiving. Hopefully should be getting my A license within the next few weeks. I have read many posts regarding videography in the air. I would like to know what I can do now to prepare myself for the world of videography (in the air). Types of exits, positions in the air, landing/canopy control etc. I know that I will not be jumping with a camera yet. I would like to be educated and trained before hand. Also, I have spoken to the videographers at my DZ. Herschel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #2 November 11, 2003 Get 200 RW jumps with people who are good. In that process you should learn all the exits, front, rear float, diving. Once you are good at that, then you might think about a camera suit and a camera. It depends on whether you want to be a camera flier or a guy who flies around with a camera on his head. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #3 November 11, 2003 QuoteIt depends on whether you want to be a camera flier or a guy who flies around with a camera on his head. I like this. Can I quote you? ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deuce 1 #4 November 11, 2003 Please, LT-wan, I would be honored! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinmedic 0 #5 November 11, 2003 QuoteGet 200 RW jumps with people who are good. With regards to the RW jumps, is there anything that I can practice? I would like to be a camera flyer to be able to produce professional video. Herschel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
quade 4 #6 November 11, 2003 Quote Types of exits, positions in the air, landing/canopy control etc. I know that I will not be jumping with a camera yet. I would like to be educated and trained before hand. When you're doing RW with folks, see if they'll let you be the "rear-rear" float (not a part of the base) and exit just a split second before the base does. Concentrate on presenting to the wind cleanly without a lot of bobbing around, keeping your head up and the base in view. Be slow and patient to dock. Concentrate on not orbiting the formation but being exactly on heading with it. Consciously take your time docking -- hovering in your slot before taking grips (as if you didn't need to take grips at all -- ever). This is essentially what you'll be doing when you fly camera -- just higher. As for landing and canopy control; Learn to be consistant in your landings. You want to be accurate and soft with a stand-up landing. If you think about it, you really don't want to biff in with an expensive and heavy camera on your head. It ruins the camera and gets you hurt. Save the swoop classes for later. Right now focus on accurate, soft stand-ups.quade - The World's Most Boring Skydiver Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
velo90 0 #7 November 11, 2003 Not yet got the A license .. mmmm Practice floater exits, make sure on exit you have the plane in sight and you don't flip. Pull in a stable position. Make sure you always pull really stable. With a camera on your head, unstable pulls can be really dangerous. Practice, side slipping. Make sure you can control your fall rate accurately. Then as already has been said it depends what you want to do. Film RW, freefly, tandems or just your buddy on a two way. All require certain skills which cannot be learnt in a day. Learn how fly properly without the camera and then you are ready to start thinking about camera work. Dave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyingfrog 0 #8 November 11, 2003 and also have in mind that doing video is only half of the work... get familiar with video editing progs, and you already could start getting a sound library etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdhill 0 #9 November 11, 2003 1st... learn to fly your body, fall straight down, move without thinking of the mechanics of the move, rear float exits (from the step if you've got one), 0 momentum docks, etc... you may also want to learn some freefly... the more positions you can fly in, the better you will be able to manuver to "get the shot"... As far as canopy control... lear to pack soft openings on a canopy that is appropriate for your experiance... second, become consistant, and controled in your landings, if you are not standing up 99.9% of your jumps, wait on adding the camera. On the ground, learn as much as you can about: Cameras (what type do plan on using? Video, Still, both?) editing (how do you intend to do it? Liniar Non-Lin?), principles of photography and videography, and the software packages that go along with them (Photoshop, Premier, etc.). Take it slow, there is no rush... wait until you are completely comfortable in the plane, in the air, under canopy, and on the ground, before you add a camera(s) to the mix. JAll that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davelepka 4 #10 November 11, 2003 With your experience, I would say forget about flying a camera for now. Literally. Concentrate on learning to fly what ever you want to be filming in the future (RW, freefly, whatever). Don't worry about prepping for video work, just learn to fly with the group. After several hundred jumps, learning the video specific skills will be a snap. If you never spend time learning the core skills, you will always be one step behind the jumpers you are filming. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
flyinmedic 0 #11 November 11, 2003 Thanx guys...lots of info. I know I am no where near jumping with a camera. But hopefully one day everything will work out. I do alot of amatuer videography and some editing, so in regards to that I have an idea of whats going on. Thanx again, Herschel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
