What NOT to do...

[davelepka 4]

Let's say you're shooting a tandem video, and there's an incident in the LZ while you're waiting for your tandem to land. DO NOT film your landing or interview your student in such a way that the scene of the incident appears in the background of your video. If there happens to be excess noise (screaming, shouting, moaning, etc) maybe skip the interview all together, and just fade out from the touch down, or whatever.

In the thread about the tandem landing incident in Orange, there's a post from one of the other tandem students on the load, and they commented on what a terrible thing it was to be there when this happened, and that they'll always remember due to the lifeless body laying in the background of the ground shots of their video.

LIFELESS BODY IN THE BACKGROUND? REALLY?

I don't know which one of you retards out there is responsible for this, but come on. Even if it wasn't determined to be a fatality yet, I'm sure the scene wasn't pretty, and people were rushing to the aid of the injured jumpers. If you're so determined that 'the show must go on', do your camera work a favor and put your back to the offending scene.

[velocityphoto 0]

Must have been an idiot filming huh! We are surrounded by them but they don't know there idiots.... :)

A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

[vdschoor 0]

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If you're so determined that 'the show must go on', do your camera work a favor and put your back to the offending scene.

Well this fits right in with the "I'm getting paid so I guess I am professional" doesn't it?

I agree the show must go on, the tandem passenger paid a lot of money for the video, and they should get what they paid for. But as you said make sure the background does NOT show some accident or anything like that..

[diablopilot 2]

I'll add to that there are time when one must simply tell the customer "the video didn't come out" and refund them. If it looks sketchy, do you really want that footage to get out on YouTube and the like?

Careful folks.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[piahenzi 0]

...even if the videographer took the video and didn't realize exactly what was going on at the time/the severity of the accident, and that he/she captured it on tape, why not, during the edit/dub just fade before that?? Seems a case of really bad judgment here... There's no need to eliminate the whole video but obviously common sense failed to come into play here and miserably at that...I hope I never have to see something like that...

[PharmerPhil 0]

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If you're so determined that 'the show must go on', do your camera work a favor and put your back to the offending scene.

This is good and basic advice. I would add offending words and actions by others at the DZ to the list of things to avoid.

I usually caution fun jumpers around me during landing that "the camera is rolling," just so that a lot of normal DZ talk doesn't end up on my final edit while I am getting the first reaction of the just-landed-first-time-jumper. I also caution tandem catchers to keep from walking in-between me and my student/customer ("keep the camera lane clear!").

However, I have had many fun jumpers do inappropriate things on tape. Everything from mildly annoying camera geeking, which doesn't really add anything positive to the "paying" customer's video (c'mon, who's paying for this video?), to fun jumpers--whose exit I tape right before my tandem goes out the door--making obscene gestures right before exit. You can't expect every jumper at your DZ to totally understand what you are trying to accomplish, but with coaching you can help keep other jumpers from either ruining your video or making your editing life more difficult.

[billvon 2,991]

>But as you said make sure the background does NOT show some
>accident or anything like that..

And if they wanted the accident in the background?

From my experience around 10% of tandem passengers have a sort of morbid curiosity about such things, and often ask me later if I knew anyone who went in, did I see it happen etc.

[vdschoor 0]

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>But as you said make sure the background does NOT show some
>accident or anything like that..

And if they wanted the accident in the background?

From my experience around 10% of tandem passengers have a sort of morbid curiosity about such things, and often ask me later if I knew anyone who went in, did I see it happen etc.

Yeah they might be curious, but that is not something that belongs on video. When accidents happen while the camera is running there is a standard response "the camera was off" or I am filming the other way.

[DSE 5]

Of course people have the "lookey-loo" "rubber-necker" mentality...but this doesn't belong in a video given out to someone. Either cut it on the editing room floor, or angle your shot so the incident isn't in the background.
I don't see rules from skydiving organizations, but as a camera op for national events, we're often under contract to *not* show emergency services in the background. They don't want the liability to become unmanageable. Imagine 4 cameras all catching the same incident in the background, that's 400% more effort to contain, explain.

[davelepka 4]

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Well this fits right in with the "I'm getting paid so I guess I am professional" doesn't it?

A professional would be aware of his surroundings, and position his camera accordingly.

This rule applies to the positive as well. During a post jump interview, I'll keep an eye out for another tandem landing (sometimes a friend of the pax) or the plane landing. Either one of these things makes a nice addition to the background.

Another note on this - keep in mind that if you film any sort of incident, or even the aftermath of that incident, you open yourself up to involvement in a potential lawsuit. I'm not saying that you will have any liability in said lawsuit, but as a witness, and provider of footage that will no doubt become a part of the case, you'll be called in to testify in either a deposition, or possibly in court.

Again, you may not personally have any liability in the case, but the instructor and the DZ will have quite a bit at stake, and I for one would just prefer to be no part of that process what so ever.

[billvon 2,991]

>but that is not something that belongs on video.

I agree. A case of "the customer gets what I give them" NOT "the customer gets what they want."

[Icon134 0]

I agree that it shouldn't be recorded but I will admit that being aware of the background in a photograph or video when the epmhasis is generally the foreground takes lots of practice and requires a lot of experience to master...

even hollywood movie cameramen/editors sometimes fail to notice things in the background...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[Fast 0]

Speaking from experience as a video guy and having to help out in incidents at the dropzone. If someone is hurt its a pretty noticeable thing. When I read that post earlier, I too was flabbergasted. There is no excuse for something like that ending up in the end product that a customer gets.

100% not acceptable. I agree with the sentiment that sometimes the "video just didn't turn out" and or being selective about what pictures I put on the disk for the customer. That's just the reality of this job, you could permanently scar a person with pictures like that if they aren't ready for it.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka