What’s up! This is Tim with Tactics Boardshop,
and today I’m gonna give you some fundamental tips to improve the look of your fisheye clips.
This video is going to focus mainly on stationary, single trick angles
where the filmer is not travelling with the skater.
In Part 2 we’ll talk about follow filming.
Alright, let’s get started!
No matter what kind of camera you’re using,
whether it’s a VX, Camcorder, DSLR, GoPro, or even a phone,
a fisheye lens can enhance the footage
by getting in close to the action while still keeping everything in frame.
When used properly, a fisheye lens can make the skater look like they're going faster,
and make gaps and ledges look bigger.
But, when improperly used, a fisheye lens can actually have the opposite effect,
making tricks look slower and obstacles look smaller.
The first and most fundamental tip is:
Hold the camera low to the ground, and tilt it up slightly to get the entire body of the skater in frame.
In most cases, this will be the default angle with a fisheye.
When you hold the camera low, it will make any trick the skater does look a little bigger.
And any obstacle look a little taller.
but if you hold the camera too high, it will have the opposite effect.
Look at this side by side comparison.
On the left, the camera is low and on the same plane as the skateboard,
but on the right, I’m holding the camera hip high.
The angle on the right makes the trick look smaller.
Here’s another example on a ledge.
holding the camera above the ledge makes it seem shorter than if I’m holding the camera ground level.
Having a handle on the top of your camera makes it much easier to get the proper angle.
So unless your camera already has a built in handle,
I highly recommend getting some kind of aftermarket handle.
Next is get as close to the skater as you can without cutting off their body.
Keeping their whole body in frame is important because it shows off the skater’s style,
and it gives more context to the spot and of the trick.
If it’s just the board and shins in the clip, you miss out on a lot.
Each camera and lens set up is going to be a little different,
but spend plenty of time familiarizing yourself with it to to find the sweet spot
where the skater fills the frame, but isn’t being cut off.
Cameras that shoot in a 4:3 aspect ratio
like the VX1000 and other Standard Definition cameras
actually have an advantage in this area.
Since the 4:3 frame is a bit taller than the 16:9 aspect ratio that most HD cameras shoot,
it’s easier to get closer without cutting off heads.
Usually to get the best shot, you have to be right in the "Danger Zone"
where boards and limbs could potentially fling and hit you or the camera.
This is why I recommend learning to do what I call blind filming.
You need to practice enough with your fisheye to the point where you know what’s in frame
without having to look at the viewfinder or lcd screen.
Being able to film confidently without looking in the view finder
allows you to watch the skater, and react more quickly when the board inevitably flings at you.
Many times I’ll use the viewfinder for the first few attempts
or on a warm up trick until I get the motion for the shot down.
Or I’ll practice the camera motion a couple times before they try it.
Then I can rely on muscle memory so I can watch the skater and have a quicker reaction time.
Next up is:
Use smooth camera motions and try not to swing the camera quickly.
Moving the camera slower and smoother will give you a crispier looking clip with less motion blur.
Use two hands to stabilize the camera
and rotate the camera from the front, rather than from the back.
Imagine the tip of the lens being the pivot point for the camera,
making the back end swing while the lens stays relatively in the same place.
Turning the camera like this will reduce some of the nauseating motion blur and give it a cleaner look.
A technique you can use to absorb some of the camera swing
is to frame the skater to come in from one side, and then exit the opposite side of the frame.
Not only does this reduce the required camera motion,
it also makes the skater look like they’re going a little bit faster.
They’re small on one side of the frame,
then large in the middle,
and then small again on the opposite side.
Next, If your camera has an auto stabilization setting,
make sure you turn it off when you put on the fisheye.
If your camera and lens set up has some vignetting,
the stabilizer will make the vignette shift around and it just looks bad.
So be sure to turn off any stabilization setting before shooting with a fisheye lens.
The next tip might seem like common sense but,
try to always film the skater from their front side.
It’s not always possible depending on the trick or the spot,
but it’s better to see their front side than looking up at their sweaty butt.
If they're doing a trick that involves some kind of 180,
then you’re gonna have to decide if you want a butt shot roll up or butt shot roll away.
So you’ll have to make that choice on the fly.
The next tip is to simply make sure your lens is clean.
Having a dirty lens with spots on it can be distracting to the footage,
and can sometimes cause the camera to lose focus.
More often than not skate spots are dirty as hell
so get in the habit of cleaning your lens regularly.
Have a dust blower and a microfiber cloth to remove specs from the lens.
Next, be aware of your body and make sure you don’t get your hands and feet in the shot.
I made this mistake a lot when I first started filming.
I would get my shoe in the corner of the shot or my arm would come in slightly.
It doesn’t necessarily ruin the entire clip,
but the skater might get bummed and it just looks much more professional if you stay out of the shot.
Unless of course it’s B-Roll after the clip, then by all means get in the shot.
This also applies to your own shadow.
Try your best to keep as much of your shadow out of the shot as possible.
If your shadow is super harsh or it’s covering a large part of the screen or obscuring the trick,
then find a different angle or just shoot the trick long lens.
After getting comfortable with your camera and lens set up,
experiment with different angles and different camera motions and get creative with your shots.
Try swooping in from the side or incorporating interesting things that are at the spot.
There are tons of different techniques to use when| you’re filming with a fisheye so just have fun with it.
Watch a lot of skate videos and pay attention to the filming and the camera motions rather than the skating
and try out some of the techniques you notice.
Eventually you’ll develop your own style of filming.
And one last thing,
Don’t forget to encourage the skater,
because you know they’re bustin' their ass for that clip.
So keep them hyped and share in their joy when they roll away.
If you got any fisheye fliming tips of your own, leave them in the comments down below,
And have fun filming out there. Peace!