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Jake Forrester

Mrs. Maxwell

British Literature

10/19/2011

Skateboard Film/Edit

When I think of skateboarding, I think of it as an art. You can take a sport of such finesse

and make some of the most stunning artwork and creativeness to it through film. Filming this

sport does not only require a skillful hand, but a good capability of riding a skateboard. The

reason for this is because you have to be able to keep up with the rider you’re filming if you are

shooting a “line” in which the rider is doing multiple tricks in one scene.

Filming a line can be tricky if you are not used to doing it. However, there are some

things you can do to make it easier. If you invest in a handle for the camera, that could ensure

good control of the camera for filming line shots. Also, if you don’t have the money to afford a

company made one, you can make one yourself. PVC pipe and duct tape usually work well if

you are crafty and can saw the PVC into sizeable pieces and shape the handle out of the

materials. I have never needed to make one though, because my camera has a handle built into it.

If you are curious, and want further instructions on how to make these handles, you can easily

watch some simple step by step videos on YouTube to give you a more clear understanding of

how to do this.

I have also found that a “fisheye” or wide-angle lens is critical for filming multiple tricks

in skateboarding. Lines are just about impossible to film without one. Not only that, if you watch

skateboarding videos, you will see that the filmer is under the rail or gap filming from a fisheye

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view. However, these are one of the most expensive lenses, let alone accessories, that you can

purchase for you camera. I will not be using one in my video for this reason. By all means they

are definitely worth the money when you have one though. You just can’t get carried away with

it and forget about other creative shots too.

From my experience in filming this sport, I have learned that you always have to be ready

to duck or dodge a flying board, or even worse, body. I have seen many occasions where a flying

board will come right at the filmer and hit his camera right in the lens. This is something that

can’t be prevented though; you just have to make sure not to let it cause you to drop the camera.

This is the worst thing that you can do. If you are filming lines, you have to be extra careful that

you don’t fall or hit a rock. Always be aware of your surroundings and what is going on.

When it comes to editing, there are many different programs that you can use. Some are

better than others as with everything in life, but the name of my software is Pinnacle Studio HD

Ultimate version 15 made by Avid. I chose this program because it is everything you need for a

fair price and it is compatible with Microsoft, which is the system I use. I know a few people that

have Macs and use Final Cut Pro by Adobe. This system is only available on Apple’s Mac

software, but is an amazing system to use. It is a bit pricey, but the details and setup are great.

You are basically limitless as to what you can do.

To get specific with what I have learned about making a skate video, the biggest thing I

have learned is that music is the biggest influence. You have to choose whether you feel music

will work with it or not. A lot of the time professional videos will use music during each

individual skateboarder’s part. On the other hand, if you are making a sponsor edit that you will

send to companies, people won’t put music. The reason for this is because if you make a video

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and use a song that may not appeal to someone’s taste, it can give them a negative vibe towards

your work and the talent of the skating. So, if you are making a sponsor edit to gain a sponsor,

don’t use music, just the sound of the good, clean skating.

When you film for a video, you want to make sure that all of your shots are smooth.

When I say smooth, I mean you want them to be as clean looking and creative as possible. When

you are filming fisheye, you want to be in a good position not too far away and not too close.

You also want to hold the camera as still and steady as you can. When filming from a long lens,

you can maybe film head on and roll on your skateboard slowly from the left or right when you

are filming the trick to make it look more creative. Anything that you can do to make it artsy and

creative is definitely recommended. You just have to remember not to drop the camera!

There will be times when you encounter people that don’t know how to edit very well,

but will have an amazing system. Make sure you know the basics of how to edit make good short

films before you purchase pricey editing software. Beforeyou go out and buy one, when you

don’t really know what you’re doing, you have to play around with some and ask around for

input on what’s good for what you’re trying to spend and what’s going to be the best choice for

you. I enjoy using my software by Avid and couldn’t ask for more. Like I said before, Final Cut

Pro is good software to use, and also Adobe Premiere Elements 10 is decent software for creative

editing. I am very excited to be making this video for my Senior Project. I love film/edit and

skateboarding with all of my heart and will always put my best into anything involving the two. I

look at skateboarding as a kind of lifestyle. I like to show that lifestyle and creativeness of the

sport through filming and editing of these videos. A lot of people in society look at skateboarders

as low class people with nothing to offer society. Because of this stereotype, it comes funny to a

lot of skateboarders that when you are out in certain places skating, people find it amazing that a

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skateboarder can flip a board onto a rail, slide down the rail and land the trick and have a normal

head on his shoulders like everyone else. Not only that, but some of the nicest, most down to

earth people that I have ever met are skateboarders.

On another note, this research was very helpful in giving certain tips for better filming. It

is also good for teaching new things about features of editing and things to remember during

filming and editing. Making a really cool skate video is what all skate film enthusiasts dream of

doing. I plan to make this skateboarding video as creative, artsy, and unique as possible. If I

follow the steps I have learned through it all, adding a little bit of every type of creativeness to

this project should be no problem.