Many people enjoy skateboarding in their free time. Especially for younger people skateboarding is becoming more and more popular. However, not everybody interested in the sport is in it for the love of doing tricks and stunts - they want to have it as a creative outlet for filming and editing. So what should you think about when you star filming skateboard videos?
First, make sure that you have good filming gear - video cameras come cheap nowadays and most of them feature HD-filming. So for a beginner, a cheap one might be a good idea - however, as you will be filming on the fly, make sure to find a sturdy one. More experienced filmers may want to check out cameras in the prosumer-range for their superior image quality, but for beginners a pretty cheap one is OK. But consider size - smaller might not necessarily be better, a mid-size camera with a handle gives a more stable picture and is easier to handle while skateboarding and filming. It is also a good idea to get a wide fisheye lens, since these will squeeze more things into the picture and therefore make it easier to follow your subject while shooting. The fisheye-squeeze is a classic look for skateboard movies as well, so you will get points among skateboard aficionados.
Beginner Trick Skateboard
You will use a lot of tape (depending on how good your skateboard buddies are of course), so be sure to stock up on DV/HDV-tapes before you head out for the day. A good idea, to make the editing easier, is to have a system for marking down footage. For example, put your hand into frame after each successful trick and hold it there for a couple of seconds. Instead of having to look through hours of footage to find that one good take, you can now scan through the tapes until you find a hand in the picture and check that take out.
Lastly, mind your skating! Get some large and soft wheels since you, as the designated filmer, will often be skateboarding closely to your subject and you want a smooth ride. Not only will this help keeping the image stable, but it keeps you, the people around you and your gear safe. Trust me, coming to a sudden stop because of your wheels getting stuck on a tiny rock only to ruin your expensive camera is not fun.
But most importantly: have fun! Go out there, start filming stuff, try out new angles. Skateboarding is all about creativity, so embrace it!
Make Your Own Skateboard Film
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