Keys and Steps to Film Skateboarding in Smart Ways!

If you are a skateboarding freak, maybe you have seen amazing skateboard videos over the internet. Maybe you also want to shoot your own skateboarding like those pro videos but you do not have the proper guideline to accomplish this task.

To film skateboarding, you must have a good quality camera, a good choice of track as well as quality software to edit the videos. You can also use mobile phone cameras to shoot if the camera is quite up to the mark. 

This is a step-by-step guide to enable you to shoot a spectacular skateboarding session.

Ways to Film Skateboarding

First, we are going to see the necessary things you must have in order to film a skateboarding session. In the later part, we shall see the necessary steps to pass a good filming session.

1. The Right Types of Equipment

Before starting filming skateboarding, you need to gather the right equipment (camera, lenses, stand, etc) to do smooth and eye-catchy records. These are the moments that you are going to see after decades. So getting the right types of equipment to make an amazing record is the most vital part here. 

2. Skateboard

The first and foremost thing you have to have is a good skateboard. Do not buy cheap skateboards as they are going to have cracks while performing tricks and stunts. Also, they can do physical damage. So choose a good skateboard to film.

You can also paint your skateboard according to your taste and aptitude. The visual part is an important one because you are making records of your skateboarding. Do any type of creative design on your board or just do some google to get ideas about amazing skateboarding paintings.

3. Camera

You can do the shooting both with a camera or a cell phone. Though the quality of a film that is shot with a camera won’t be equal to a film with a cell phone. 

A DSLR camera is the ideal one for shooting though it is not cost-effective. You can buy a camcorder instead if you are out of budget. But while shooting with a camcorder, ensure that you have turned the steady shot off.

Among the most popular camcorders, you can get Sony camcorders in a price range of approximately 350 and 550 dollars. 

Probably the most optimum equipment to shoot is a Mini-DV camera. This is an excellent trade-off between the cost and quality. You can record the films to tape and the quality is satisfying enough. 

4. Suitable lens

The best kind of lens you can use for skateboarding shooting is a fisheye lens. They have a wide range of view angles. The skater as well as the obstacle he/she is going to use for skateboarding can be put into a single screen if you use this kind of lens. 

The audience of the film is going to see the whole picture with ease and can get an extra thrill that is not present in films shot with a normal lens. Picking the right lenses is a mandatory part of filming skateboarding.

5. Perfect Obstacles

After collecting the camera and lens to shoot, you need to choose good obstacles to demonstrate your skills and stunts. Select the place of skateboarding before your shooting. Otherwise, you need to roam all over the places having your camera and skateboard in your hands which is not a good idea.

Any skatepark is a good place to shoot. Although they are usually crowded places and the space to make a good film is hard to find. Besides, you can go for a grinding rail or concrete stairs to make your film.

6. Video Editing Software

Ok. Now you are all done. You have done your recording part. Time to merge small pieces of videos. Time to push some effects or crop the frames. Among the basic kinds of software, there are iMovie, Avidemux, etc. which are license free software as well as beginner-friendly.

You can also edit videos with Premiere Pro, PowerDirector, etc. This software are quite complicated to handle and is not free. If you are a moderate-level video editor, you can go for these instead of absolutely free software.

Okay! All done. Now,

Step by Step Guide to Film Skate Session

• The first and foremost tip to do a good record is to focus on your skating. Do not give concentration to the cameraman or any other subject. Just focus on your skating because nothing is more valuable than your health. Safety first is the main theme of everything you do.

• If you are doing a record all on your own, set your camera on a tripod and choose a nice place from where the whole scenario is going to be recorded. Put the place where you are going to perform your tricks in the middle of your frame.

• If you are filming others, be less dramatic and do not stand in the way of skating. It will prevent any unwanted situations easily. 

• In case of using rails, keep a constant speed and make sure that you are keeping the skater inside of the frame all the time. Otherwise, the record will not be a good one to watch. Keeping the main subject out of focus will decrease your filming quality drastically. 

• Whenever you are filming a trick on stairs, tell the cameraman to make focus on the stairs rather than you. Or else you are going to miss most of the amazing demonstration of tricks. 

• If you want to demonstrate an obstacle greater than the actual size, you have to keep the camera lower to the ground and must have to face the camera up. Also, you have to keep yourself closer to the subject. 

• One important thing is always to keep an eye on the light source. Putting the sun in the wrong position can destroy a nice shot completely. 

• Do not make the existing path of the skater shallow. that may lead to some kind of damage. Give him/her enough space. 

• Lastly, review your footage carefully before ending a shooting session. Carefully examine the angles of shooting, the light intensity, the positioning of the skater, and the obstacles, and observe everything. When you are satisfied, call for the termination of the session. Otherwise, ask for a reshoot. 

Packing Up

We have come to the end of the essay and now you have learned how to film a skateboarding event. Do not omit any necessary steps mentioned above and thus you can shoot an eye catchy session.