Aerial Filming

O

Ogrus

Well-known member
I use a DVX100B and have an assignment tomorrow which i´m really hyped about.
I have to shoot some aerial footage of the coastal area around my zone (northern Spain)
This is something i´ve never done before. I'm no expert filmer so any help with settings, ideas, advice etc is very very welcomed and neccessary!
thanks!
Ogrus
 
Well i just returned from my small aerial filming and all went fine. Since no one replied i suppose no one knew the answer, so the next time you have a flying shooting assignment, you'll have to learn on your own..........









.....only kidding ; ) Using OIS was all i needed. The flight was very very stable. Images came out crisp clear using f6 and default settings

Cheers
OGRUS
 
thats cool, probably not many people get to shoot from the sky. I was thinking about going on one of those helicoptor tours of the city to get some arial shots for myself. Did you have to shoot through the window?
 
Dude, post a clip! I'm interested in what you did. Settings? Wide angle? Hand held? Thru the window? Camera mount? Problems with reflections? Plane or helicopter? How was it working with the pilot?
 
j said:
Dude, post a clip! I'm interested in what you did. Settings? Wide angle? Hand held? Thru the window? Camera mount? Problems with reflections? Plane or helicopter? How was it working with the pilot?
Click to expand...

I second that :)

I would love to get a chance and get up in a plane/copter and do some filming. Great stock footage!
 
oneinfiniteloop said:
I second that :)

I would love to get a chance and get up in a plane/copter and do some filming. Great stock footage!
Click to expand...


Why not just hang out a bit at the local air strip and ask. You could ask around at the local EAA group. We (they) take up kids for rides free. If you shoot a little somethin for them, maybe they'll take you up for free also. Most pilot buddies of mine are always just looking for an excuse to go up.

Jeff Patnaude
N357G
 
It was a small 4 seater cessna type plane. These things look like toys but are stable mothers! Since we needed some good footage we were'nt too high up, about 1000mts according to the pilot. There was 0 shakiness or vibration. It was like riding on a bird. A firm grip on the cam was enough to prevent movement (along with the ois obviously on). Tried only f1 and f5, prefered the f5 look. ND filter to the max, (tons of light due to sea reflection). As i mentioned, i´m no expert shooter so i used default settings, I would have tried some experimentation but i recieved no reply to my original post :crybaby: It was only a 20 minute ride so i did'nt want to risk I only had one chance. Yes, i removed a plastic panel and filmed out of the window. It was coool. I tried filming on a few sharp turns, but g-forces and looking thru the viewer dont go together. I has to stop shooting, my stomach ordered that.
The pilot was used to having photographers on so he knew how to keep the bird on a smooth trail. As soon as i have a few moments, i´ll post some footage for all to see. It was free for me, but it costs around 120$/100€ for a 8 minute tour. I highly recommend it and cant wait to see the footage on a large screen.
There is no sensation of fear or danger. Its a pleasure ride all the way thru.
Just dont do it if you are afraid of heights... duh!
Ogrus
 
Folks, BE CAREFULL with arial work. - Especilly helicopters.
Their flexibilty also makes it (all too often) easy to get into trouble. It's very easy to do things that you shouldn't. Keep that in mind, and make sure the pilot does nothing "special" for you. Don't even ask them to go lower, faster, etc..

Personally I'll leave arial shooting to the specialists, you won't get me in a chopper with a camera.

- Mikko
 
Yes, i live near a parachuting center, hang around for a couple of days, ask questions, pilots hang around the bar all the time. They always want an excuse to fly, be curious, ask them questions, they fly planes, they feel special. They love to answer- In no time they'll say... hey, come along tomorrow and i´ll give you a quick spin. As a matter of fact, the pilot i meet introduced me to other pilots and as soon as i landed, this other pilot i met befoe asked if i wanted to to join him for a ride along with a group of parachuters. Unfortunately the plane was finally too crowded and i didnt make it, but i´ll be back... i already know the guys! It was very easy. curiousity, friendliness and "hanging around" did the job.
 
mikkowilson said:
Folks, BE CAREFULL with arial work. - Especilly helicopters.
Their flexibilty also makes it (all too often) easy to get into trouble. It's very easy to do things that you shouldn't. Keep that in mind, and make sure the pilot does nothing "special" for you. Don't even ask them to go lower, faster, etc..

Personally I'll leave arial shooting to the specialists, you won't get me in a chopper with a camera.

- Mikko
Click to expand...
Mikko, this isn't the 1st time I've noticed your "concern" about helicopters. Did you have a bad experience?
 
"Concern" is the right word.

No I personally haven't (and don't plan on it!) but I've heard enoguh horror stories from friends whom I respect to heed their warnings, unfortunatly backed up with the too often sad news of crews going down you hear about.
Not saying helicopters are all bad, just that they require extra special caution. Enough that I make sure to post about it when the topic comes up, just incase someone who really shouldn't be dooing it stumbles across the thread and needs a reminder before they get a wild idea. :thumbsup:

- Mikko
 
I don't understand the "concern". Where's the danger? I grew up around helicopters and never even heard of anyone getting hurt. There's some basic safety precautions, but they're pretty obvious and you're not likely to forget them.

I've shot lots from planes and helicopters. Get one with a "bubble" observation window (very common on the Bell Jet-Ranger) and ask the mechanic to make sure it's clean (they have a special cleaner -- don't bring your own or you'll make them angry!) Put the camera on OIS, and make sure you're holding it evenly. Watch as well that you don't get the blades -- they can be difficult to see except in your final footage at home!

From a Cessna take the back seat, and you'll have to shoot pointing a bit backwards to avoid the pillar. Some have removable window frames for this purpose, but it's not necessary IMHO as long as the window is clean.

The best footage I got was from a Russian Yak-42 which had a glass nose. I crawled right up to the front and pointed the camera forward and slightly down -- looked just like a birds-eye-view. Landing was also a thrill.
 
I don't understand all the fuss about shooting from a chopper either.
I've only shot from the front seat in one, but I have quite a few friends who have shot from an open side-door of a helicopter. Of course you wear a safety harness and have to rent a special door-rig for a camera mount.

I've shot lots of stuff from aircraft though. The best Cessna to use is a Cardinal. They have no wing struts. A person can make do otherwise, as previously stated- by shooting down and back slightly. Some planes have the plexi bubble windows for photography. If you use paper towels or regular window cleaner it can craze the plexi. Thats why they get upset (if you could see the ridiculous bill for a new window- you'd get upset too!).

Good luck- iit's great fun!

Jeff Patnaude
N357G:beer:
 
Hi Jeff,

Good to see other pilots around here. Re: the bubble-type canopy-- you're right on. Specifically, the homebuilt "RV" series, which have 360-degree visibility. I owned an RV for a short time (had to give it up when I moved into a more expensive house), and you can get great shots in one - no pillars, roofs, etc. to get in the way.

BTW, don't let the "home-built" moniker scare ya; they're lovingly put together by serious pilots, and go through rigorous testing to ensure their safety and flyability. Anyway, it would be worth asking around your FBO (the local airport) for pilots with RVs - they're the most popular type of homebuilt plane out there, so there's likely to be a number of them at almost any local airport.
 
Hey Finn- fellow pilot!
Yep- RV4's....sigh. They scoot. I have a Fly Baby....taildragger...continental A65....open cockpit....low and slow! Someday though.

I am a member of the national and local EAA, or Experimental Aircraft Association.
There are local chapters near most all airports. The people are really friendly and easy going. You can visit their meetings and talk with the pilots no problem (pilots love to talk about flying,. Just get them started and you'll see!). Our chapter in Lawrenceville, Georgia has a pancake breakfast every 1st saturday of the month. Other chapters have theirs on different weekends. Go to the national website and do a search for a chapter near you:
www.eaa.org

I'm sure you could talk a pilot into helping out. Good luck!

Jeff Patnaude
N357G :thumbup:
 
Hot air balloons are another good platform. Balloonists need ground crew and you can often trade crew time for flight time. :)

Cheers,

Jim
N4094C
 
I learned to fly as a teenager, but never got around to buying a plane -- or building the ultralight I've always wanted. Later...
 
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