Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
I had fun shooting a rocket launch yesterday in Florida with my PMW-F55 and R5 recording 4K RAW @ 60 fps.
F55: Rocket Launch yesterday in Florida
- Thread starter Doug Jensen
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jlpskydive
Active member
Wish I had known you were in town. You could have swung by for a beer after the shoot. I live right down the road from there. Also know the Dir of Coms for the Space Center pretty well also.
Braindead@70
Well-known member
Strong technique and creative editing!!!! Doug, you never disappoint.
Braindead@70
Well-known member
Hey Doug, how about doing a seminar in Atlanta? Plenty of volunteers in Atlanta to help.
Hi Doug, did you record the sound as well? Or are there stock sound-recording from lifting rockets? That sound must be something...
Sometimes the lack of sound at 60 fps makes me want a small recorder velcro-ed to my camera. Or a shotgun with in-build recorder (now wait, google google, --- until 30 seconds ago I even didn't know these exist, but they do.)
A Happy 2017 from the Netherlands
Sometimes the lack of sound at 60 fps makes me want a small recorder velcro-ed to my camera. Or a shotgun with in-build recorder (now wait, google google, --- until 30 seconds ago I even didn't know these exist, but they do.)
A Happy 2017 from the Netherlands
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
Thanks for the nice comments. It was fun to shoot. I shot a night time launch I shot a couple of weeks ago that maybe I'll post too. But the daytime launches seem rare these days.
@jlpskydive
I have a place in Titusville so I'll be here most of the winter. We should get together for one of the upcoming launches.
@Publimix
Good question, but no I didn't bother with sound. Even if I wasn't using S&Q Motion it would still not be worth it to try to get sound. Believe it or not, my shooting location was over 5 miles away (upwind) and those rockets make less noise than you think. The space shuttle roared, but these little rockets are pretty quiet. I could hear it, but I don't think the sound would have picked up over the wind, surf, and voices around me.
@Braindead
I'm always up for doing a seminar or for just going out shooting. In the past few weeks I've taught private classes in Montreal, Washingtion, and NYC, plus Maine a few times this year. I've even thought about doing a wildlife workshop down here in Florida someday. There's lots of wildlife/nature photo workshops photographers can sign up for, but nothing for video that I am aware of. It'd be fun.
@jlpskydive
I have a place in Titusville so I'll be here most of the winter. We should get together for one of the upcoming launches.
@Publimix
Good question, but no I didn't bother with sound. Even if I wasn't using S&Q Motion it would still not be worth it to try to get sound. Believe it or not, my shooting location was over 5 miles away (upwind) and those rockets make less noise than you think. The space shuttle roared, but these little rockets are pretty quiet. I could hear it, but I don't think the sound would have picked up over the wind, surf, and voices around me.
@Braindead
I'm always up for doing a seminar or for just going out shooting. In the past few weeks I've taught private classes in Montreal, Washingtion, and NYC, plus Maine a few times this year. I've even thought about doing a wildlife workshop down here in Florida someday. There's lots of wildlife/nature photo workshops photographers can sign up for, but nothing for video that I am aware of. It'd be fun.
Dan Keaton
Well-known member
Dear Doug,
It is very interesting recording the audio from a rocket launch.
I was there for many Apollo Saturn 1B and Saturn V launches, as I used to work for NASA (on the Saturn V) and for Grumman (on the Lunar Module).
One must be miles away, for safety, of course, so one sees the engines firing, then quite a long time later, one hears the sound.
For the next to the last Atlantis launch, I got to film the flight from on top of the Vehicle Assembly Building. That was fun, as at one point the top of the VAB was swaying quite a bit. That was 3.3 miles away. Due to the trajectory, the Shuttle engines were pointing directly at us (and the VAB) for a portion of the flight. I used vibration isolators for my tripod which helped.
NASA Safety Team gave us very specific instructions: Watch us, if you see us running away, we suggest that you follow us as fast as you can!
Another time, I was watching John Glenn's Shuttle Flight from the northern end of the launch area, I was about 26 miles away. Thus, I heard the sound 121 seconds later! Over two full minutes of silence, then the roar of the engines and boosters.
I have always thought that most people watching videos expect the visuals to be in sync with the sound, regardless of the distance. Thus one may want to align the audio to the video.
Respectfully,
Dan Keaton
Convergent Design
It is very interesting recording the audio from a rocket launch.
I was there for many Apollo Saturn 1B and Saturn V launches, as I used to work for NASA (on the Saturn V) and for Grumman (on the Lunar Module).
One must be miles away, for safety, of course, so one sees the engines firing, then quite a long time later, one hears the sound.
For the next to the last Atlantis launch, I got to film the flight from on top of the Vehicle Assembly Building. That was fun, as at one point the top of the VAB was swaying quite a bit. That was 3.3 miles away. Due to the trajectory, the Shuttle engines were pointing directly at us (and the VAB) for a portion of the flight. I used vibration isolators for my tripod which helped.
NASA Safety Team gave us very specific instructions: Watch us, if you see us running away, we suggest that you follow us as fast as you can!
Another time, I was watching John Glenn's Shuttle Flight from the northern end of the launch area, I was about 26 miles away. Thus, I heard the sound 121 seconds later! Over two full minutes of silence, then the roar of the engines and boosters.
I have always thought that most people watching videos expect the visuals to be in sync with the sound, regardless of the distance. Thus one may want to align the audio to the video.
Respectfully,
Dan Keaton
Convergent Design
Doug Jensen
Carbonite Member
Hi Dan,
That must have been a great experience to work for NASA and to have actually seen a Saturn V close up. I'm really jealous of that. I've been lucky enough to get on top of the VAB a couple of times but never during a launch. That must have been great! I shot a couple of shuttle launches from the grass near the big countdown clock in the press area and the roar from the engines really sounded impressive even from that distance. Or maybe "roar" isn't the right word; I always thought the solid rocket boosters had more of a crackle sound. But I remember the NASA guys telling me that the shuttle was nothing compared to the Saturn V, and I'm sure they were right. Just as today's private rockets pale in comparison to what the shuttle was. The sound just doesn't carry very far. Sure, you can hear them, but not worth recording from that distance. But all that is about to change. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming SLS/Orion launches in a few more years that will be more powerful than the Saturns. I will definitely be getting press credentials again for those launches!
Interesting to hear you worked for NASA. I'd like to hear more about it the next time I see you at NAB
That must have been a great experience to work for NASA and to have actually seen a Saturn V close up. I'm really jealous of that. I've been lucky enough to get on top of the VAB a couple of times but never during a launch. That must have been great! I shot a couple of shuttle launches from the grass near the big countdown clock in the press area and the roar from the engines really sounded impressive even from that distance. Or maybe "roar" isn't the right word; I always thought the solid rocket boosters had more of a crackle sound. But I remember the NASA guys telling me that the shuttle was nothing compared to the Saturn V, and I'm sure they were right. Just as today's private rockets pale in comparison to what the shuttle was. The sound just doesn't carry very far. Sure, you can hear them, but not worth recording from that distance. But all that is about to change. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming SLS/Orion launches in a few more years that will be more powerful than the Saturns. I will definitely be getting press credentials again for those launches!
Interesting to hear you worked for NASA. I'd like to hear more about it the next time I see you at NAB