Shooting a Marathon Race experience?

[MonkeysInaBucket]

Hey, If everything goes right, I will be shooting a marathon race in mid-October. This is completely different shooting for me and, probably my DP. I need some tips, hints and things to think about before I do this, and I was wondering if anyone has done this before or something similar. The camera being used, which is mine, is a DVX100B. Anything helpful will be great. Thanks!

MATTHEW

 

[j1clark@ucsd.edu]

Hey, If everything goes right, I will be shooting a marathon race in mid-October. This is completely different shooting for me and, probably my DP. I need some tips, hints and things to think about before I do this, and I was wondering if anyone has done this before or something similar. The camera being used, which is mine, is a DVX100B. Anything helpful will be great. Thanks!

MATTHEW

If it is just you and a dp, that is one camera, do you have the route planned out so you can shoot, at say location x, then be at y, when the front runners pass by, and so on, to the finish.

Do you have a list of those who take the run seriously, and so, pehraps do pre and post interviews?

I've not shot such an event... the closest I've gotten to that sort of thing recently is the Critical Tits bike ride at Burning Man... but I figure the principles are the same, just what is the features of interest...

In terms of shots, I'd say some of the following.

Watch 1936 Leni Riefenstahl coverage of Berlin Olympics... same shots are still used...

During race, camera low to ground as some group of runners pass by.
Shots from high angle, bridge, tall buildings along the path.

If the marathon has way-points, shots as people arrive and leave.
etc.

 

[Superfresa66]

Hey, If everything goes right, I will be shooting a marathon race in mid-October. This is completely different shooting for me and, probably my DP. I need some tips, hints and things to think about before I do this, and I was wondering if anyone has done this before or something similar. The camera being used, which is mine, is a DVX100B. Anything helpful will be great. Thanks!

MATTHEW

Witch Marathon are you shooting? Chicago? I currently work on a show called Runners Ultimate Network, we covered last years Chicago Marathon, you can see it on this link under "Marathon Mayhem Special" http://www.runnersultimatenet.com/

Like the other poster mention, you have to get ground shoots, Ultra-wide shoots, maybe even point-of-view... one thing thats very easy to forget is B-Roll, you need tons of it.
The episode on the link was shoot & edited the same day of the Marathon (I think it played at 6pm)

Anyway, if you're doing Chicago on the 11th of October, I will probably see you there!
:beer:
BTW we're shooting this years Marathon with the HMC150, last year we did Sony's!