Shooting Boat to Boat

Taylor Moore

Taylor Moore

Veteran
Looking at shooting a marketing video for a boat company.
http://www.shuttlecraft.com/
Any tricks on shooting on water would be great...

will be building waterbased scafolding for high shots.
Will probably make a Cinesaddle...
Will also build a water housing for shooting in the water.

Thanx
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

I'm not sure if this will help you at all, but I thought I'd share one of my experiences.

I did some shooting from a boat at pretty high speed with a steadicam. We traveled with boat from our location and back home and I strapped it on and did some shooting at waves, boats and such just for fun. It turned out very solid and nice. We even used one of those shots in the final product. The only real big problem with using a steadicam that way is the wind that will grab the rig if you are not in shelter.

Don't know if this is an option for you, but it works well.
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

I've done a bit of boat to boat shooting, and always got the best results going handheld. The steadycam is good for wide shots, but as mentioned, the problem is the wind when going at any speed, and the boat motion doesn't smooth out until you are going fast. A calm day helps, and being able to get the boats close together is also good. A wide angle lens helps to take out some of the motion also. I've never tried it with a DVX, only your larger, shoulder mounted betacams etc. and absorbed the boat motion with my legs. I imagine steady shots using longer lenses might be more difficult with the smaller camera.
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

I have shot a ton of boat to boat footage. Assuming you are talking about smaller boats that run fast in the water. Wind is a big issue, however you can cheat the wind if you plan right. Lighting etc. You want to go hand held but I suppose a stabilizer would also work. Also, run the boats in the same direction the wind is travelling, much smoother shots this way. Also, try and find calmer water, such as a bay or cove that has some wind protection. This will help keep the waves to a minimum, and the boats will ride much smoother. All of this providing the light is good. Sun over head works nice is you don't need a great deal of detail on the side of the boat. If you do, you still may be able to use the shot, for the water does make a good reflector.
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

I shot a wakeboard video from another boat using both hand held and stedicam. hand hld all depends on your hand, and yes the wind will effect the stedicam shot. but when the wind became a factor I took off my lens hood and just held the stedicam by the shaft, it took alot of the vibration away and the footage turned out great.
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

Have done over 100 shoots on water in the last year! Have had the best results using the DVRigPro, using my poor bent knees as shock absorbers,shooting 24P, and 1/24 shutter speeds! Have gotten great results using high and low shutter speeds but 1/24 is my favorite! Shoot W'A when possible and concentrate on being still, framing well, and constantly keeping an even horizon! Much more but protect cam at all costs from air and spray! Consider using lipstick cams and the Epic $389 housing made for the DVX-100 for the real close water splash shots!!! Good luck!!!
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

Taylor .....Felt funny suggesting anything to you as your experience in the field is quite repected in this forum! I'm sure you will post and teach us some valuable tricks in the coming months regards shooting on a boat! Cheers!
 
Re: Shooting Boat to Boat

To echo kidster a bit...
Calm water is of course best.  But if you're on choppy water, get in as close as possible and keep a wide angle.  Use your legs as shock absorbers and make sure to keep your horizon level, but a little bit of rise and fall actually accentuates the sense of being on a boat.  I've shot on bass boats, drift boats, and salt water flats boats.  Sometimes that motion of the waves is appropriate and really adds to the shot - gives it the energy of actually being on a boat.

Unclemort is right on about protecting the camera from spray.  Especially salt water spray.  Saltwater will corrode your gear like mad.  Always give your gear a thorough cleaning after saltwater exposure.

Hope it goes well!
 
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