Sports videographer shares tips on capturing action with an iPhone
Few sports are as conducive to travel and exploration as skateboarding. Skateboarders often travel the world in search of new skate spots or to visit famous places. Between landing difficult tricks and finding hidden street spots, capturing those moments on camera is a big part of skate culture.
Hong Kong sports photographer and videographer Owen Yu has traveled the world capturing skaters in action for more than two decades. “Skateboard filming has come through many eras,” he says, “from the early days of Super 8 and 16mm film cameras, through arguably the most influential camera of all, the Panasonic VX1000, to the move to HD with the HVX. ”
He says the sport and the way it’s filmed has evolved over the years. “The iPhone has changed the way skateboarders approach filming. Now everyone has a high-quality camera in their pocket that can be used to film a quick clip and post it on social media. And by far the most popular among skateboarders is the iPhone, mostly because of the AirDrop feature. It makes sharing clips you filmed of your friend a breeze.”
As smartphones become more powerful for capturing images, more and more sports enthusiasts are trying to capture reels and short clips to up their social media game. These bite-sized videos can be quickly shot on smartphones and edited on tablets, making them the perfect medium for traveling content creators.
Yu uses his Apple devices to create an exclusive video for The Sporting News and pays tribute to his hometown with a skate video featuring Hong Kong skater Luk Chun Yin.
The videographer shares tips for producing sports videos on the go and reveals why the Apple iPhone 14 Pro and iPad have become his gear of choice when filming for social media.
Choose the right format
Editing can make or break a video, but to get there you need footage that can be cropped, allowing for more dynamic manipulation of the action in post-production.
“Use 4k 60 when filming action. The high frame rate allows for smooth slow motion in post production,” Yu recommends.
Get on the topic
Unlike shooting still images, the action on a soccer field or in the street doesn’t wait for anyone. If you miss the perfect kickflip or goal, you can’t ask the athlete to repeat the move. For this reason, according to Yu, it is imperative to use the autofocus function to ensure that the moments captured are clear, sharp and usable.
“Although the iPhone 14 Pro’s autofocus is very good and can acquire subjects quickly, sometimes it helps to lock focus when there are foreground subjects. Do this by long pressing on the point you want to focus on.”
Play with the depth of field for more dynamic storytelling
Depending on the mood and mood you want to convey, playing with focus transitions and depth of field can improve the overall aesthetic of the clip. “You can use Cinematic mode for extra depth of field,” he says. This can be particularly useful when pairing action elements with travel vlog-style footage — Yu says it’s an easy way to produce cinema-quality footage on the go.
Move with the action
If you’re shooting from the stands, you might not be able to follow where the action is going. But Yu says he films sports like skateboarding or rowing; It pays to get up close and personal with the action by literally walking alongside the athlete.
“iPhones have built-in stabilization that’s perfect for filming on the go. To improve flexibility, always walk with your knees slightly bent to reduce the up-and-down motion of walking.”
It also helps if you know the sport yourself. “When skateboarding, we usually skate alongside or behind the skater for a more dynamic look.”
Don’t waste time rendering
The beauty of filming and editing on smart devices is that you can take your office with you wherever you go. According to Yu, being able to quickly access and work on footage is especially important when creating content for social media while traveling. Yu says there’s no need to wait for footage to render before editing, which is a huge plus when filming and editing on iPhone and iPad.
“With iPad, you can quickly transfer your footage and start editing in iMovie without rendering. It can handle the H.265 codec with ease, and the export is fast too.”
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