I am at Suffolk University at the moment and I'm talking to a professional editing teacher he says a few ways to make a skate video look better and more professional. I suppose these tips may be for beginners but oh well just trying to help people.

1.) Fish eye or Death lens: This is an obvious and a given fish eye makes the object you are looking at look a lot bigger then it is in all reality and you can see the entire skating and the spot your skating. You have to be close to film with a fish eye however for if you don't your trick will be extremely far away and if you zoom in the resolution is degraded. Resolution meaning "quality of video"

2.) Panning: There are 3 ways to make your video look better by panning. Panning means moving the camera.
A.)Start filming an object such as the ground or a tree then zoom out and slowly move the camera towards the skater as he performs his trick whether it be a stair set or a ledge etc. After the trick is landed you aim the camera some where else while continuing to move. End clip.
b.) Option 2 Sit on the bottom step and film up to the stair set it makes the set look god dang ginormous and I kno for experience that its true.

c.) leave the camera on a tripod and let it film you but use a remote to start and stop the camera so you do not waste film. Aim it towards the set and hope the board doesn't hit it.

3.) Filming lines: To film a perfect line you must either follow on a large 10 inch old school board with 60 mm wheels so that way you don't hit a crack or rock and destroy your camera.

4.) Use a handle: you can use a handle to film but be careful make sure the board doesn't pop out and destroy your lens. Or worse !!!

5.)Editing programs: The best editing programs are final cut studio 5 or final cut H D express or perhaps avid and a must is adobe after effects. All those programs are for mac other wise known as apple. Mac definitely is a must and the best computer for editing. You could use PC but reliability is sadly terrible and evil.

I hope my tips have helped you tell me how your attempts at editing or filming work out.

Craig aka Blankboard 42

very well thought out!

I am majoring in Production at MSU. Good list, although I would say minimize any zooming and that the PC is also a good editing platform (I do love Mac though, but it's really just preference now), and I wouldn't worry about wasting film/space, better to use too much than to try to cue it remotely and risk a delay and possibly missing some action; with the digital age this isn't much of a big deal since you can store a lot of data, and extra footage is easily edited out. :)

I am majoring in Production at MSU. Good list, although I would say minimize any zooming and that the PC is also a good editing platform (I do love Mac though, but it's really just preference now), and I wouldn't worry about wasting film/space, better to use too much than to try to cue it remotely and risk a delay and possibly missing some action; with the digital age this isn't much of a big deal since you can store a lot of data, and extra footage is easily edited out. :)

Yes your right about wasting film thats alight unless you are in highschool and use dv tapes with a short supply of money!

3.) Filming lines: To film a perfect line you must either follow on a large 10 inch old school board with 60 mm wheels so that way you don't hit a crack or rock and destroy your camera.


That is the least logical sentence ever... you don't need to ride an old school board to film a perfect line, and it says 'either' as if it were to give you a second option and then never does... this thread is pretty stupid..

but no offense...:icon_peac

Thanks that was nice

hmmm...good tips, im gunna find a fisheye and start filming as you told us.

That is the least logical sentence ever... you don't need to ride an old school board to film a perfect line, and it says 'either' as if it were to give you a second option and then never does... this thread is pretty stupid..

but no offense...:icon_peac

lol sorry if you think that i was just trying to help you guys.

thx good advice

adobe after effects. All those programs are for mac other wise known as apple. Mac definitely is a must
After effects is for both. And a mac is not a must. There is no one better OS for editing, it is all personal preference.

[5.)Editing programs: The best editing programs are final cut studio 5 or final cut H D express or perhaps avid and a must is adobe after effects. All those programs are for mac other wise known as apple. Mac definitely is a must and the best computer for editing. You could use PC but reliability is sadly terrible and evil.]

Avid is a PC or Mac program. PCs are very reliable. I have use Avid on a PC for the last 10 years and have never had any major problems.
I am looking into getting a mac to learn Final Cut. Mac is a very strong platform and will be around for long time, but so will PCs.

After effects is for both. And a mac is not a must. There is no one better OS for editing, it is all personal preference.

No, Final Cut IS better for editting, which is mac only. I use Adobe Premiere Pro 2, and I can say fersure Final Cut beats it.

I agree with most of what you said except for lines and the remote. You should include using a fishy and being down low. And like fluke said, editting out extra footy is easier than going back and redoing the trick if there's a record delay.

Also a major tip for anytime you film skating, if you can get the shot frontside, get the shot frontside. The only time you should film backside is if there's no possible way to get a good angle fs or if you're somewhat far away. Just keep bs shots to a minimum, one, MAYBE two full throttle butt shots are ok, but always try to get fs. 180's are tricky, since you have to decide to have the rollup fs or the landing if you're using a fishy. Hopefully they don't do it first try, then you can try a few angles. :tongue:

nice guide, ill use some of those techniques! (i already use most of em :))

quick question: i have a panasonic pv-GS320, and i dont have a handle for it. I already made one, but i would like a much more reliable and legit one.

if anyone could suggest one that i could use, preferably one that hooks into a "shoe" (like where you could slide a light into,you know?)

im talkin a handle that you see on a vx1000!


THANKS A TON GUYS!

nice guide, ill use some of those techniques! (i already use most of em :))

quick question: i have a panasonic pv-GS320, and i dont have a handle for it. I already made one, but i would like a much more reliable and legit one.

if anyone could suggest one that i could use, preferably one that hooks into a "shoe" (like where you could slide a light into,you know?)

im talkin a handle that you see on a vx1000!


THANKS A TON GUYS!

I would anwser your question if i could man thanks for he positive rep tho :) By the way maybe you should ask Easton Bryan That question hes good at that stuff i believe pm him about it

Thank you for making this it is awesome!

thanks a bunch, me and a couple of buds need to film coz we have sick lines planned up for tommorow

A.)Start filming an object such as the ground or a tree then zoom out and slowly move the camera towards the skater as he performs his trick whether it be a stair set or a ledge etc. After the trick is landed you aim the camera some where else while continuing to move. End clip.


but please dont do it on every single trick, cause that's annoying!
we had little session where we made a monty, quite a long time ago, and only one dude filmed. so after EVERY trick he filmed the stupid ground.
the video ended up being retarded.

nice tips by the way, nothing new for me though.. ;)

Thanks for the guide that was very useful.

but please dont do it on every single trick, cause that's annoying!
we had little session where we made a monty, quite a long time ago, and only one dude filmed. so after EVERY trick he filmed the stupid ground.
the video ended up being retarded.

nice tips by the way, nothing new for me though.. ;)

Lol at least you don't have a filmer who after every trick u do as soon as all for wheels hit the ground stops the camera lol

Thanks for the tips,im the camera guy in my skate group.