Behind the Scenes

Videographer: Luke Parmeter
Site: http://www.lpmultimedia.com

Equipment Used: Canon 60D, Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 VC, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS, Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM Fisheye, Zacuto Z-Finder Pro, GoPro HD Hero with chest mount, Cobracrane Dolly with 6 ft track, Aputure Shutter Release Timer

The Scoop: I'll start off by saying the Guetter's know how to put on one heck of a show. We were stoked to get the invite to film and photograph this event, and we put 110% into this production. We used a ton of different equipment, including a new Canon 100mm Macro that is our new favorite toy!

Filming began as soon as we rolled into the Redwood County Fairgrounds. The Guetter's were still constructing the big dirt landing, so I set up a time-lapse with my Aputure shutter release timer. I moved the camera every 15 minutes or so for about an hour. The clouds were also moving in nicely, so I set up a few more shots facing skyward. In the end, I used about 4 time-lapse clips from Redwood and another 4 from previous shoots. How many photos does that translate to? About 1200!

Filming lifestyle and behind the scenes shots are very important to our videos. We filmed just about everything we could before the riders even hit the ramp. The Canon 100mm Macro lens is an excellent tool for that job, since it allows you to focus in on exactly what you want the viewers to be looking at. We also used the Sigma 10mm Fisheye for the dolly shots beginning at 0:41 and the banger shots at 1:17 & 1:42.

The Cobracrane dolly was used heavily throughout the day, bringing in the very subtle movements that add the "wow factor" to any video. We're big fans of using the Sigma Fisheye with the dolly, espicially low angle shots that give you a sense of how big everything actual is.

Jon Guetter was kind enough to run the chest mounted GoPro helmet camera throughout the day. Jon threw down some super smooth backflips that looked incredible on video. Thanks again Jon!

Other Notes:
Almost every shot was filmed at 60 frames per second, and most of these clips were brought into a 24 frames per second timeline resulting in buttery smooth slow motion. We also timewarped a few shots resulting in super slow motion. We tried not to overdo it, because it's easy to get carried away.

For this video we went with a VHS distortion theme. We added some VHS fuzz during the intro and on transitions throughout the final edit. In a world where everything is digital, adding a bit of analog distortion can set your work apart. We're stoked on this look. You saw it here first!

Favorite Shots:
1:00 Josh Normington was sitting on his quad before the show, and you could tell he was wore out from practicing in the 90+ degree weather. The setting sun really lit the scene well. I added some slow motion to add more drama.

1:12 For this shot, I set the dolly up behind the fence and framed it right where the riders were hitting full extension. I focused in on the fence and began to move the dolly left. As Devin Humphrey extended, I pulled focus onto him while still moving the dolly. Kilt it!

1:17 Andy Kawa suggested a fisheye dolly shot from under one of the kickers while one of the riders launched over. I gave it a shot and man, Kawa was right! This angle was sick. You can see my shadow pushing the dolly as Michael Hurd hucks overhead.

Want more dirt on this project? Read Andy Kawa's *Behind the Scenes

Andy Kawa (right) and myself cool off under the Can Am tent. It was 90+ degrees so we made sure to keep all our equipment in the shade while not in use. We didn't want to mess around with things overheating!

In this shot I'm putting the chest mounted GoPro on Jon Guetter. Jon's a tall dude, so it took a few tries before it was strapped in perfectly. The footage turned out great! Check out the backflip at 1:59. Thanks again Jon!

Here's a great shot of the dolly system in action. The dolly rides on two 6' PVC tubes, which is a good all around length. You set your tripod right into the dolly and away you go. Sometimes we'll set the camera right on the dolly itself for ultra-low angle shots.

Our buddy Andy "GTR" Nelson took a nasty spill during practice. We got up close and personal with this shot. Check it out at the very, very end of the video.

Mid way through the day we backed everything up. With all the time-lapse and B-roll shots we filled up one of our 8 GB SD cards fairly quickly.

Andy Kawa and I focus in on the shot. Be sure to check out his photo gallery by clicking here.

Special thanks to Stacey Kanarski for all the behind the scenes photos!