A wrist-mounted 35mm film camera was the first GoPro product ever shipped. Things have changed quite a bit since the arrival of it. We have moved to the digital world and we have gone through multiple generations of cameras and now we need GoPro for our video and photo needs. As GoPro cameras are perfect for strapping to your chest, helmet, snowboard, etc., they have become an essential tool for POV videos, exclusively in the sports world. If you are an adrenaline junkie and you love to record the more adventurous portions of your life, a GoPro camera would the perfect approach for you. But do you really wonder how do they produce those nifty videos on TV that have the production value of a Planet Earth episode? Yes, you’re right. They apply a bit of professional post-production but you could employ some tips and tricks to turn your basic videos into masterpieces just like them. Excited to know them, huh? Let’s not talk more. Let’s jump into the professional tips for your ultimate GoPro videos.
- Use a Mount
If you want to spice up your GoPro video, use a mount. It makes things more exciting. You can get a lot of mounts at the market and there are a lot of ways to mount them. No matter what kind of adventurous video you’re going to make but a mount is always a good idea. You can choose a helmet or chest mount for shooting mountain bike videos or snowboarding excursion, or even decide to produce a tripod for stable stationary shots. It’s better to test out different places to mount the camera because it helps to determine which spots work best for producing smooth shots, correct angles, and all of the desired actions.
- Find a new angle
It’s easy to capture the action with a GoPro as it offers a very wide angle of view. But you really should do more than just simply set it and forget it when you have to create truly interesting videos. You need to place a GoPro closer to the action to illustrate a sense of speed. If you strap it to your chest, it can lead much more dramatic footage than one mounted wat up on your helmet. It just puts the perspective closer to the ground. It also helps while you’re using GoPro video editor. You can also try a mix of different camera positions as it can help you to give a comprehensive view to give your viewers of what’s going on. Sometimes, looking back at yourself can bring more entertaining footage rather than just mounting a forward facing GoPro. If you are not sure about your framing and want to make sure that you’re getting all the action, then you can go for ultra-wide. When you have more control over your framing, the narrower fields of view comes handy.
- Use filters. It helps!
GoPro filters are really effective to give your videos a unique look and feel. But still, there are few things you need to pay attention to. When you film in the bright environments by allowing for slower shutter speed, a neutral density filter works wonders. It keeps your footage from looking jarring. Neutral Density filters limit the light passing through to the lens. You can also use a polarizing filter to cut out reflections on glass or water. It helps your camera to see through the surface of a lake or the windshield of a car. And you can use a red filter to remove the blue-green colorcast inherent to the environment if you want to film underwater.
- Hold steady
Digital image stabilization has been featured in the last few generations of GoPro but the game turned up in the Hero7 Black. This feature is very impressive and there are benefits of using it. It can be beneficial whether you want a static shot or a moving one.GoPro cameras are ubiquitous. When it comes to stability, nothing beats a good-old tripod. Your camera is very lightweight, so you don’t need a heavy duty set of sticks for it. But a tripod with a fluid pan head is considerable. It helps you to make smooth pans to reveal a landscape or follow a subject. You can also use a powered gimbal to stabilize shots in motion. Because it uses motors to counteract the moment and it produces incredibly smooth footages in any setting virtually.
- A good story
A good story is a king when it comes to making a good video. It will grip your audience from start to finish, it doesn’t care whether your filmmaking techniques are overwhelming or underwhelming. You have to develop the idea behind what you want to shoot. It can be a simple day at the beach or something a bit complex but it’s always better to start shooting with a clear direction. So, I would recommend you to write an outline, sketch a storyboard with stick figures. This way gets your mind focused on the process of creating moments.
It’s not like you’re the only one who’s not getting everything that hoped for. Don’t let that thing screw you. You just have to have patience and keep working on it. You also have to try new things out. Keep yourself busy learning. You’ll ultimately find things that work for you and develop your own personal preferences and style over time. Don’t be afraid and work with a camera as small and as flexible as a GoPro because it helps to grab your freedom to experiment. So, be with new things.
