Should I rotate headdown footage, so that it is oriented towards the earth correctly?

[soulbabel 0]

I posted some split screen freefly footage of a skydive over the weekend that was filmed while headdown. Initially, I posted the footage as is, so everything appears to be traveling upwards.

I started thinking this might look really odd to viewers who hadn't become accustomed to that sort of perspective change, so I posted another video where the clips are rotated 180 degrees to show the actual movement and orientation.

I was hoping people would be willing to look at the two clips and tell me which orientation would yield the best overall viewing experience.

Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oQDwkSRKsg
Flipped: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIgXG6kUQ0w

Also, the flipped version looks odd at the start, so I'm wondering if I should keep it right side up until we leave the plane. I wasn't sure what kind of video transition would work best: some sort of zoom and rotate, or just having the video flip instantly, etc.

I'm open to any suggestions. I use AviSynth to put my footage together, so my video editor is actually just a text editor (Notepad), but I can probably figure something out.

[base851 0]

My 100% subjective take...

Interesting exercise. I've done a fair amount of freeflying in the past so I found that my brain sort of instinctively processed the original from a headdown perspective.

But you're right, if you're not used to that sort of orientation, the original may look a little odd. I think you have the right idea in taking everything up to the exit rightside up, then flipping the headdown footage. That way the video is 100% sky->up, ground->down oriented.

[BMFin 0]

My own style (in photography/videography) is:

-Inside footage, keep it as it is.

-Outside footage, rotate 180 degrees.

There are ofcourse exceptions to this "rule" and I always assess each photo/footage individually.

In your footage the parts where you take grips clearly classifies the footage as inside footage and not rotating it makes it more explicit.

[FreeflyChile 0]

My suggestion is to keep it inverted when it's just head-down flying but if you're flying with sit-flyers, then keep it right-side-up.

Just a personal choice - I think that the view of a head-down flyer where they look like they're falling 'up' is awesome and really gives the video that 'we're really flying up here' feel.

[hcsvader 1]

When you rotate it it just looks to me as though it was filmed in a sit...

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