Learning to film tandem video

[pilotdave 0]

I had ~800 jumps when I filmed my first tandem. I did break UPT's rule though... it was my 99th camera jump. I was going to go without a camera for one more practice jump, but the TI asked me to bring the camera so the student, who had been waiting around all day, could get video (for free of course).

What's everybody in such a hurry for?

Dave

[DocPop 1]

Thanks for all that info. There is a lot of useful stuff in there.

I jump at a turbine DZ, but it is mostly tandems and a small core of low key fun-jumpers.

I don't know how my aptitude compares to "average", but I have put a lot of time into canopy work (high pulls) to get to my Katana so early. This has come at the expense of freefall time, so I am sure there are a lot of 200-jump jumpers with much better belly skills than me. Having said that I have lurked, and docked on, tandems without difficulty in the past. It is the exits that concern me - getting the shot without getting in the way. After that my main problem is going to be slow fall rates - I have clocked 104 mph without wings, but I could not really do much while flying that slow.

I don't need the money from doing this so I can afford to take my time. I want to do it right, rather than do it fast.

"The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls."

~ CanuckInUSA

[rhys 0]

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It is the exits that concern me - getting the shot without getting in the way. After that my main problem is going to be slow fall rates - I have clocked 104 mph without wings, but I could not really do much while flying that slow.

The exits 'should not' be a problem, it is all about timing. If you are outside then as long as you leave slightly before the tandem you will NEVER hit them.

The problem lies if you leave slightly after them.

Some wannabe camera guys have asked me if they can chase me, the answer is always....NO. This is asking for trouble.

Climbing out and exiting at the right time is the very first step in filming tandems.

My suggestion for you is to leave slightly early and track towards them. Track like anything, otherwise you will be separated considerably.

The potential energy of the tandem pair is about twice that of yours so they will always be thrown further than you, this is why we need to track towards them (after you have left slightly earlier), use your intuition to not hit them.

Ask the TM to give you a good cadence/count, if they refuse to, then don't jump with them, they are either incompetent or an asshole. You don't want to jump with either of those scenarios at this point, choose someone you trust.

Get some wings, practice with them first, they are very different. don't get huge ones, elbows to the bottom of your ribcage is great to begin with.

A baggy camera jacket is also quite good for slow fall fates but they don;t have as much range (unless you can fly in your head)

Just make sure you S&TA is happy, your TM is happy and most important you are happy that everything is feeling good.

If you feel uncomfortable or pressured, or that ther TM is up to something mischievous, just go and do something else and come back to it later.

That can be a good thing to do at any time anyway, taking your mind off the task can refresh your ability and make your progress better.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[Laszloimage 0]

Same old same old… But yes 500 jumps (RW jumps actually) and additional 100 camera jumps is the requirement in order to film tandems. I know others posted it already…
But here’s an example of a really shitty video which was actually aired on television.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zO69d-FY4c
Funny story awful camera work… Where is the close shot of the freaked out face by the outside camera man? Why his helmet does appear in the shot non stop? How about his hands? Where is the close up shot when the guy is trying to pull the fake ripcord?
…tandem video isn’t that simple!
The camera dude probably had a quiet amount of tandem videos by the time he shot that footage, but never really learned how to fly camera for sure.
...and here's an example for a descent flying(not mine though):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GgBHR7w08Q

[rhys 0]

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But here’s an example of a really shitty video which was actually aired on television.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zO69d-FY4c
Funny story awful camera work… Where is the close shot of the freaked out face by the outside camera man? Why his helmet does appear in the shot non stop? How about his hands? Where is the close up shot when the guy is trying to pull the fake ripcord?
…tandem video isn’t that simple!

Agreed 100%

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...and here's an example for a descent flying(not mine though):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GgBHR7w08Q

While the exit was nice and the camera guy has good skill, he would not get paid for that jump at my DZ.

1 no effort for pre jump interview
2, Sat in the co pilot seat and got a simple wave from afar.
3, no in plane interview
4, no orbit or pop up to get the perspective from above, was too busy sit flying.
5, no decent post jump interview

Once again at my DZ if I saw that being given to a customer, the camera guy would not be paid and the customer would be given a discount (the amount that camera guy usually gets paid).

There is much much more to good tandem videos than good flying skill, and good flying skill does not mean good footage or a good video.

I have seen camera people with 250 jumps make a 'much' better product than that example.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[PharmerPhil 0]

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How many here can honestly say that every person they have seen (including themselves) filming tandems at their DZ waited until 500 jumps.

FWIW, I had well over 500 jumps, and at least a couple of hundred camera jumps before I videod a tandem. Mostly 4-way and bigger RW. Just saying...

BTW, I think that second tandem video example was very sub-par. The exit was good (and I didn't watch anything except the freefall portion), but most of the freefall was very shaky, frequently tilted horizon, and the flyer seemed like he was often either struggling to stay there, or just bored (or didn't care). HE was all over the sky and not for any cool creative shots. The TI certainly wasn't helping out much (I flat out tell any TI not to do that stupid reaching under the passenger's arms for thumbs up). The camera's exposure wasn't set well for a jump with the Sun that high in the sky (student's face was way too dark), and that grabbing the foot thing is silly and adds NOTHING to the student's video or experience. That is purely about a videographer (and sometimes the TI) doing what they like rather than keeping focused on the paying customer.

Rant over...

[ITRecord 0]

***...and here's an example for a descent flying(not mine though):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GgBHR7w08Q

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Love it 100%, would not ad or take away any bit of it. Goes to my favorite.

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[rhys 0]

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...and here's an example for a descent flying(not mine though):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GgBHR7w08Q
In Reply To
Love it 100%, would not ad or take away any bit of it. Goes to my favorite.

Seriously, it is great flying but a farking CRAP customer DVD.

There is plenty that could be added, like the camera guy giving a fuck about the memory he is archiving for his customer.

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[velvetjo 0]

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Always check the spot on exit, when I learned it was the job of the camera person to determine whether or not we climbed out, and I started doing this at 200 jumps. Practice orbiting the tandem, it is best to do this after you have made it in and got the face shot and are still high enough to make some decisions.

When you are behind the tandem pair, pop up a bit so you are looking down on them and you can also check the spot there too.

Try to make this a nice orbit on a diagonal axis, if you are good you can stop in front and slightly below that pair.

Don't be afraid to pull a little higher and miss the opening. If the TM is such an asshole that they do not check the spot, allow for it, or hose you on purpose... Make sure you are one step ahead of them.

Film the spot, your alti, and track off and dump at an appropriate altitude and take your footage to the S& TA.

Just because you are filming and have to keep things in frame, does not mean you have to be oblivious to everything going on around you. Use a dytter and program it slightly higher than the (tandem) opening altitude so you can have a heads up for when the tandem should open.

You will discover how many do not open at the correct altitude, this is not your problem, you are not obliged to film the opening if the TM hoses you.

I can sympathise with you, some come from big turbine DZ's with many things going on, and some come from smaller DZ's with only tandems and a few fun jumpers.

I have to agree that you should have reasonable competence getting footage before you start filming tandems.
We were using cameras at 100 jumps and did most of our jumps from there with a camera.

At least make sure you can keep a subject (your buddy) in frame the whole time on 10 consecutive jumps. This may take 10 jumps or it may take 100, each persons aptitude is different.

Them manufacturers allow for the idiots, I don't want to assume you are an idiot.

Your S&TA has the final say at the end of the day. And If they are happy for you to jump a Katana, then you most likely have good aptitude.

Be safe and have fun...

The two things that underlie most of these responses are situational awareness and judgment. Both of these take a lot longer than flying skills to hone, and that's why UPT's minimum tandem outside video requirements make sense.

Getting an instructional rating goes a long way toward making a safe, competent camera flyer. If you're going to be shooting tandem and AFF video, it's a smart idea to have at minimum the rudimentary understanding of instruction that a coach rating affords. Coaching students (without a camera) will also greatly improve your flying abilities, judgment, and situational awareness.

Lance

[Mike.d 0]

Well there is some great info here! An i have enjoyed reading lots of people views, The Rules back in the UK are 200 jumps for camera, an i have already talked about this in a different forum etc.

I did my first Camera jump at 200 jumps, this was a solo, and top mounted DSLR, I didnt own Vid at the time, I was doing a lot of solo's at the time and working on canopy piloting, and working towards CP1 so i just used to take exit pictures, and pictures of my surroundings, and my setup points over the ground, which i found an added aid at times. arund 250 jumps i added my wings to the picture and did a few solo's and got used to the deploment and i think i got twist the first time, i was jumping a stilleto 120 with around 60 jumps at the time.
For the next i would say 100 jumps i filmed 4 ways when i had the chance. But i jumped every jump with the camera. So it became second nature. An drills where second nature an i would just run through possible situations like you would when you are doing your malfuction drills.
I also had a number of chats with people about should you have your RLS connected or not? Im still undecided.
Other things i think helped where that i had done a few display jumps with tandams with smoke etc.

I started filming tandams at my current DZ around 450 jumps, i had not pushed for it before as i had enough money to jump when i wanted and was also doing it as a full time job with in the armed forces.
The Kit i jump with is a Velo 90 with full RDS wingload about 1.8 and wings if required, but i tend to stray from this as i use the high deployments as free practise for CP. i use a PC1000 side mount, but dont jump with stills as not something our DZ does, and im happy with that due to snag hazard. I would not recomend to anyone doing what i do, most people would find this a high work load, an trust me things dont always go to plan, and i have jumped in some crap weather and landed off before now, i was lucky someone else filmed the landing for me, but well the family was still very happy, and i even got a tip ontop of my normal money from the DZ.

Right i have to shoot, i shall finish this of later.

Do what every arsehole who knows everything about canopy flight does this time of year , pull those toggles like the church bells and and closer to the floor the better the thrill!