GoPRO - Tips, Tricks and Riggings

[Finished Business]

Been getting more and more use out of my GoPro, and every video I watch, I always see things I could do differently to make for a better video.

I thought maybe other people who are using them regularily might have some good advice, beyond point and shoot, to help improve filming.

Out on the water, angles you find best for shooting, or maybe the pole you've rigged up to mount your camera to put it under water. I would like to see the spreader bar camera set-up Hourston has worked so hard to perfect...I'm sure it couldn't have been easy.


Techniques that make for a great movie? Lets hear em!

-FB-

 

[Enniberg]

Great idea FB - I am new to GoPro and can't really contribute any advice yet. Hope to get some great fishing footage on the WCVI this summer.

I too would really like to see how you guys have rigged up mounts, etc.

johan

 

[Big Green Machine]

I put my new Go Pro on the end of an old hockey stick to get some shots just before the net, but worry it might spook em, so will try with some smaller fish first.

Still waiting to try the chest harness. I've tried it on, but it feels like I'm wearing a 'manssiere' or 'bro' if you prefer.

Would like to try the Scotty mount, the one that is a light stick that fits into the Scotty rod holder mount. There are endless options.

But you're right, you need to view the video footage to get feedback about what you can do differently to get better footage.

 

[spring fever]

We have had some success using #3/4 pvc -6 ft long with a little L or rt angle at one end -capped so it floats. Should give great underwater shots approaching the boat.

 

[Enniberg]

Mine is the Helmet Hero kit, so it also has the chest harness and a bunch of other mounts - just need to figure out how to use it all. In particular I would really appreciate pictures of how the cam can be mounted on a pole.

 

[Sitkaspruce]

I am amazed by this little camera. One of our fire fighters has one last night, he had it in out training building, w/temps up to 450 deg and the camera shot great video and pictures. Came out a little hot and some of the buttons and plastic were sot, but after letting it cool down, we took some more video and pictures in the building again.

Is there different models??

I have the new Pentax all terrain camera and am looking for ideas on how to use it underwater by the boat to film some fish coming it.

Will watch this thread for ideas.

Cheers

SS

 

[Big Green Machine]

Mine is the Helmet Hero kit, so it also has the chest harness and a bunch of other mounts - just need to figure out how to use it all. In particular I would really appreciate pictures of how the cam can be mounted on a pole.

Just stuck one of the mounts with sticky tape right onto the stick an reinforced with electricians tape.

 

[profisher]

I bought an extending aluminum docking pole at Trotac...cut off the plastic hook but left just enough of a "barb" to create a stop for the pipe mount that Gopro makes. Slid a float over the small end and up halfway then used a hose clamp to secure it in place...so it will float if dropped. I now have a pole that can go from 4 feet to 10-12 feet.

 

[yo mama]

Yup Profisher has got it. I used a extendable window washing wand

 

[spring fever]

I agree with Both pro Fisher and Yo Mama-I looked at both and I can see that they would work but they also put the camera at a 45 degree angle-that's why I went with a 6 ft piece of 3/4 PVC ( capped) with a 6 inch right angle on the bottom-That way you can put the camera vertically down beside the boat and straight out and keep the camera shooting level. I have made lots of movies and slide shows and it is tough amalgamating lots of weird camera angles and making the thing flow smoothly. My 2 cents

 

[nedarb2]

i have an adhesive mount on the underside of my hardtop to point the camera at my deck, and then i have a clamp on tube mount on my harpoon handle for poon shots/underwater shots

 

[profisher]

I'll be running 3 camera this season. I have one fixed up on the radar arch shooting the deck, the pole mount for underwater and a hand held. Customers will operate both the hand held and pole. After the trip if they figure the images are worth purchasing I will download all 3 cameras files onto a memory stick for them to take home with them.

 

[profisher]

I have one peeve with the camera mounts. I wish they had locked the nut into its position so you wouldn't have to hold onto it. Otherwise it pops out and on a boat its only a matter of time that it goes overboard. I think I'll try some good glue to keep it in place.

 

[Finished Business]

Great posts guys. We had discussed the alu boat pole or a drywalling pole...all extendable and made of ALU...seems to be the best bet. Profisher, after using the camera a good few times, it didnt take long to think....multiple cameras from fixed and portable positions....once my boat is in the water I may have to go a similar route!

I have seen videos of guys who have mounted a cam on the underside of the hull (where exactly I'm not sure), to monitor the prop. Thought that was pretty cool.

I've used this cam for some light downhill mountain biking, and I thought cool the head mount...done deal. But a buddy who rides on the race circuit opened my eyes by showing me various angles they mount on the bikes....its not fishing but it will get you thinking outside the box.

some examples were:
helmet mount that faced down, so the persons facial expressions, as well as the bike and a few feet of trail were in view....it was called the 'rearview mirror' angle.
another was from under the frame, looking forward into the tire. you could see the shocks pouding away along the forthcoming trail.
another was on the seat post, showing the rider pedalling hard manuevering the trails...

with simple changes to positioning of the camera, the footage was without a doubt completely different. My Hero came with the full mounting kit, sans chest mount (Nice Manzier/Bro reference...good chuckle there haha) so I have the sticky mounts to put most anywhere.

When it comes to the boat, great angles I've found online are ontop of the motor cowling, facing the deck and crew. Gives a great perspective to the comotion on the floor, and in peoples faces, something you don't get from the radar mounted camera, looking towards the stern.
I've seen a few rod mounted videos, below and behind the reel...pretty cool too!

These are the ideas that I think can make all the difference in a great video. As Rollie mentioned, if you have multiple cameras, you could then mash the 3 or more videos together, to make one pretty awesome fishing video, clipped from all different angles of the fight.

 

[Finished Business]

One thing I did notice is the water may look clear from the boat, but once the cam is in it gets very murky, even at 4 feet. This was inland, so I'm sure that will change once I take it off the coast!

Another HUGE thing I kick myself for not doing, is having a camera towel on hand, to whipe off the case once it comes out of the water. On more than one occasion I thought I had and epic, make the trip video, but once I put it on the TV i found a poorly placed water dropped that basically blocked the main subject of the shot. It was probably the most disappointing part of the videos, as they were key moments, ruined by a water drop!

So if its raining or your cams are getting wet. be ready with a towel to whipe the case lense right as it comes out of the water, so you don't ruin that great picture of your buddy holding his biggest spring, with his face blurred out!

 

[Big Green Machine]

Never thought of the cowling, will have to try that too.

 

[Big Green Machine]

This looks cool, and the gooseneck will give you lots of angles quickly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrmUzz2WaN8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[Dogbreath]

I have one peeve with the camera mounts....I think I'll try some good glue to keep it in place.

Fingernail polish on the threads should work and you can break the nut out if you really want to.

 

[profisher]

No threads involved in this case. Just an acorn nut that fits into the plastic mount. When you push the screw in from the other side...if you don't line it up perfect the screw pushes the nut out and onto the deck. It should be locked in similar to how Scotty locks the nut into the base of their riggers for mounting to the boat. One hand for the screw one hand for the camera...there isn't another hand for the nut too... lol Glue should fix it.

 

[Sculpin]

No threads involved in this case. Just an acorn nut that fits into the plastic mount. When you push the screw in from the other side...if you don't line it up perfect the screw pushes the nut out and onto the deck. It should be locked in similar to how Scotty locks the nut into the base of their riggers for mounting to the boat. One hand for the screw one hand for the camera...there isn't another hand for the nut too... lol Glue should fix it.

That is my only pet peeve (so far about them) as well. Pain in the azz. I hope they come up with a better system in the future on their mounts. I'm sure lot's of folks have addressed it with them. Great camera's really for the price. You have 3 of them? Did you buy them from Melton Tackle? They have that 3 camera boat pack special on their site. Seems pretty good.

I only have the one and I am looking at a second one now. I just bought a cheap boat hook at the HC today after reading some posts on here for doing the under water shot's etc. I'll post up some picks after I take a hack saw to the hook end lol. I bought the bike mount for my son's BMX and it should work perfectly on this boat hook.