1. The opening
This is crucial - there's a lot of competition out there, and those youtube links don't share themselves. So try this:
Sequence of rider waking up, rubbing eyes theatrically, stepping into some shoes right by the bed, getting in a car and driving to the trail. Because if there's one thing that floats the audience's riding mojo, it's other people commuting.
2. Arrived? Make sure everyone understands that you're OUTDOORS. This can only be communicated by:
Water dripping from a leaf
Sunlight through branches
Bark/Ferns/Logs/Moss in as much lingering, pointless detail as your HD camera can reproduce.
Oh, and fast clouds.
3. Establish your rider as hero.
Maybe he gets out of the van. Or cycles slowly to the trailhead from the carpark. Maybe break new ground - he puts on his helmet and gloves, and pumps his forks for a second or two.
Remember - if you don't, viewers will worry about his levels of preparation and become nervous.
5. Showcasing skills
One thing separates awesome riders from us plebs, and that's the ability to spray dirt from the back wheel. No spray = unwatchable nobody. FACT.
Bikes look narrow from the back - sometimes, if the rider's a skinny fellow, it can seem as if he's not there at all! Ask him to repeatedly tweak out his rear wheel every single time he leaves the ground. Look - there he is! Thank goodness.
The adrenaline, excitement and risks of trail riding are often related to the speed of the rider - so no need to include any in your film. Instead, make sure everyone knows that you paid the extra for the HD camera by showing every bit of action, no matter how mundane, in the slowest possible motion. Man....rides...bike....around....corner. Broadcast gold, my friend.
6. Refreshment
Learn from the greats - no action sequence in the big leagues is ever complete unless your hero has a snack afterwards. Remember Jason Bourne leaping from the rooftop through the open window? It's the falafel afterwards that really makes that scene. So when the adrenaline's worn off, make sure your rider visibly eats something, or stops for a drink in a local cafe. Hell, it's the end of the day? Why not a refreshing beer?
7. Music
Now this is the tricky part - there are so many choices. Ben Harper or metal, Ben Harper or metal...best to just pick the thing you listened to in the van on the way and bung that on. Or maybe your mate's in an awful, awful sort of punky ska thing - try using one of their tracks. Just make sure it's got everything to do with what you like and nothing to do with the pace, landscape, length, rider or title of the film.
8. Lie back, and watch the job offers pour in. Next stop Rampage!
I always go out of my way to pick appropriate music. A weekend in D&G ended up soundtracked with the chocobo song from Final Fantasy 7, "What Would Brian Boitano Do?" from South Park, and Rozsa's "Spellbound Concerto" played by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
The last one actually worked pretty damn well!
😆
...that MTB videos (with some notable exceptions) are 99% less interesting to others than they are to you. As Billy Connelly would say, its like birth videos - why share?
Very good 🙂
Don't forget to include some quotes - doesn't matter who from, as long as you can shoehorn some cod-psychology about freedom or something in there.
At least one person, at one point, has to say "dropping in".
Credits are boring. To make people watch them, put them over stuff of you goofing about. Or easting a pizza. Or just, you know, being cool.
Excellent.
I was wondering just the other day how so many mid week movies are less and less apealing now.
(I did like the one recently that was from someone here doing normal stuff - there was a thread about it.)
Now everyone has a GoPro, just how will films progress ? Will film makers up their game ?
Ah, the chocobo music...there's a blast from the past 😉
Great tips regarding the music.
I just love some random emo-ska-rock blasting at me when I am looking at someone riding their bike.
I'd like to add that you should make sure to NOT include ANY of the original live sound from the video, as stuff like wheels rolling on the ground, birds tweeting, and humans being human is really distracting, and I would much rather be mummified in random teen angst emo-ska-rock asphyxiation than exposed to any of those nasty real-life outdoor sounds.
would make an excellent accompaniment to a san marino vidchocobo song from Final Fantasy 7
Add in a little voiceover...
"We were on a journey. Not just to find great trails, but to, uh, like, find ourselves. Maaaan"
4. ?
^ great spot...it must be the 'mystery ingredient' to make your video truly great, only you would know what that is hence why it's missing
Excellent - so true! Of course, also true for snowboarding movies, etc. The bigger the budget, the more set-chewing slow-motion (or timelapse) and the less actual riding. Especially if a helicopter was at any point involved. And include tilt-shift sequences that look like everyone is tiny. That showcases good riding skills.
Don't forget the very narrow depth-of-field shots showing just a derailleur, or a shoelace. Nothing says "this is an incredible rider" like pointing out he's wearing shoelaces.
Bonus points if you can turn basically one minute of footage from one trail feature into an "epic journey":
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lol that was a real hoot to read.
marvelous.
4: make sure your rider is properly Stoked, and that he says so in the video to avoid any possibility of people suspecting he might actually not be Stoked.
It is also imperative that the riders are super excited to be hitting up the trails. Not merely just excited to ride.
SUPER excited to be hitting up.
Doing a vid of folks dirt jumping, twiddling their little bikes beneath themselves while wearing bonedome helmets?
Hint: it's been done to death and they all look the same. Done. No-one cares. Move on.
(Same applies to the parallel genres of ski gap jump vids, and snowboard gap jump vids. Done.)
mattjg - Member(Same applies to the parallel genres of ski gap jump vids, and snowboard gap jump vids. Done.)
I just watched From The Inside Out and there's 2 train gaps! 2! Train gaps are like drum solos, you can get away with one as long as it's awesome but two will always be too many.
The same can be applied to surf vids as well. Although they generally come in 2 flavours.
The young, dumb, gnarly dudes, who all pull sick airs man. They're just, like, stoked dude.
Or the old wisened salty sea dog, who lost himself in paradise, but found himself in some zen like plain, when he reconnected with Mother Earth and now lives in a cave with a harem of mermaids, whilst saving the waves from his evil corporate sponsors who make all his boards and shorts.
Train gaps are like drum solos, you can get away with one as long as it's awesome but two will always be too many.
I thought that too. And they put one of them in the trailer! Imagine if the trailer for Scanners had the exploding head bit, or the trailer for The Crying Game was full of man-sausage (For all I know, they probably are, but hopefully you get the idea).
I just watched From The Inside Out and there's 2 train gaps! 2! Train gaps are like drum solos, you can get away with one as long as it's awesome but two will always be too many.
Yeah - to be fair I mean the ones where there's a kicker and a landing ramp and they do it over and over and over and overzzzzzzzzzzzz.
No spray = unwatchable nobody. FACT.
I've actually seen some young urchin throwing dirt at his mate's back tyre in order to replicate this effect, in the oh-so gnarly location of Leamington Spa BMX track.
haha. right. it's not just riding a bike, it's a whole lifestyle/experience/dream.
how do you feel about people filming themselves with cameras on long poles?
i have a week in Wales cut to this
suits my riding i guess?
2 other most important things to remember:
1) Everytime you are in view of a camera, you absolutely must "pedal like F*ck", no matter if your 5000m up an Alp, after 4hrs of climbing, you still have to get out of the saddle and pound the pedals round like you're in the final 50m of a road race
2) No trail obsticle is too small to use to get some air. Even when cycling along a flat tarmac path, if a ladybird wanders into your path you have to hit that 'bird hard, pump off it, and get air. Anything less than 3 feet of air is classed as a failure and must be re-shot, otherwise you run the risk of being called a "massive gheyer" by all who watch.
😉
"...feeding off of each other...."
😉
Miserable ball bags! If you don't like the video, turn it off...simple...
I normally skip all the shite the op said put in and get straight to the riding sequence.
Is number 4 high fives?
timnwild
When making your polished MTB vid, please remember the following:
Let's see your video then....
literally lol'ed when I read this...comedic genius!
billysugger - Member
Is number 4 high fives?
CLAIM IT!
9. The camera, editing, sound, directing and producing should all be done by the same person, with 5 different credits.
Can't beat high-fiving.
You never see anyone ride through dog shit in those videos. Reckon that could be the next big thing
Don't forget to include shots of all the branding on your gear.
I'd like to add that you should make sure to NOT include ANY of the original live sound from the video, as stuff like wheels rolling on the ground, birds tweeting, and humans being human is really distracting, and I would much rather be mummified in random teen angst emo-ska-rock asphyxiation than exposed to any of those nasty real-life outdoor sounds.
To be fair, unless you're carrying an external mic around with you the sounds that GoPros and the like manage to record is pretty much universally dreadful.
That's still no excuse for metal though, that earns an instant 'sod off' from me.
Yay! *Waves*Trimix - Member
(I did like the one recently that was from someone here doing normal stuff - there was a thread about it.)
Rider must be shown building/tweaking/forming the trail at least once, with a magic spade that appears from nowhere. This shows the rider has a great eye for detail and a social conscience.
Where possible, everything should be filmed using a camera slide mount, giving boring shots the appearance of something happening. Nothing says action quite as much as the impression that the camera is involved in an landslide. It also does not matter if the direction of the camera slide in no ways matches the action being shown.
A rudimentary zip wire camera must also be set up, even if it's path only coincides with the bicycle for fleeting moment.
If a noisy freehub is available, make sure to use this noise right at the start of the film, before the pictures begin.
soundninkauk - Contours have much better microphones and are much more hackable, to add polarising lenses for example. Just sayin'.
remoterob - so true about camera motion, even if you're just using a boom. Do it! It's called a BOOM! 😉
getonyourbike - I really like your Christmas Day video. It looks like a fun ride!
Contours have much better microphones and are much more hackable, to add polarising lenses for example. Just sayin'.
Yes, I would imagine the lack of housing helps that. I would be somewhat less keen however, to take a Contour windsurfing (or any other sport where constant immersion is guaranteed).
The sound recording quality might be dreadful, but if you are going to [url=
your mate over[/url] (about 5 mins in), we really want to hear it!
So true...
To couteract, here's one of my all-time personal favourites, which eschews every cliche listed for just simple riding 🙂
getonyourbike - now you have read this thread you had better get started on your next vid then. We dont want to wait till next Xmas.
idiotdogbrain that is a great vid, not seen anyone else do a limbo in aaaaages. Nice trials on the tree obstacle too 🙂
The sound recording quality might be dreadful, but if you are going to run your mate over (about 5 mins in), we really want to hear it!
There wasn't even a slow motion replay 🙁
Nice one Tim! Happy New Year btw..
I am considering entering into talks with Go-Pro for my patent pending Roost-Boom.
A simple attachment for the rear dropout of your bike to ensure every ounce of the all-important roost can be captured for posterity, not just the corners where your mate could be bothered to stop and stoop down with camera.
It can be combined with the jaw-droppingly boring shots from helmet and chest and handlebar and saddle cams to ensure that every aspect of mediocre riding is available to fill up the internet.
Form an orderly queue..
haha. I'll be thinking about getting another done once my new bike gets here.Trimix - Member
getonyourbike - now you have read this thread you had better get started on your next vid then. We dont want to wait till next Xmas.
In the meantime, here's a couple of others I've made this year:
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/289383/
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/272203/
Great vids getonyourbike and some skills too. Next time your down stile cop way give me a shout.
Cheers.fervouredimage - Member
Great vids getonyourbike and some skills too. Next time your down stile cop way give me a shout.
I will do.
lol OP - very nicely done.
One rider not enough
One rider is boring. Viewers might miss something if only one rider does it. having a second rider coming along to repeat fixes that. People also like friends. Nobody wants to watch a lonely man. Make sure buddies are around at all times - riding, cheering, heckling, etc. If featuring more than one rider, make sure they are 'larking', as this shows how cool it would be if only you could hang out with them for a few hours.
Following on from AlexSimon...
When riding with your bros in your sick new edit don't forget the obligatory rider passes- one takes the high line, one the low... and now we have a new leader to showcase their gnar! 😀
In amongst some of your cycnical middle aged bloke whinging, there's some good points, they are all starting to get a bit samey production wise.
This is my current favourite. not sure how to describe it other than hilarious. Not enough clarinet in edits these days..
[url=
I do actually really like watching mtb vids, and am infinitely inferior to 99% of those who appear in them in terms of my skills, and I've never shot a riding video myself.
Other than that, I felt I was commenting from a position of considerable expertise.
i used have a polished bike, but I've got no video footage of it 🙁
chamley - MemberIn amongst some of your cycnical middle aged bloke whinging, there's some good points, they are all starting to get a bit samey production wise.
This is my current favourite. not sure how to describe it other than hilarious. Not enough clarinet in edits these days..
breaking your leg in the Crimea can't be any fun, could've used the clarinet as a splint though!
Very funny OP and I have to agree with most of the comments here. There seems to be loads about now.
Oddly I always quite like the 'homegrown' amateur videos as I'm keen to see what other average Joe's like me get up to on their bikes, whereas yet another video of three gnarly dudes with long hair hucking their bikes down a mountain in Italy or Switzerland somewhere means sweet FA to me really.
It's the incessant slow-mo shots that really annoy me, even in professional films. They turn what should be an exciting segment into complete tedium, and do nothing to convey the excitement of mountain biking.
I'm the opposite to the guy above, I want to see people who are faster and better than me, to try and see how they do things, in the hope that I am inspired to improve my riding. Watching someone mince down a trail does nothing for me.