Here is a little tutorial for filming well with your GoPro. Essential advice to ensure that your images are quality and that you are never disappointed with the final result!
I recently received the new GoPro 4 Session as a gift for my two week trip to Canada. And I quickly found that the application of some simple rules made it possible to considerably increase its chances of making beautiful images with its GoPro. Here is a little GoPro tutorial with simple but effective tips!
STABILIZATION IS ESSENTIAL
When you want to make beautiful videos, it is necessary that the plans are stable! Nothing worse than a "trembling" video, which will often be unusable in the end. So if you do not want your videos to look like a movie about the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, I advise you to focus on stabilizing your plans first. One does not necessarily realize the movements that one makes to undergo to our camera, and the simple fact of breathing can be seen clearly on a plane where one held his camera at arm's length ...
There are several choices for you to minimize the movement of your GoPro. First, you can carry a mini tripod (it takes little space and it is extremely convenient) to succeed on your fixed shots. For camera movements, some invest directly in a steadicam (with prices easily varying from € 35 to € 200). You can also perform manually controlled camera movements by placing your GoPro (which will then be mounted on a handle / boom) just below your nose, against your mouth. This is a well-known trick, which allows you to perform smooth movements, which will follow the movements of your body. You should also know that, often, slowness will be your best friend to make stable plans. Turn your GoPro very slowly and hold your breath if you need it (you can always speed up the movement at the time of editing if you wish).
For sporting plans (when cycling or skiing, for example), consider stabilizing your GoPro with a suitable accessory (a harness to be placed around the torso or a front attachment). The movements will be natural and much more fluid! In any case, you can hardly hold your GoPro by hand in such cases.
STAY VERY CLOSE TO YOUR SUBJECTS
By filming with your GoPro, you will quickly realize that the "best plans" (those that plunge us into action) are those where the subject is relatively close! The GoPro has an exceptional angle of view, a wide angle that will quickly highlight objects placed a few centimeters from its lens. On the contrary, it will make the distant subject obsolete! So get used to filming very closely with the GoPro for impressive effects and interesting and dynamic images.
Also think about highlighting a particular topic and filling out the framework. If you shoot an action from a distance, nothing will be detached from the image and your sequence will remain boring. Do not hesitate to "paste" your topics and highlight your "hero" by sticking it very closely. You will be delighted with the result!
DO NOT FORGET TO VARY THE POINTS OF VIEW
If you want to create an interesting final video, you must absolutely vary the views! A video of a bike ride where you would see the scenery parading for long minutes would be frankly annoying for example ... So we must think about the end result and try to place its GoPro differently, for the same situation.
Take the example of a bike ride, to vary the shots, you can shoot a sequence with the GoPro fixed on your forehead, another with the GoPro turned towards you being attached to the handlebar of the bike and a third with the GoPro mounted near the pedals. You will have three very different shots, which you can alternate during the editing and create a hyper-dynamic effect!
MULTIPLE VIEWPOINTS
If you want to be sure to have material to create a good video summarizing your output or your trip, you must absolutely multiply the shots! The more sequences you film, the more likely you are to have exploitable rushes. The same goes when giving advice to make beautiful pictures, it is often explained that out of 100 shots, only one or two will be kept in the end ...
So do not hesitate to have a memory card big enough to contain all your rushes, and do not hesitate to turn many sequen