POV Sucks

[riverc0il]

Alright, someone has to say what the unspoken majority knows: POV Sucks. Your five minute long unedited GoPro video is BORING. POV is exciting for short shots and segments. As a multi-minute unedited video on the net... lame (even if you get the tilt right...).

Discuss.

 

[RootDKJ]

Discussed enough today...

http://www.paskiandride.com/forums/...be-suck/page__view__getnewpost__fromsearch__1

 

[riverc0il]

Discussed enough today...

http://www.paskiandride.com/forums/...be-suck/page__view__getnewpost__fromsearch__1

But I don't have permission to view that forum and I ain't joining....

 

[WWF-VT]

I agree thay 90% of these vids do suck. Shaky views of terrain three feet in front of your turning skis gets boring really fast.

 

[deadheadskier]

I do get bored with it. However, powbmps did one from Sunapee a few weeks ago that I did quite enjoy.

I'd love POV footage of my own just to reminisce what I skied that particular day.

I think why POV is so popular with amateur filmers is the ease of use. It's a pain in the ass to video someone else skiing and there's always lots of editing involved. A 3 minute 'song' segment on a professional ski movie probably contains a full days worth of footage condensed down to those 3 minutes. Very few amateur vidographers will put the time in to do that, though I know it's happened quite a bit on these forums and I give those folks a lot of credit for putting in the editing time.

 

[makimono]

Follow cams are generally much better than the solo helmet cam stuff. Unless the terrain is just sick...or it's a good soundtrack.

Some of the stuff is really well done, one Guy Douchette opus makes up for 20 solo shakey cam streams.

 

[riverc0il]

I think why POV is so popular with amateur filmers is the ease of use. It's a pain in the ass to video someone else skiing and there's always lots of editing involved. A 3 minute 'song' segment on a professional ski movie probably contains a full days worth of footage condensed down to those 3 minutes. Very few amateur vidographers will put the time in to do that, though I know it's happened quite a bit on these forums and I give those folks a lot of credit for putting in the editing time.

Having done video before, I can attest that it is very difficult to shoot enough video of other folks to put together a quality video. I have resorted to panning pictures and landscape video to "fill space". Guy does a great job with the Magic videos. A skier flies by a video camera in only a few seconds. That is a lot of stopping, setting up shop, and shooting. Its one of the reasons I really don't do video any more. But when you do it right, it makes for a good, varied, and interesting video.

But I think the proliferation is more than just ease of use. I think it also involves marketing of a new product and general "buzz" and gear lust. Its the new cool thing that everyone seems to want.

 

[dmc]

POV is only good if your shooting someone in front of you.

If there's nobody in the shot it's just wanking...

 

[deadheadskier]

I had asked a question in someone elses POV video thread about a feature that I think would be great for the GoPro.

If they had a wired (remote would be even better) LCD viewing screan and control panel you could put in your pocket to mix things up a bit, that would be really cool. Then you could, leave the camera on your helmet, stop and use it to get footage of other skiers. Make the controls large enough that you can operate it with your gloves on.

That to me would be very cool. The convenience of being able to leave the camera on your helmet.

 

[dmc]

I had asked a question in someone elses POV video thread about a feature that I think would be great for the GoPro.

If they had a wired (remote would be even better) LCD viewing screan and control panel you could put in your pocket to mix things up a bit, that would be really cool. Then you could, leave the camera on your helmet, stop and use it to get footage of other skiers. Make the controls large enough that you can operate it with your gloves on.

That to me would be very cool. The convenience of being able to leave the camera on your helmet.

I bet you'll see a helmetcam built into a helmet soon.. They already have them in goggles..

 

[Glenn]

I used to do a lot more ATVing with a good group of guys. A few had helmet cams and took vids. This was a few years ago, so it wasn't the GoPro...it was bacially a bullet/lipstick cam attached to goggles, and a cable that went to a regular ol' video camera in a backpack.

I always noticed if raw footage was uploaded, it could be pretty long. It was fun to watch if I was in front of the camera, but even after a few minutes of that, it wasn't fun. Editing can be key. I don't know if we all have short attention spans, or it's just the way we've been conditioned. It seems that some segments should be chunked up into 30 second clips. I guess it all depends on what you're shooting.

 

[gmcunni]

it is an easy solution, don't watch them if you don't like them.

i've made a handful of very crappy POVs. most them i can only watch once. for me it was more fun making them than anything else.

i think the key to good POV is great skiing in awesome conditions. I badly wanted to upgrade my POV camera to a GoPro but realized that no matter how good my camera is i just don't ski well enough in cool enough places to justify the $$.

 

[RootDKJ]

it is an easy solution, don't watch them if you don't like them.

Bingo!

 

[dmc]

it is an easy solution, don't watch them if you don't like them.

Or take peoples advice on how to make them better

 

[Cannonball]

POV can be pretty sucky and can get old fast. BUT there is nothing worse than....

panning pictures and landscape video to "fill space".

If you're asking someone to watch your piece don't just 'fill space', either make it count or leave it out. Panning pictures inserted into a video remind me of powerpoint presentations at meetings.

I've posted POV segments here. 100% of the time the point has been to convey conditions. A picture is worth a thousand words. TR narratives are often subjective. Different folks have different descriptions and opinions. So you either need to get to know that person's reporting style over time, or just see it for yourself.

 

[riverc0il]

it is an easy solution, don't watch them if you don't like them.

I don't. Just because I don't watch POV videos doesn't mean I can not discuss them with others. I expected some defensive remarks from GoPro users in this thread.... :razz:

:beer:

And Cannonball is right. That's why I don't make videos any more. At least POV is action. Panning across one picture in a video is fine but when they are used as filler, they are no better if not worse. They are useful when used correctly. Otherwise, no one would know who Ken Burns is.

 

[dmc]

POV can be pretty sucky and can get old fast. BUT there is nothing worse than....

I personally can't stand gratuitous pictures of straight line/low angle powder tracks..

((((( yawn ))))

 

[gmcunni]

ok, i disagree.. POVs don't suck. Crappy POVs suck.

i've seen some really cool POV of people skiing 3 feet of pow or in trees or in parks that are incredible.

Just because you can BUY a pov camera doesn't mean you can create great video. But one guy's crappy POV might be his way of capturing a great experience while to others it was a waste of 3 minutes of their life for watching it.

watching POV of someone ski 600 ft of vert groomers might not be your idea of fun but who are you to judge others?

 

[riverc0il]

watching POV of someone ski 600 ft of vert groomers might not be your idea of fun but who are you to judge others?

I'm not judging others. I'm judging crappy POVs.

No one is saying you can't enjoy them. No one is saying don't shot them. All I am saying is my opinion of them is that probably better than 95% of them are not entertaining and a photo trip report would have been more enjoyable.

 

[o3jeff]

no matter how good my camera is i just don't ski well enough in cool enough places to justify the $$.

That's my reason for not getting one. I think it might be pretty cool for mountain biking, guess I'll have to ride with Bvibert and be the star of his helmet cam videos!