How To Make A Section - Part I

BentFilms’ new project Cop Me And My Newb Joey is just a few months away. A video compilation of the best submitted amature skiboarding videos. Each month we’ll be giving out some pointers on how to shoot/edit/make a legit skiboard seciton. Take these tips in, and you’re skiboard section could be put in the next BentFilms flick!

This month, FRAMING and RULES OF COMPOSITION. The basics, knowing these in theory and practice is what’s gonna make your shots looks proffesional.

FRAMING - Using the environment wherever you are to accent the shot and keep the rider as the FOCAL POINT of the shot. Be sure not to be too close to the action, if you can read the stickers on the skiboards, back it up! You should be able to see the rider from head to toe on the screen with a bit head room but too far away is bad unless the handrail is huge, the mountain exists or the jump is legit. There is close-up exceptions for style, if your pinpointing just the FOCAL POINT of the rider in the paticular shot, for example, the feet on a switchup or the hands on a grab for another shot that you are doing a DOUBLE ANGLE on and plan on doing some clever editing.

SIMPLICITY - Very important! Having a crowded chairlift in the background or any sort of extra clutter can DIVERT THE FOCUS from whats important in your shot. If your background is cluttered behind the rider, he won’t stand out as much and your shot won’t look good. Blue sky on white snow works best. Forests and crowds of lurkers simply complicate things.

DEPTH OF FIELD - The space in front of and behind what you are filming is very important. Playing with these distances and focus in regards to each can give different stylistic effects. For example having tree branches in the foreground with the rider off in the distance, or having the rider up close with mountains or a sunset in the distance is called extended depth of field and EMPHASIZES SPACE. A shallow depth of feild is when there is not a lot of distance between foreground and subject and the background is almost non existant.

LIGHTING - Is the rider just a sillhouette? Have sillhouettes been played out? Is in TOO BRIGHT noon hour or ROYAL BLUE morning sky? Is it sunset, nighttime, halogen lit dirty disgusting park shots? Best time of day to shoot is sunrise and sun set, with the light coming from behing the camera, that way you’ll get the sharpest colours. When the sun is up high, the colours are not as saturated and turn all nasty grey. If you’re shooting at night in a lit park, avoid having the light shinning directly into the camera or avoid shooting in parks at night all together!

KNOWING WHEN TO BREAK THE RULES - Rules are made to be broken, a lot of the times the best and most artistic looking shots break a rules or two, but do it well. Do what feels well, but be concious of what you`re doing… This is the first step. Strive on with awareness.