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What should be avoided in a climbing vid.

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 CorR 13 Apr 2013
What is becoming cliche in bouldering videos and what should I do to avoid it?

I think this one has a few examples vimeo.com/51930029#
Slow motion, no idea of scale, odd choice of filter, talking rather than climbing.

estivoautumnal 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

As most bouldering videos are tedious in the extreme I would suggest the following.

Avoid filming it altogether.

However, if you persist. Avoid using just one camera. Avoid a grungy metal soundtrack. Avoid using male only climbers. Avoid non HD filming. Avoid a cheap editing package.
 Elrond 13 Apr 2013
In reply to estivoautumnal:
> (In reply to CorR)
>
most bouldering videos are tedious in the extreme
>

So bouldering videos are tedious? More tedious than videos of trad/sport climbs?



estivoautumnal 13 Apr 2013
In reply to Elrond:

No.
 jfmchivall 13 Apr 2013
In reply to estivoautumnal:

That recent video of Mina L-W doing Careless Torque was excellent - the right mix of action and talking (with a genuinely charismatic person in front of the camera), the climb filmed so that you could see the moves in context but also see how much of a struggle it was for the climber, edited well so that it had a real flow to it and was continually interesting.
 elsewhere 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:
death!
 Charlie Noakes 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

I'm not a fan of videos that just show send after send, especially if the problems are not particularly well known. I find it much more interesting to see, even if its just a snippet, the process of failure and then success. Unless of course its a flash!

I don't really mind slow-mo, talking or fancy filters if used sparingly and the problems are portrayed effectively to give you a good sense of scale and difficulty.
 Jon Stewart 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

I have some sympathy with estivoautumnal's view, but I'd also say that editing together lots of clips of people falling off the same holds over and over again to show how hard a problem is really cranks up the bore-ometer. I know that's what bouldering is, but it's not very watchable.

Also, with the soundtrack, I'd try to avoid stuff that attempts to give the impression of great drama; whether that's fast metal (really, no), drum'n'bass or something that has an 'epic' or 'moving' feel to it, I find it a bit embarrassing when the climbing is just falling two feet onto a pad - it's not dramatic.

There are some bouldering videos that I like. Either exciting highball stuff (pro's) or classic problems being climbed well (not fallen off) shot nicely with some good tunes on.



Wiley Coyote2 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

Film of the drive there (especially 'arty' reflection shot in wing mirror

Intrusive sound track
 Fraser 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

Single camera angles, and single shots lasting more than maybe 5-10 seconds.

For something a little different, I lifted this link from the other channel as an example of what you can do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yD8KFEhGCYc
 Fraser 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

I've seen worse than the one the OP linked to. In fact, I've seen a LOT worse videos than that.
OP CorR 13 Apr 2013
In reply to Fraser:
I'll agree about the shots lasting more than a few seconds.
There was the video with one of the wide boys climbing a route with approach shoes, it was schizophrenic.
vimeo.com/61336758#
Surely I can do well with just some good content and basic editing. Maybe it sounds like i'm just moaning. I'll make something and share my tender creation with the wise people of the ukc forums.
 Calder 13 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

That ones pretty rubbish because it doesn't show much. Whereas the ones on the Underdeveloped extras are really good - action, humour, plenty of problems, failure, success, good music that I've never heard before...

Generally though, it has to be hard to be interesting.
 Joel Perkin 14 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR: Less talking and stupid artistic shots, set the scene then show the climbing with the occasional shot of a particularly nice landscape.
 The Pylon King 14 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

Dont obliterate the camera sound track with overbearing music.

If you can make it work without music then you have made a good video.
 Motown 14 Apr 2013
In reply to Fraser:
> (In reply to CorR)
>
> Single camera angles, and single shots lasting more than maybe 5-10 seconds.
>
> For something a little different, I lifted this link from the other channel as an example of what you can do:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yD8KFEhGCYc

Maintain a sense of fun - the above video at least contained some people enjoying themselves and the video. Avoid the too much coverage of 'intense young men'.
In reply to CorR: Anyone who uses a headcam while they climb. Unwatchable shite and totally unimaginative.
 Bulls Crack 14 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

I'd avoid being misanthropic if I were you.
 Trevers 15 Apr 2013
In reply to CorR:

That Don Willans/ Joe Brown Cemetary Gates video that was on the front page a couple of weeks ago is my favourite ever climbing video. Managed to hold me in rapt attention for the entire half hour or so.

I guess it depends what type of climbing is being done. For multipitch trad, the situation is often impressive enough that you don't need to do anything fancy with it.

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