5 Tips to Better GoPro Videos

Better Go Pro Fishing Videos

You have a GoPro, you know the basics of how to use it but want to take your videos to the next level. This is what I went through for awhile,  I thought I got some rad shots but when I sat down at the computer to go through the film.. it was very, just, meh.. so obviously I was uninspired to do anything with it. Eventually I came to realize you can make anything look cool on a screen if you know how to use the device you are recording with. And the best part about it, you don’t have to take up filming as your second hobby to make some engaging sharable videos! Here’s some tips to help shoot better video with a GoPro.

Don’t point and shoot

This isn’t an old school JVC camcorder your dad used to record “Christmas morning ‘95”, you didn’t buy it to point and shoot. You need lots of motion especially objects or subjects moving closer then quickly away from the camera. This is because the GoPro has a fisheye lens and no zoom. If you are just filming a scene from a distance your are going to lose your viewers attention. For example, say you landed a fish and you have the GoPro mounted close by or on your head, get up in the lens and hold that fish close then move it further away. Whether its a fish, your rod/reel or pretty much any object this will makes for some really cool shots and ultimately a more engaging video.

Better Go Pro Fishing Videos

Get weird with the angles…

Similar to the last tip but more in regards to setting up the GoPro on a pole or clamp mount. Attach it to things that are moving and not at height level. Get low to the ground or high in the air.. Drones tend to help with that.

Shoot shorter clips!

And take more of them. It’s that simple and will make editing so much easier.

Better Go Pro Fishing Video Tips

One or two mounts, keep it simple

Don’t overcomplicate it with mounts and multiple gopros, use one, maybe two GoPro’s and focus on getting the most interesting shots. If you are using a fixed mount try filming for a minute or two in all different areas. This is also where the GoPro App comes in handy. You will want to double check the scene in the app to see if its cool and everything is in view.

By keeping it simple like this you can focus on capturing the best moments that represent the trip, thats what people want to see. You don’t need to film for hours and hours to get that one shot of the fish hitting, instead you are way better off trying to capture everything that makes that particular experience interesting and fun.

Throw a timelapse in there!

Timelapse’s are super easy to edit using GoPro studio, it’s just a matter of dragging and dropping all your photos into it. Setting them up is usually the hardest part. We advise people to timelapse at .5 sec intervals and leave for 5 minutes. This will take 600 photos and produce a 5 – 20 second clip depending on how much you speed it up on the computer. If you want a 10-20 second clip your usually safe with 500 – 800 photos… Don’t question the math..

In closing I want to reiterate that you want to capture the engaging shots and the ones that convey the adventure, not just the fish holding or hooking shots (of course you need those for it to be a ‘fishing video’).  It doesn’t take long before you start to know what to look for and filming will become second nature on the water vs. a distraction. Creating and watching these videos are a reminder of why we do it and inspiration to get back out there. So have fun with it!

Thanks to our friend Dylan, Captain of Badfish.tv for helping us take better Go Pro shots on the water! Go check out Badfish for the best fishing videos on the internet.

 

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