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How to supercharge your GoPro footage
Read up on how to take your GoPro edits to the next level.
Not so long ago, filming your own action sports footage used to be a bit of a mission, involving a miniDV or Super8 camera with a stack of tapes or film cartridges. With the advent of digital tech, things advanced pretty quickly, with GoPro becoming the leader amongst portable sports-specific devices.
Time to experiment with what's on offer
© Oli da Costa
Arguably the biggest feature of GoPros is their ability to be mounted virtually anywhere, allowing you to capture footage from angles that would have been impossible back in the day. However, to get the most out of your GoPro, you need to dig a little deeper into the menus and experiment with what's on offer, as this video highlights below.
Understanding GoPro settings, software and post-production
From the HERO2 onwards, it's been possible to navigate the camera's menus remotely using GoPro's apps to change settings such as frame rate, resolution and even some colour modes. On the HERO4 and HERO5 models the range of settings is huge, so to get the most out of your camera, it's worth going through and understanding what everything does, and on the HERO5 specifically, how you access those settings quickly via the camera's touchscreen.
For example, shooting in 4K isn't always first choice, as this disables image stabilisation and restricts your frame rates. Switching to 2.7K means you can shoot at up to 50fps with image stabilisation, or at 1080 you can shoot at up to 120fps. Both modes yield great results and are also often kinder on your computer when it comes to editing! GoPros do have some 'gotchas' though, so anything above 60fps disables image stabilisation, and with some video resolutions, only a selection of frame rates and viewing angles are available, so again, it's advisable to get to know your camera before heading out. While on the subject of viewing angles, the HERO5's new 'Linear' field-of-view is a great addition which eliminates the recognisable fisheye look, giving an image that's often indistinguishable to that from larger cameras.
If you want finer control, HERO5 now allows you to manually set shutter speed and have greater control over your sound thanks to the three on-board microphones paired to various recording modes. GoPro's Protune is still present, offering standard or log colour spaces together with control over white balance, gain (ISO Limit), exposure compensation (EV) and sharpness. In addition, you get a flexible but intuitive way to control your exposure via the touchscreen. Simply long-press the screen to enter the exposure setting mode, then drag your finger to set your auto-exposure 'spot', which you can lock and unlock as needed.
When it comes to software and post-production, GoPro's own Quik and Studio software offer great ingest, cataloguing and basic editing features when you hook up a camera directly. To maximise your creativity though, you'll probably want to jump in to editing software like AdobePremiere Pro, which allows you to really unlock and manipulate your shots, mix audio tracks and colour-correct your footage using professional tools or drag-n-drop colour grading LUTs such as those from Ground Control.
Extending your basic mounts and tools
It goes without saying that you can do some amazing things with the standard GoPro mounts, especially the latest ones released with the HERO5 range. But what if you want more?
One of the most versatile mounts available has to be Joby's GorillaPod Action Tripod. Use it as a tripod, as a stabiliser on uneven ground or wrap it around a tree to anchor your GoPro in place; it's an essential tool with a multitude of uses.
Another great accessory to have in your kit is a small slider, such as the Syrp Magic Carpet, which works perfectly as a horizontal or vertical slider, giving you super smooth tracking shots.
If body-worn mounts are what you're looking for, then look no further than Muvi's X-Pack backpack system, which features a mount that extends above your head, giving a birds-eye view of the terrain around you. The mount itself can be oriented in practically any direction, offering loads of creative angles.
Advanced mounts: Gimbals
While the HERO5's electronic image stabilisation works very well, it's no substitute for a gimbal, and handily, there are quite a few available for HERO4 and HERO5 cameras. Of course, there's GoPro's own Karma Grip, and while it's a very robust product, film-makers will often want something a little more compact, such as the Feiyu Tech WG (Wearable Gimbal), which can be mounted virtually anywhere thanks to its small size, camera screw threads and GoPro-compatible mounts.
Mounting the WG on a GoPro Chesty mount gives a great sense of stability and speed, while mounting on a helmet gives a magic carpet-like sense of flow as you look at the trail ahead of (or behind) you. With these micro gimbals, including Feiyu Tech's upcoming HERO5-compatible WG2, which boast full rotation on two axes together with a waterproof body, you're done and set up in seconds... ready to hit it and bag your next shot.
Advanced mounts: Cable-cam
One of the most creative accessories on the market
© Oli da Costa
The Wiralcam is a quick-to-set-up remote control operated cable cam capable of carrying a variety of cameras and/or mounts, and is suitable for a huge variety of applications where long-distance tracking moves or drone operations just wouldn't be possible.
With the device still in development, there's not much we can say in terms of its specification, but with cable runs currently possible of up to 100m (around 320ft), and a 'sled' that can whiz along the nylon line at 30mph (45kph) while carrying up to 1.5kg, the Wiral is a device that will definitely bring a totally new dimension of creativity to your film-making.
One feature of the HERO5 that was invaluable with the Wiral was the camera's voice control, which allowed us to control recording in case the camera drifted beyond WiFi or remote control range. In fact anyone working with us could simply talk to the camera to start/stop it or change modes. Ideal for when your cable-cam is the other side of a gorge or up a tree!
Modifying your GoPro
To take things a stage further, you might also consider investing in filters, such as those from PolarPro, who have ranges that include NDs, graduated filters, underwater filters, polarizing filters and even macro lenses. Just like those you'd fit to DSLR lenses, PolarPro's filters are glass, so introduce no noticeable distortion, and they're quick and easy to fit and swap.
At the top of the list of GoPro modifications is the 'Frankencamera' approach. Courtesy of modification company Back-Bone, you can opt to either buy a mod kit for HERO4 or a pre-modified HERO5 that can then be fitted with a range of widely available lenses, including M12, C and CS-mount, and via adapters, standard DSLR lenses from the likes of Canon, Nikon or many others. Best of all, the cameras still work via GoPro's app, but now with full manual lens control, so your creative options are limitless.
