Snowboarding
Why Making Driven is a master class in snowboard filmmaking
Making Driven isn’t just another behind-the-scenes series – here are (at least) five things you never knew about making a snowboard movie
1. Drones give you the best Parallax shots (S1 E1)
8 min
How to capture perfect drone shots
Loads of people have a drone – but how can you use them best for professional action shots?
No… we didn’t know what a parallax shot was either, until we watched the episode on how to capture perfect drone shots. According to the dictionary, a parallax shot is “The apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in the position of the observer.” – which, when roughly translated to snowboarding videos, is when the rider seems to be flying in one direction, while the mountains in the background seem to be flying in the other. Trust us, you’ll know it when you see it.
We also didn’t know that getting a ‘proper’ drone shot is no easy matter: not only do you need a pilot and a camera operator working perfectly in sync, you’ve got to haul a huge amount of kit up the hill, sort out filming permission and tell your drone it needs to fly through tight sections of trees when its onboard sensors are telling it that’s just not a good idea.
What we did already know was that drones are a way, way cheaper option than a helicopter. And more versatile. And greener.
2. The most important ingredient isn’t good snow… (S1 E3)
8 min
How to capture riding in scenic landscapes
How do the Pirate film crew shoot the world’s best riders in the most magical places on Earth?
…It’s good light. No matter how good your rider, how hard they stomped their trick, or how deep the powder was… without good light, your shot will be flat. That’s why every good snowboard cinematographer tries to shoot in the ‘Golden Hour’ just after sunrise and just before sunset, when the sun is low in the sky and everything looks amazing. And it’s not just snowboard filmers who know this trick: once you start looking out for it, you’ll see it everywhere.
Gigi Rüf charging in Hokkaido, Japan
© Sean Kerrick Sullivan
3. If a drone can’t get the shot you need, it’s time to… (S1 E1)
Quit? Or show a little skin? In episode 1, John J spots a sexy-looking gap through some trees. It will be difficult to get enough speed for, and it looks like a pretty average shot – from the ground. But, shot from above with a drone, it looks great, and as it’s a fresh spot in fairly played-out terrain, the call is made to spend the next two days building the in-run and kicker. But when it comes to hitting the jump… it’s a struggle to get right and JJ is getting desperate. It’s time to rip off the shirt, and fly bareback across the gulley. Instant result!
4. When it comes to checking off a bucket list shoot, it’s all about… (S1 E4)
7 min
How to tick off your bucket list shoot
See what happens when John Jackson and the Pirate film crew head into an active volcano in Kamchatka, Russia.
Preparation. When the Pirates first came to film in the vast Russian playground that is the Kamchatka Peninsula 16 years ago, they were a lot less experienced, and their mission to film on an active volcano was a fail. But they never forgot the Mutnovsky Volcano and coming back to finish the mission was a classic bucket-list objective.
16 years later, the Pirates have ridden just about everything, from Japanese temples to Arctic Icebergs, and they’ve mastered the art of preparation to a tee. First rule: do a recce. Check the access, the light, the snow conditions, the gear needed, the camera angles, and the terrain. If all your ducks line up in a row – you’re good to go.
In this final episode, John and the crew do their homework and get the payoff they’ve been waiting for – an incredible ride down a vast steaming, smoking volcano. The ash-covered snow might not be perfect, but as far as experiences go, this one’s got to be up there.
5. No fly zone? No problem! (S1 E2)
7 min
How to create the perfect cable cam shot
John Jackson and the Pirate film crew are in deep powder in Japan capturing amazing cable cam shots.
When it comes to watching dramatic, high-speed action shots where the camera smoothly follows the rider, you could be forgiven for thinking the crew used a drone, a dolly, or maybe even a superhuman follow-cam filmer. You’d be wrong on all counts. The tool of choice is a cable cam, where the camera travels along a suspended wire. As John J explains, it’s a unique technology: “You can be low to the ground, you can be travelling fast, through tight trees… and you can use it through a heavy blizzard.”
Blizzards and tight trees? Must be Japan, then. In this episode, John and the crew head to Hokkaido to capture the mythical ‘Japow’ that every powder hound thirsts after. But if you thought getting a good drone shot sounded technically challenging… try suspending a massive cable between two trees in a forest and sending an expensive camera down it. In waist-deep snow. In sub-zero temperatures. And it’s snowing, hard.
Nothing makes snowboarding look more beautiful and effortless than a cable cam Japow sequence. And nothing is harder to achieve.
John Jackson and Victor Daviet goofing around in Hokkaido
© Sean Kerrick Sullivan
Keen to learn how to make award-winning snowboard movies? Head over and watch Making Driven on Red Bull TV. Also, we have a whole other season lined up, so check back next winter for more insider tips and tricks.
Want more inspiration from other stunning snowboard and skiing films? Et voilà - grab a bag of chips and start binging:
