Bike
MTB
POV: Video Tips for Mountain Biking
How to get the best POV camera footage using techniques from pro rider Aaron Chase.
aaron chase pov shot
© Aaron Chase
"I started documenting [bike riding] in high school," says now 37-year-old professional mountain biker Aaron Chase. "With a VHS camcorder and some friends."
A long-time collaborator in the world-renowned "New World Disorder" series, Chase's involvement has spanned producer, director, editor and rider ever since the reign of VHS and DVD formats.
Aaron Chase shares his 16 best POV tips
Today, Chase continues to be at the forefront of moving image creation — using the latest digital technology and techniques to aid his creativity and progression, as well as connecting with MTB fans all across the world.
See how Chase has recorded his life on a bike in Shutterstock's video below.
Be prepared
Obviously, the gear has to be packed — the memory cards need to be cleared and the batteries need to be charged. Then it’s all about the game plan of what you're trying to capture.
Have a plan
The first thing is to have a vision. That’s typically where I start. Then I make a plan. If I want to ride a new trail and want to record it — how do I capture it? I want the viewer to feel like they’re coming with me, so I decide to do it all in POV.
Get mounts
I use different POV mounts that attach to myself and my bike to keep the action changing. Get creative and see where you can attach the camera to gain a fresh perspective.
Always record
The reason a GoPro can be great is that people tend to leave them on and capture the things people normally miss. Let it run all the time.
Be organized
Keep all those small memory cards organized — use an ordinary pill box from the drug store for storage. Plus, you can write on them with a marker so you can identify the card that was used with each camera. I also write the Wi-Fi password on the back of each camera. You can lose the cards so easy and this keeps everything safe.
Strive for stability
To stabilze my shots, I use a chest-mounted gimbal or you can use the rotor, which is a carbon rod that attaches to the top of your helmet. It positions the camera at an arm's length away from you, which centers you in the frame, adds perspective and the slight rotation makes it look more dynamic — just be careful on tight trails.
Use friends
Once you have a variety of shots of your own, don't forget to consider capturing shots on a rider following you — then you’ve got multiple angles to choose from, even if they are all POV.
Variety is key
If you want to just film yourself riding all day that’s one idea, but don't forget you can change between different modes on the camera.
Photos
I like to put the remote to my handlebar and set the GoPro to "burst" mode, which shoots 30 photos in six seconds — I hit the button on the remote right as I am coming up to the jump. Or you can take a timelapse of the ride, using the mode that takes a photo every three seconds so you have a ton of different shots.
Finish strong
If you had a great jump run you just captured don’t make the mistake of turning the camera off right away. Get all the high fives and the celebration and the description of what you just did. It adds a lot of flavor.
Use protection
When you’re shooting the camera out of the protective case you need to use these little clear filters. If the lens gets scratched on a GoPro, the camera is scrap. Pop one of these on and keep it safe.
Get a timer
For timelapses, get a simple kitchen timer. It rotates 180 degrees in 30 minutes and 360 in an hour, creating these cool panning timelapse shots on a budget. To get the same effect as a big camera, it’s tedious, but possible. A GoPro retrofitted to a simple egg timer can take timelapses while packing or unpacking a car or even capture changing weather conditions. Again, it’s all about timing and vision. So when you see clouds rolling in, be sure you’re paying attention and have a timer so you can get some amazing footage. It’s all about seeing into the future.
Find inspiration
I’m always surprised when people come up with totally different video ideas. I’ll be trying to do these crazy difficult shots and then Mike Basich will put on a yeti costume and just do pow runs in the backcountry — and I’m like, "Damn, that’s the best idea ever." Remember to have fun out there.
Drop cams
You don't always have to shoot from your body or bike. Want to see yourself go over that jump? Use a "drop cam" — simply place the camera on the ground and ride by it to record the action. Now, you have another view and another solid selfmade shot to use.
air dawg drone shot with bike in sedona
© Aaron Chase
Go drone
There’s a new secret weapon in my camera kit — a GPS-tracking drone that automatically follows me. No need for a helicopter to get amazing aerial shots anymore. I simply wear a sensor on my wrist and it goes wherever I go. It can even fold up to fit in my backpack so I can take it along anywhere, making those once very expensive shots personally attainable.
Share
Today, you can shoot 4K quality video on a GoPro, transfer it to your phone, edit it and put it up on Facebook — all from the palm of your hand, so you can always keep the ride rolling along.
Check out more POV videos from Aaron Chase:
• Mountain Bikers Drop Through Hole in the Earth
• Ride Down a Volcano Crater in Mexico
• Jumping Mountain Bikes Over a Speeding Race Truck
• Gnarly Bike Race in a Real Junkyard
