Go Steep

 
Brian Vacher of VMax was voted cameraman of the week by Tim Wagner on Omniskore at the World Meet in Spain. Tim, ex cameraman for the world champion Golden Knights team, was impressed by Brian's consistently steep, steady and well-framed video.

Steepness over the formation is the most important skill to grasp for competition. Your aim is to make the video easy to judge so that all the points your team builds are scored. For that, you must see all the grips clearly, the only way to do this is to go steep. It's also vital to crack the exit.

Here, Brian gives out loads of hot tips on shooting FS...

Norman Kent's article in the April 2001 issue of The Mag talked about developing your skills from beginner to master. As with his article, just because you master one form of camera flying, it doesn't mean that you will automatically be a master of another. I consider myself an accomplished 4-way camera flyer but I can't shoot and edit a tandem video like a master. So this article is about flying 4-way camera in particular...

Safety
In the UK the majority of drop zones do not allow you to put a camera on your head until 200 jumps and entirely at the CCI's discretion. This has a good reason. Sticking a camera on your head gives you something else to think about, siphoning off vital brain power, normally dedicated to life-saving procedures. Having additional equipment sticking out also raises the chances of a malfunction and therefore increases the number of correct emergency procedures you must have at your fingertips.

The main areas to consider are:

1. Lines/risers catching your equipment.
Make sure your equipment is secure without sights, mounts or lenses sticking out like a venus fly trap for your lines. Also consider jumping a helmet with a dedicated cutaway system – if not, be sure you know how to get your helmet off with one hand in a hurry. Most importantly get your equipment checked by your resident camera guru before jumping.

2. Additional weight
Camera equipment will increase your wing loading under your canopy and will affect your exit weight and your canopy characteristics. You also want to be confident in your freefall skills so you don't headbutt your fellow skydivers. The extra weight also puts strain on neck muscles not normally used to heavy work – unless you look like Gladstone Small!

3. Jumpsuits
If you're wearing a winged camera suit, be careful your legstraps and wings are routed correctly, that your wing does not cover your toggle and be aware of the difference in airflow and thus the effect on your body position when it comes to pull time. Preferably jump the suit without the camera the first couple of times and revisit the family of malfunctions to go over; the 'pilot chute hesitation' nuisance factor in particular. Trust me you'll get them.

4. Canopy choice
Think about your canopy choice in relation to your increased exit weight and the extra strain on your neck. Choose a canopy that doesn't consistently crack open – many team cameramen jump smooth, slow-opening canopies such as the PD Spectre or Stiletto and more recently the Icarus Crossfire. As you deploy, grab air to slow your fall rate, sit up and consider rolling your shoulders as you feel your canopy coming off your back to reduce the opening shock on your neck. I have also found that not watching the opening (Scott Miller, canopy test pilot, also advises this), leads to more consistent openings and reduces the chance of equipment and lines coming together.

Flying Techniques

Framing the subject
Most team cameraflyers jump with some sort of ring sight. This is so you can learn where the image frame lies. The image needs to be steep and appear to be close.

What makes good 4-way video?
Flying camera for 4-way divides into two main areas.

In training, the frame should be still so the team can debrief effectively using the ground as a reference, as they can see the starting and stopping points of their moves. Most coaches request horizontal footage at some point in the training. Fly slightly lower than the formation looking up at the team. This way the footage will provide clear shots across the whole formation.

In competition, judges need to see the grips. It's that simple. This means you have to be steep. You have to appear to be close so the image is nice and big and the judges aren't squinting at the screen. Remember the team is showing the points to the judges and not to themselves. Good 4-way video is easy to judge.

Exit techniques
There are two main types of exit from a side door aircraft; floating and peeling, also referred to as leading and trailing. The floating technique is normally used from tailgate aircraft.

Floating is where the cameraflyer leaves the plane from below at the same time as the team exits the aircraft. Peeling is when the cameraflyer peels off the side of the aircraft to film the team from above, leaving with the centrepoint of the team. Both types of exits are effective if performed correctly; both can be disastrous if performed wrong. The key point to either exit is to leave with the team.

Distance from the formation
A common misconception when filming teams is that you have to be on their backpacks, checking pins. With a decent camera, and particularly when learning, you can pretty much fly as far away from them as you like. A good distance from the team is any distance where the team fills the screen. This can be achieved by flying further away from the team, and having your camera zoomed in slightly or leaving off that super wide angled lens. This means that you can get great video and concentrate on your position above the formation without the fear of taking them out.

Steepness over the formation
This is by far the most important skill to learn when filming 4-way. It is also probably the hardest technique to become consistent at. However this skill will provide easy-to-judge video, which both teams and judges will be grateful for. Remember, just because the team fills up the screen, it does not mean that it is easy to judge and debrief. You need steepness to see all the grips clearly. To get steep on the formation, begin by flying a good distance away. Use your camera wings and booties to consistently fly as steep as possible and have fun finding the burble! Get into the burble! Fall down the burble!... Then use your wings to avoid the team, which of course, you will be able to do easily because you are a decent distance away.

Eyeball the centrepoint
Another useful technique, both on the rail and when exiting a tailgate, is to look at the centre of the formation when the team is in the door. This means that on some side door exits you will actually be looking through the side of the fuselage where you imagine the centrepoint to be. This way, the camera is immediately framing the centre of the formation before it has left the plane. This works for tailgates as well. Get yourself well away from the team to get the distance you need before the team leaves the aircraft.

Visualisation
Flying camera is no different in terms of visualisation to any other discipline – you will benefit from visualisation. This means you need to know where the centrepoint is for all the formations the team is planning to show on the jump. Work out these centrepoints on the ground with the team when they are dirt-diving. In the plane, visualise the team filling the screen perfectly on the exit. Visualise the formations turning on the hill and visualise the angle and formations when the formation reaches the flat.

Relax!
Like any discipline in this sport you must relax. Relax out on the rail, interact with your team when climbing out, let them geek the camera. Come off the rail with the team. Not before, not after. Relax on the hill and use your wings and your legs. Relax when flying above the team. Relax into a constant fall rate. Have fun playing with the burble. Let the burble become your friend. Most skydivers speak about burbles with fear and dread – cameraflyers talk about the burble with a smile.

Welcome to flying camera. It's a great discipline because you improve your flying skills on every jump. Enjoy.

Article by Brian Vacher

Photos by Rusty Lewis and Brian Vacher

brianvacher@aol.com

www.vmax.org.uk

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