Great video dude! A couple more pointers I've received from experienced climbing documentarians in SLC: - Try to have three points of contact with the wall for the most stable footage (i.e. bolt, both feet) * This is why i like to have 2x adjustable daises, one to clip to ascender and one to clip to another point - Getting the camera further from the wall usually produces a more dramatic shot. Camera pole/extended gimbal is a great albeit difficult way to achieve this - Get creative with angles & points of contact! I often find myself toe-hooking to get an angle, and sometimes carry a light rack or a hook to attach myself to different points near the climb. Next time you're around Utah lets go climb!
Most comprehensive for filming rock climbing on TH-cam. Do you go about rigging a line for shooting differently at popular crags? I've always been self conscious about getting in people's way when trying to film a climb lol
Glad you enjoyed it! Rigging at popular crags is definitely tricky, we normally just try to do things quickly to show the respect to the other climbers. Normally, in the crowded places, the first person will lead with the filmer’s (my) rope trailing behind. Once the rope is fixed, I’ll ascend while the second climber gets ready. So, when the climber is ready I’m already in place. That way, it’s still roughly the same amount of time as two climbers trying a route but we got footage of the second climber.
Very cool video. As a fellow climbing film maker I agree with all the tips in the video. The Grigri Z Rig is how we all start😂 Three more tips I'd like to add: 1. Taking a tele lense up an adjacent slope can often give you a cool side shot without the effort of rigging. 2. Getting wireless mics to get the breathing of the climber and encouragements of the belayer in the same shot helps a lot with the immersion. 3. A cool interview and story is key to an interesting and memorable climbing video.
Love these, and definitely agree with all of them! Mics and a well-told story are definitely what can take it from a good climbing video to a great one :)
You could also use a slip knot for your stoppers, assuming you tie them the right way. very quick to untie and only takes one hand to pull down. I like to use an oval for the ascender. Seems to not get jammed up putting on/off.
LOVE this information! I've been wanting to do still photos of climbing. Would also really love to see a video like this done for mountaineering videos. I can see how a ton of what you covered here would translate to mountaineering, but there's a lot of unique challenges there as well.
Such a good question! It sort of depends on the route and the shot but there’s lots of ways to get it out of the shot. You can secure the rope to a fixed anchor at the top, use a rope bag that hangs from you to consolidate the excess slack, attach the base of the rope (or weight it) away from the route so the rope direction is out of the way of your intended shot. The last one is what we did to film the route at 6:28
The grigri isnt rated for hands free device like you said, but i find a much easier approach is to have a sling (120cm works for me) attached to your belay loop and the top biner of your ascender. This acts as your redundancy, as if the grigri slips or decams youve still got the ascender engaged and csn fsll on it comfortably as its a short distance. To each their own, but i find backup knots to be too much faff. Also, the grigri plus works much better as top rope mode allows the grigri to slip much less, and also has the anti-panic handle which is helpful for rapping, so is much closer to a descender than a regular grigri
Hey, great video, a lot of great insights, but got a quick question, can a GoPro Hero 8 Black, Dji Mini 3 and iPhone 12 pro with Dji Osmo 6 do something proper or is it impossible and I shouldn't bother?
GREAT question, when it comes to gear I really believe the best camera is the one you have on you. With a drone, GoPro and solid iPhone with a gimbal you can still tell an amazing story. If you’ve ever watched Reel Rock’s “The Cuddle”, that was mostly shot on an iPhone and was a pretty rad climbing film. My recommendation is to lean on the storytelling side of things since that’s ultimately what a memorable climbing film is all about!
Such a great and informative video! I'm not a videographer myself but I'm thinking about trying it. What about filming bouldering though? That must be way different, right?
Glad you found it helpful and I'd recommend giving a filming a try if you're interested in it, it's pretty fun :) Filming bouldering is a bit different for sure. I made a video about how to film bouldering if you want to check it out! th-cam.com/video/9tYTZkg3ngY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VvZpgpxdJnuEssiV
This is good fun. As a good photographer I have to admit climbing is a very hard sport to get quality from. Often you aren't there just for photos, you are one of the climbers who has to quickly stop (say on a multi) grab some shots and go.
Totally agree! Unless you’re going out of your way specifically for photos it can be tricky, I’ve found the small camera + wide angle lens combo are typically the best for those climbing/photography missions where you’re both the climber and photographer :)
Great video! I was thinking about possibly getting into this. For now, do you think its possible to get closeup detail shots with a drone? Or would you consider it unsafe?
Happy to hear you're getting into climbing filmmaking, that's awesome! A drone is a good starting point but it does get pretty difficult to get closeups and detail shots since that does require flying pretty close to the climber which isn't always the safest option. If you're not wanting to invest in a ton of gear right away, I'd recommend a drone and a GoPro - that way you can get a good overview of the climb from the drone and still capture detail shots with the GoPro. But, inevitably, getting a good camera will take it to the next level beyond drones and action cameras :)
hey Roo, I am currently a student in this field, and I'm pretty sure this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Any advice on how to move in that direction apart from building a portfolio?
Awesome! Hope the video helped the journey along a bit :) I'd love to just give you one super small piece of wisdom that could help point you in the right direction but sometimes just getting out there and making stuff is the best way to grow. I've also written a ton of articles on my website all about how to grow as an adventure filmmaker in case you want to check them out, hopefully they could be helpful for ya: roosmith.com/blog
Good question! We only attach one end of the rope to the anchor at the top so the rest of the rope is just dangling beneath me (or coiled up in my lap or attached to a fixed anchor). This allows me to not have to use a belayer or anybody on the other end of the rope so they can all focus on the climbing.
Super interesting video! I just have one question: do you use a static or dynamic rope when filming? I recently did some tests and found out that the greater bounciness of the dynamic rope compared to the static rope doesn't bother me at all while ascending, especially for single-pitch climbing where the route is not that long. Furthermore, being dynamic I feel it to be just a little safer than a static rope, in case something goes wrong (for example, grigri's cam disengaging), and avoid unwanted shock loads. What are your thoughts about it?
Definitely static, a lot of my friends do it and the use static lines so that ascending is easier. One tip is to use a skateboard that has been modified to be a seat that you attach to the rope so that you don’t have to be in your harness the whole day.
I usually use a static line since often times the rope I've rigged is going over rocks or ledges, and with the bounce of the dynamic rope you could wear it out from the rubbing.
I was using a dynamic rope here in this video but prefer static ropes when I remember to bring it along :) I find that if I’m filming multiple people on a route, the bounciness of the rope does make me feel a little bit more fatigued if I’m jugging up and down multiple times. But, that being said, either one will work and will be safe enough for filming!
Awesome Tips! I'm wondering if an how you manage your camera gear on the wall in case you bring multiple lenses. And how do you keep your Camera safe in general. Thanks!
Thanks! I have a fanny pack that I'll bring up with me that holds a couple extra lenses, batteries, a cloth (for dust) and a microphone. For keeping the camera safe, it's definitely a challenge but just being conscious of how the camera is positioned in relation to the wall is always helpful. If the camera hits your body while you're out there, it won't cause much damage but if it hits the wall that can be tough. So, I always try to keep my body between the camera and the wall when I'm ascending or moving around.
Great video dude!
A couple more pointers I've received from experienced climbing documentarians in SLC:
- Try to have three points of contact with the wall for the most stable footage (i.e. bolt, both feet)
* This is why i like to have 2x adjustable daises, one to clip to ascender and one to clip to another point
- Getting the camera further from the wall usually produces a more dramatic shot. Camera pole/extended gimbal is a great albeit difficult way to achieve this
- Get creative with angles & points of contact! I often find myself toe-hooking to get an angle, and sometimes carry a light rack or a hook to attach myself to different points near the climb.
Next time you're around Utah lets go climb!
Most comprehensive for filming rock climbing on TH-cam.
Do you go about rigging a line for shooting differently at popular crags? I've always been self conscious about getting in people's way when trying to film a climb lol
Glad you enjoyed it! Rigging at popular crags is definitely tricky, we normally just try to do things quickly to show the respect to the other climbers. Normally, in the crowded places, the first person will lead with the filmer’s (my) rope trailing behind. Once the rope is fixed, I’ll ascend while the second climber gets ready. So, when the climber is ready I’m already in place. That way, it’s still roughly the same amount of time as two climbers trying a route but we got footage of the second climber.
Very cool video. As a fellow climbing film maker I agree with all the tips in the video. The Grigri Z Rig is how we all start😂
Three more tips I'd like to add:
1. Taking a tele lense up an adjacent slope can often give you a cool side shot without the effort of rigging.
2. Getting wireless mics to get the breathing of the climber and encouragements of the belayer in the same shot helps a lot with the immersion.
3. A cool interview and story is key to an interesting and memorable climbing video.
Love these, and definitely agree with all of them! Mics and a well-told story are definitely what can take it from a good climbing video to a great one :)
I usually also attach a sling to my ascender and my harness, so if I remove the ascender to lower I don't have to worry about dropping it!
You could also use a slip knot for your stoppers, assuming you tie them the right way. very quick to untie and only takes one hand to pull down. I like to use an oval for the ascender. Seems to not get jammed up putting on/off.
Great tip! Slip knots for stoppers are a great idea :)
Very underrated stuff. Wonder how the climbers must feel up that high
LOVE this information! I've been wanting to do still photos of climbing. Would also really love to see a video like this done for mountaineering videos. I can see how a ton of what you covered here would translate to mountaineering, but there's a lot of unique challenges there as well.
Sweet, a mountaineering focused video about how to film on big mountain adventures would be epic. I'll add it to the list :)
@@roosmith6 Wanna go to Peru in August? We've got a great adventure planned!
sick! when jigging yourself up what do you do with the other side of the rope?
Such a good question! It sort of depends on the route and the shot but there’s lots of ways to get it out of the shot. You can secure the rope to a fixed anchor at the top, use a rope bag that hangs from you to consolidate the excess slack, attach the base of the rope (or weight it) away from the route so the rope direction is out of the way of your intended shot. The last one is what we did to film the route at 6:28
@roosmith6 thanks, but I worded it badly. I meant like do you have someone belaying the other side or is it like connected to the ground somehow
The grigri isnt rated for hands free device like you said, but i find a much easier approach is to have a sling (120cm works for me) attached to your belay loop and the top biner of your ascender. This acts as your redundancy, as if the grigri slips or decams youve still got the ascender engaged and csn fsll on it comfortably as its a short distance. To each their own, but i find backup knots to be too much faff.
Also, the grigri plus works much better as top rope mode allows the grigri to slip much less, and also has the anti-panic handle which is helpful for rapping, so is much closer to a descender than a regular grigri
Enjoyed watching, learnt a lot
Glad to hear it!
Hey, great video, a lot of great insights, but got a quick question, can a GoPro Hero 8 Black, Dji Mini 3 and iPhone 12 pro with Dji Osmo 6 do something proper or is it impossible and I shouldn't bother?
GREAT question, when it comes to gear I really believe the best camera is the one you have on you. With a drone, GoPro and solid iPhone with a gimbal you can still tell an amazing story. If you’ve ever watched Reel Rock’s “The Cuddle”, that was mostly shot on an iPhone and was a pretty rad climbing film. My recommendation is to lean on the storytelling side of things since that’s ultimately what a memorable climbing film is all about!
@@roosmith6 thanks! Will do my best
Such a great and informative video! I'm not a videographer myself but I'm thinking about trying it. What about filming bouldering though? That must be way different, right?
Glad you found it helpful and I'd recommend giving a filming a try if you're interested in it, it's pretty fun :)
Filming bouldering is a bit different for sure. I made a video about how to film bouldering if you want to check it out!
th-cam.com/video/9tYTZkg3ngY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VvZpgpxdJnuEssiV
How is your experience rappelling with a grigri?
Can you show the anchor setup you used? I'm curious.
I'll try to make a video about it in the future but these were all two bolt anchors so it was a pretty simple setup :)
This is good fun. As a good photographer I have to admit climbing is a very hard sport to get quality from. Often you aren't there just for photos, you are one of the climbers who has to quickly stop (say on a multi) grab some shots and go.
Totally agree! Unless you’re going out of your way specifically for photos it can be tricky, I’ve found the small camera + wide angle lens combo are typically the best for those climbing/photography missions where you’re both the climber and photographer :)
@@roosmith6 ive been taking an x-t5 up. have to admit that when ive used an rx100iii its been kinda disappointing.
really good bideo. thank you vro 🔥💯
support from Turkey
Appreciate it!
Is your knot a figure 8 on a bight
Close! It’s an overhand on a bight :)
Great video! I was thinking about possibly getting into this. For now, do you think its possible to get closeup detail shots with a drone? Or would you consider it unsafe?
Happy to hear you're getting into climbing filmmaking, that's awesome! A drone is a good starting point but it does get pretty difficult to get closeups and detail shots since that does require flying pretty close to the climber which isn't always the safest option. If you're not wanting to invest in a ton of gear right away, I'd recommend a drone and a GoPro - that way you can get a good overview of the climb from the drone and still capture detail shots with the GoPro. But, inevitably, getting a good camera will take it to the next level beyond drones and action cameras :)
hey Roo, I am currently a student in this field, and I'm pretty sure this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Any advice on how to move in that direction apart from building a portfolio?
Awesome! Hope the video helped the journey along a bit :) I'd love to just give you one super small piece of wisdom that could help point you in the right direction but sometimes just getting out there and making stuff is the best way to grow. I've also written a ton of articles on my website all about how to grow as an adventure filmmaker in case you want to check them out, hopefully they could be helpful for ya:
roosmith.com/blog
@@roosmith6 Very helpful, Thank you! :)
what is the other end of the rope doing? I see you are just climbing one side
Good question! We only attach one end of the rope to the anchor at the top so the rest of the rope is just dangling beneath me (or coiled up in my lap or attached to a fixed anchor). This allows me to not have to use a belayer or anybody on the other end of the rope so they can all focus on the climbing.
Super interesting video! I just have one question: do you use a static or dynamic rope when filming? I recently did some tests and found out that the greater bounciness of the dynamic rope compared to the static rope doesn't bother me at all while ascending, especially for single-pitch climbing where the route is not that long. Furthermore, being dynamic I feel it to be just a little safer than a static rope, in case something goes wrong (for example, grigri's cam disengaging), and avoid unwanted shock loads. What are your thoughts about it?
Definitely static, a lot of my friends do it and the use static lines so that ascending is easier. One tip is to use a skateboard that has been modified to be a seat that you attach to the rope so that you don’t have to be in your harness the whole day.
I usually use a static line since often times the rope I've rigged is going over rocks or ledges, and with the bounce of the dynamic rope you could wear it out from the rubbing.
I was using a dynamic rope here in this video but prefer static ropes when I remember to bring it along :) I find that if I’m filming multiple people on a route, the bounciness of the rope does make me feel a little bit more fatigued if I’m jugging up and down multiple times. But, that being said, either one will work and will be safe enough for filming!
Solid tips in this one! Wish it were easier to film yourselves while climbing 😅
Hardest part is finding friends to film you climbing :(. Haha
I feel you! We’ve been playing around with sticking GoPros on a pole into the cracks which can sometimes work but also involves some down climbing.
@noahkane, I heard Bumble BFF is a good way to meet people if you’re looking for some friends 😁
@@NoahKane Hardest part is finding friends. HAHA But seriously, so hard to find people who want to film!
@@roosmith6 interesting concept honestly!
amazing video! lot of things are applicable to other types of filming. great job in general, thanks!
Thanks so much!
thats a overhand with a bite.
You got it!
Thanks for making these videos Roo! Love your work!
Thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it!
Awesome Tips! I'm wondering if an how you manage your camera gear on the wall in case you bring multiple lenses. And how do you keep your Camera safe in general.
Thanks!
Thanks! I have a fanny pack that I'll bring up with me that holds a couple extra lenses, batteries, a cloth (for dust) and a microphone. For keeping the camera safe, it's definitely a challenge but just being conscious of how the camera is positioned in relation to the wall is always helpful. If the camera hits your body while you're out there, it won't cause much damage but if it hits the wall that can be tough. So, I always try to keep my body between the camera and the wall when I'm ascending or moving around.