Movie making...

I love making videos of my and my mates escapades in the buggy...

https://vimeo.com/baldiviskitebuggy

And also enjoy the process of editing the videos using iMovie, choosing the sound tracks and trying to do something different with the footage. I am gradually getting enough stuff together for another epic!

I think the GoPro is great and provides some superb footage and when I get my access I should be able to get some more aerial footage with my kite line mount. But I am getting bored of the wobbly helmet cam shots - unless something dramatic happens (OBE) it all looks the same...

The video I am most pleased with is my Time Shifts video...

time shifts from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

...and for this I used the GoPro mounted on a mini tripod and played around with speeding up, slowing down and reversing some of the clips. I much prefer the perspective of watching the buggy go past, either at a distance or the extreme close-ups as it makes the whole thing much more watchable.

I have been reading/watching some of the Vimeo video school for hints and ideas...

I am going to try and do more of this sort of video, with small bits of helmet, buggy and line mount. This is where the GoPro is limited, with no screen, no zoom. I could upgrade and go for one of the latest GoPro's with WiFi so that I can view it on my iPhone or iPad but think I am going to invest my Christmas money (and for the first time in years I haven't already spent it!) in a HD digital video camera...

For this I am looking at getting a Samsung HMX-F90BP it offers 52x optical zoom (52x! How close to the action can I get!), great battery life, HD and it is small and easy to use. And it is probably half the price of a GoPro! I think I can use this on the tripod or in the buggy (one handed on the bar!) - and am also hoping that I maybe able to get my wife and kids involved in getting some video of me, while I should be able to get some good video of the other buggiers on the lake.

I am also hoping to drop in on the Extreme Kites Kingston meet in January.

So watch out in the new-year for some epic new movies...