Shooting Action Sports This page intentionally left blank Shooting Action Sports: The Ultimate Guide to Extreme Filmmaking Todd Grossman AMSTERDAM (cid:129) BOSTON (cid:129) HEIDELBERG (cid:129) LONDON NEW YORK (cid:129) OXFORD (cid:129) PARIS (cid:129) SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO (cid:129) SINGAPORE (cid:129) SYDNEY (cid:129) TOKYO Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier Acquisitions Editor: Elinor Actipis Associate Editor: Cara Anderson Publishing Services Manager: George Morrison Project Manager: Kathryn Liston Assistant Editor: Robin Weston Marketing Managers: Marcel Koppes, Becky Pease Cover Design: Aaron Atchison of Farm Design Illustrations: Max Forward Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier 30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP, UK Copyright © 2008 Todd Grossman. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (+44) 1865 843830, fax: (+44) 1865 853333, E-mail: [email protected]. You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (http://elsevier.com), by selecting “Support & Contact” then “Copyright and Permission” and then “Obtaining Permissions.” Recognizing the importance of preserving what has been written, Elsevier prints its books on acid-free paper whenever possible. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Application submitted British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 978-0-240-80956-4 For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at www.books.elsevier.com 07 08 09 10 11 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China. Working together to grow libraries in developing countries www.elsevier.com | www.bookaid.org | www.sabre.org To my family. With love, and appreciation. This page intentionally left blank Contents Preface ix Acknowledgment xi 1. A History of Action Sports and Filmmaking 1 2. The Tools of Action-Sports Filmmaking 17 3. Project Development 47 4. Working on Location 63 5. Camera Angles, Lenses, and Framing 77 6. Shooting Techniques 107 7. Documentary vs. Reality 135 8. Storytelling Techniques 149 9. Postproduction 167 vii CONTENTS 10. Distribution 195 11. Big-Set Production: An Overview 213 12. The Future of Action-Sports Filmmaking 239 Index 251 viii Preface What is the difference between a camera operator and a cameraman? In 2006, I found myself working on a TV show for Intuitive Entertain- ment with cinematographer I-Li Chen. He was the fi rst person I had ever encountered who could not only sum up the difference but also the importance of this difference. His explanation was as follows: “Camera operators shoot what they’re told, when they’re told; they are more or less a tool with little or no creative input. Cameramen are a bit of a director as well. They are always watching and listening to everything that is happening. They are looking for moments, feeling the energy in a room, and identifying the story in what they are shooting. A cameraman will always capture the best moments.” I-Li hit the nail on the head with this statement. I’ve always found that people like to keep one eye closed while shooting fi lm and video. Now granted, there are circumstances in which this is best to do; however, I fi nd that most of the time, you are better off leaving your “non-eyepiece” eye open. The reason is exactly what I-Li said. With your other eye open, you will be able to seek out and fi nd not just other moments that are brewing around you, but you’ll also see what is hap- pening just outside the edges of your frame. In the summer of 2006, at what TransWorld SKATEboarding referred to as “The Best Skateboard Contest Ever” — The Vans Pro-Tec Pool Party in Orange, California — 200 of the best top pro and retired old- school ramp and pool riders showed up to compete in the enormous ix