Video a Hunt and Capture Memories

Tips and Techniques for Great Video Results

Mar 13, 2009 Laurie Lee Dovey

Shooting a great hunting video requires a commitment to filming, practice with video equipment, using proven video tactics and filming with a buddy.

From low-cost, 6-megapixel digital cameras, to camera phones, to digital recorders, capturing outdoor moments has never been easier. However, making a quality video of a hunt, one that allows participants to relive the hunt as remembered and provides viewers who weren’t with exciting video, requires the right stuff – good equipment, a big-picture view and some skill.

Use the Buddy System to Make a Video While Hunting

Shooting an animal and simultaneously shooting the hunt is possible. Garnering a great video, even a decent video, is improbable. With a tripod, camera mobility is lost.

Chances that the game animal will step into range at the right distance and on the right spot so it’s in focus are slim. Panning from hunter to animal and zooming in and out, as the animal approaches, are important to capturing the essence of the experience. These are practically impossible to accomplish from a fixed position.

Find a buddy who shares an interest in hunt videography and share the task. Help each other. For veteran hunters, filming is a challenge that can bring a new level of enjoyment to the sport.

The Big Picture View

The video crew of Mossy Oak Productions, one of hunting’s most noted producers of quality video and television, has encyclopedic knowledge on developing exciting video.

"Our mission is getting footage of far more than just the hunter’s shot," explains Kevin Tate, Creative Director for Mossy Oak Productions. "Putting together a great video is about telling a story, the whole story."

Kevin Tate’s Tips for Making Great Hunt Videos

Clean the lens often. Shooting through a dirty lens is a common amateur mistake.
Learn how to operate video equipment before shooting a hunt. Smooth operation results in smooth video.
Practice at home and in the woods. Shoot in different situations, from different angles and with different lighting. Determine what produces desirable images and what does not.
Tell the whole story. Include the hunter and his emotions before, during and after the hunt. Cover camp life, the conversations over coffee or dinner. Incorporate hunting partners, the terrain traveled and every bit of nature.
Interview people. Everyone at camp has great stories to tell that are worth reliving.
Set up with the sun at behind or off to the side of the camera. Otherwise, use a polarizing lens filter.
Set up to the right and slightly behind the hunter. Because the viewfinder is positioned on the left side of most cameras, swinging to the left from this position is easy.
Sit close to the hunter to facilitate communication.
Position a microphone on the hunter so binoculars or game calls hanging around the neck won’t bump it. Don’t put it underneath clothing. Fabric rub against the mic destroys the sound track.
Resist the urge to tell the hunter to shoot. The view through the camera lens isn’t what the hunter sees.
Abstain from zooming in too tight on an animal. Tight zoom makes following the animal difficult and greatly amplifies camera shake.
Resist over thinking camera movement. Learn when to move and when not to move. Take advantage of landscape features that hide camera movement.
Shoot lots of footage. Mossy Oak shoots about 360 minutes to get one 30-minute show. You can never have too much film, but too little is always a disappointment.

Taking the time necessary to get great video footage will mean the difference between friends snoozing during the video showing or sitting at the edge of their seats.

The copyright of the article Video a Hunt and Capture Memories in Hunting & Fishing is owned by Laurie Lee Dovey. Permission to republish Video a Hunt and Capture Memories in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Practice Camera Operations Before Heading Afield