Skate Video Composition

[FakieNollie]

Does anyone else think new videos like GX100 and the Polar video are kind of hard to watch? The skating is amazing but it seems like the project as a whole somehow lacks structure that makes it easily watchable.

[Switch_fsflip_noseslide]

As compared to something like spirit quest (which is good) or flat Earth ( which is unwatchable) is great.  Simple cuts with not too much or no sfx is great to me. The framing in gx and polar especially, are aesthetically pleasing for me. Not distracting and in gx case, make you move to the edge of your seat.  What vids are more watchable for you?

[FakieNollie]

As compared to something like spirit quest (which is good) or flat Earth ( which is unwatchable) is great.  Simple cuts with not too much or no sfx is great to me. The framing in gx and polar especially, are aesthetically pleasing for me. Not distracting and in gx case, make you move to the edge of your seat.  What vids are more watchable for you?

I've always liked the older crail stuff. The Emerica videos are great. Mindfield.  The filming isn't an issue for me. I like when there is a strict beginning and ending to a guys part. I also love when a video has a great soundtrack so maybe that's what is off for me.   

[BALARGUE]

"the sound of skateboarding" is fine with me

i'm an old head so yeah i like parts with names and classic structures but GX1000 got a pass because it's one of the best things happening to skateboarding for a while.

When they put music on it's great music selection, when they don't it still sounds nice

[Jerkstore]

Agreed

Sometimes it doesn't seem worthwhile getting invested in one of those videos when they don't state who you are watching

[Cool Ceith]

Agreed

Sometimes it doesn't seem worthwhile getting invested in one of those videos when they don't state who you are watching

The format of the Polar video reminded me a lot of the first 2 H-Street videos. There were sections; pros had parts, kind of; every rider made appearances throughout; and the soundtracks had brief snippets of songs, and also full versions of songs. There are other similarities, too.

I loved H-Street so much back in the day, and We Blew It At Some Point really gave me goosebumps.

[Pappy Jones]

The poster above stated it well. I think the looser structure of, say, the new Polar video is a good in-between. It’s not basic separated stand alone sections and it isn’t a free for all either. Pros have their own parts but are also dispersed throughout when they’re skating the same spot together or there will be a montage all in the same city.
Example: Shin has one clip in Portland, OR so instead of putting it in his part of all Japan footage, it’s in the Portland section with Emile and Nick Boserio. You might wonder who Shin was but that’s why in the same video he has his own section with his name in big bold letters so you can find out.
The structure of the video is thought out and well executed in my opinion and the dynamics make for a more enjoyable watch. Everything’s intentional.

[SneakySecrets]

The poster above stated it well. I think the looser structure of, say, the new Polar video is a good in-between. It’s not basic separated stand alone sections and it isn’t a free for all either. Pros have their own parts but are also dispersed throughout when they’re skating the same spot together or there will be a montage all in the same city.
Example: Shin has one clip in Portland, OR so instead of putting it in his part of all Japan footage, it’s in the Portland section with Emile and Nick Boserio. You might wonder who Shin was but that’s why in the same video he has his own section with his name in big bold letters so you can find out.
The structure of the video is thought out and well executed in my opinion and the dynamics make for a more enjoyable watch. Everything’s intentional.

With all the inane blabber currently on the front page of UWTB, this was a pleasure to read.  I never thought about it like how you described it, but it really is a good way to structure a video.

[bo golden]

It's Time!

[roba]

Expand Quote

The poster above stated it well. I think the looser structure of, say, the new Polar video is a good in-between. It’s not basic separated stand alone sections and it isn’t a free for all either. Pros have their own parts but are also dispersed throughout when they’re skating the same spot together or there will be a montage all in the same city.
Example: Shin has one clip in Portland, OR so instead of putting it in his part of all Japan footage, it’s in the Portland section with Emile and Nick Boserio. You might wonder who Shin was but that’s why in the same video he has his own section with his name in big bold letters so you can find out.
The structure of the video is thought out and well executed in my opinion and the dynamics make for a more enjoyable watch. Everything’s intentional.

[close]

With all the inane blabber currently on the front page of UWTB, this was a pleasure to read.  I never thought about it like how you described it, but it really is a good way to structure a video.

yeah it's in my opinion the best way to structure a skate vid, i made one last year and i did the same shit, it makes it a lot easier to edit well without making it boring.

[snowman600]

I believe that THE most re-watchable full length vid you can find is Real - Roll Forever. It's a tried and true recipe but in less than 30 min you get everything you need and yet, people hardly ever talk about it. here's to you Roll Forever.

[Ducky Fucky]

I hate GX fuck them and their boards. Hill bomb company

[Get the strap]

I don't recognize every skater so without names it's annoying but I've watched the Bronze video a few times and love it. I guess in one aspect where you are lacking you can make it up elsewhere.

I will say that recently I've thought maybe my negative attitude towards skating has to do with the angles used in filming. There's way too much dad-cam angles or long lense shots. I start watching the clips just at face-value unlike something filmed with a proper angle where I use more of my imagination.

For example dad cam HD angle, I can see everything: teenager with condom beanie and cuffed up pant legs, fs 180s gap with bad style, bombs hill with bad style, homies run to give hugs, pedestrian in background yelling at them. Compared to a sick angle makes the gap look bigger, can't really tell where they are at, can't tell the skaters age, or get a close look at their outfit, and don't see all the kooks in the background.

Long story short, sick angles are more intriguing and rewatchable...dad cam angles are boring, incriminating, unoriginal, and lazy. I bet I would love skateboarding in 2019 way more if there was more passion and responsibility in filming and editing. Granted I know it's tough because there is no money in it, but so what...

[SneakySecrets]

Crazy idea get the strap:

Put your tv or computer on the outside of your door facing in. 

Push play on the new skate video you hate.

Go inside, close your door, watch it from your peephole.

Sick fisheye effect AND you won’t be able to see what the fuck they’re doing.

[Get the strap]

Haha, anything to take my eyes away from noticing jock milinieals with no style playing 90s dress up mash up with 2019 steeze.

Instagram has some fish eye and VHS filters, maybe I'll watch it through my phone next time. I've watched movies like that with the doggy face filter it's pretty funny when it works.

[Iceman]

if i don't know who's doing the skating or i can't just watch the 1 dude out of 20 whose skating i like, then why bother. the lack of definable structure is what made me stop caring about new releases. i think i've watched 2 full videos all year...

[pdknox]

why is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrh5kaWfyMQ song, by my count, 3 times in the gnar gnar krooked video?

[Dorknerd]

Names on the screen seems contrived. I mean who wears a name tag when they skate?

[pdknox]

why is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrh5kaWfyMQ song, by my count, 3 times in the gnar gnar krooked video?

bump

[jakeumms]

why is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrh5kaWfyMQ song, by my count, 3 times in the gnar gnar krooked video?

Because it is an amazing song. Honestly I know that if the circumstances were different I would probably hate that a song was used 3 times in one video but that song played twice in Gonz' part and also in Van Wastell's part was a perfect way to break rules

I'm sketchy on the timeline. Was Van Wastell still alive when Gnar Gnar came out?

[silhouette]

I think the montage type of editing that's been getting more prominent is just a by-product of the state of modern skateboarding. The industry used to want to try and sanctify pros, build strong personas and myths around them to make them recognizable and marketable because the history of skateboarding was still being written at the time, people wanted to catch a glimpse of different styles and new technical prowess, the window you were given in the pre-Internet world was so small you just soaked everything in that was in videos and magazines, and the pro had to be some kind of super hero. Individual video parts that functioned as a recap of years of the same dude fighting and pushing against his own physical limitations three-second clip per three-second clip made sense then because as soon as your favorite skater's name popped up on the screen you knew you were going to watch an episode of Superman.

Nowadays you don't really get that as much because pros really aren't as credible anymore. Too many of them, too many meanings, too many brands, and nowadays competition is so visible you can't really follow the old model, build a sacralized image and put any modern skater on a pretentious pedestal as nowadays it's too obvious that everybody is only human and regardless of how your dude skates there always will be comparable, if not just plain better kids naturally one-upping them in the same style every day for Instagram; in an era where people get to pick their heroes by themselves as opposed to only trusting the ones presented by sponsored media, people are way less likely to swallow certain pills.

So I feel like part of the industry has realized that and now as a more up-to-date model they're trying to play the 'everyone skates together, has fun together yet still happens to be pretty fucking excellent' card. Relatability as opposed to the individual cult followings that were painfully handcrafted in the past. Maybe there is no correlation, maybe there is one but interestingly (or not) when it comes to beginner skaters at skateparks and spots I've been noticing a steep decline of solo skaters and a steep rise of crews of kids over the past few years (who seem to think solo skaters are weird); individuals I'm not sure would skate by themselves otherwise, I wonder if that has to do with the first image they ever caught of skating through those 'new' video 'compositions'. Funnily enough those kids never really seem to suck either, like they take what they see in those videos for granted so much they catch what's supposedly cool right away and straight up learn to skate fast, pop and absorb impact and go for hardflips down sets like it's a formal prerequisite to look just like those other homies in the videos who so naturally happen to skate super well.

I can appreciate all formats myself, although I do cultivate an appreciation for the science of individual parts. And no names on the screen fucking bug me and don't help me catch up with the latest who's who. I don't think skateboarding should be impersonal, but I like experimental editing as well.

I believe that THE most re-watchable full length vid you can find is Real - Roll Forever. It's a tried and true recipe but in less than 30 min you get everything you need and yet, people hardly ever talk about it. here's to you Roll Forever.

gnar'd for the Roll Forever appreesh

[ChuckRamone]

Names on the screen seems contrived. I mean who wears a name tag when they skate?

if a name on the screen is the same as a name tag, are film credits like a biography? this is a bad analogy. videos are contrived no matter what. realism is overrated anyway. why not show the skater chugging energy drinks and posting on IG as well if you want this “raw” style to truly depict the skaters? maybe also show them running away from an old security guard they punched or not being able to find a parking spot. that would be so raw and uncut. “raw” cuts are an illusion too except for the tricks themselves.

[Brguy]

I don't recognize every skater so without names it's annoying but I've watched the Bronze video a few times and love it. I guess in one aspect where you are lacking you can make it up elsewhere.

I will say that recently I've thought maybe my negative attitude towards skating has to do with the angles used in filming. There's way too much dad-cam angles or long lense shots. I start watching the clips just at face-value unlike something filmed with a proper angle where I use more of my imagination.

For example dad cam HD angle, I can see everything: teenager with condom beanie and cuffed up pant legs, fs 180s gap with bad style, bombs hill with bad style, homies run to give hugs, pedestrian in background yelling at them. Compared to a sick angle makes the gap look bigger, can't really tell where they are at, can't tell the skaters age, or get a close look at their outfit, and don't see all the kooks in the background.

Long story short, sick angles are more intriguing and rewatchable...dad cam angles are boring, incriminating, unoriginal, and lazy. I bet I would love skateboarding in 2019 way more if there was more passion and responsibility in filming and editing. Granted I know it's tough because there is no money in it, but so what...

I'd pick dad cam and long lens over fisheye touching the ground any day of the week, I'd like to see what the guy is doing, not some extreme exaggeration. That said, it's also really cool when people find a balance and do a cool angle that shows the whole spot and some landscape but still makes the skateboarding looks good.

[Chatbot]

This isn't about a video composition but more of a filming composition thing which I guess relates to the overall composition.

I noticed in the last few years people don't use the "rule of thirds" when filming fisheye anymore and it kind of annoys me. When filming a gap or set of stairs, the camera should be pointed forward so the skater rolls up from one side of the frame, pops trick which is in the center of the frame while you move camera to follow them and when they land you stop moving the camera so they roll away on the opposite side of the frame. (shitty explanation but if you watch videos you'll notice it).

More often than not, I see people with a vx/ mk1 who just keep the skater centered throughout the entire clip and it doesn't make the gap/ stairs bigger and overall more shaky/ jerky. Also, you can't see the obstacle they're jumping down in it's entirety if the skater is centered the entire time. For lines, obviously keep keep them centered though.

[woodinbrine]

I don’t care that much about individual skaters, and not forcing it into separate parts allows the video to flow better as a whole in my opinion. To me a good skate video is more about the flow and feel than it is about the skaters and tricks. Music has to be good though. We Blew it is by far my favorite among the vids I’ve seen from the last few years.

[Billy Bitchcakes]

i quite like stobeck's filming style but 90 minutes of it in Blessed gave me a headache, it's nausiating everything being so zoomed in. the structure of it was a fucking mess but i kinda enjoyed that

I believe that THE most re-watchable full length vid you can find is Real - Roll Forever. It's a tried and true recipe but in less than 30 min you get everything you need and yet, people hardly ever talk about it. here's to you Roll Forever.

isn't that the one with like 3 different aspect ratios? that was terrible to watch

[Billy Bitchcakes]

More often than not, I see people with a vx/ mk1 who just keep the skater centered throughout the entire clip and it doesn't make the gap/ stairs bigger and overall more shaky/ jerky. Also, you can't see the obstacle they're jumping down in it's entirety if the skater is centered the entire time. For lines, obviously keep keep them centered though.

that's because skateperception went down

[Chatbot]

i quite like stobeck's filming style but 90 minutes of it in Blessed gave me a headache, it's nausiating everything being so zoomed in. the structure of it was a fucking mess but i kinda enjoyed that

Expand Quote

I believe that THE most re-watchable full length vid you can find is Real - Roll Forever. It's a tried and true recipe but in less than 30 min you get everything you need and yet, people hardly ever talk about it. here's to you Roll Forever.

[close]

isn't that the one with like 3 different aspect ratios? that was terrible to watch

The 3 aspect ratios was Since Day One. Roll Forever was all 4:3