Wildfire Outdoors Blog

“There’s no magic bullet to creating better outdoor footage, but there is a lot in the way of tips.”
By Brock Ray

I have often wished that life solution were such that if you only had a ‘silver bullet’ to plug a problem with that it would be instantly solved like in the movies. Just as life is a long learning process, so is becoming a proficient outdoor videographer. In both cases you learn by doing, sometimes failing, and listening the advice of others who have faced the challenges you seek to overcome.

Below is a double fist-full of tips that if you successfully employ them in your own outdoor videography, there is little doubt that you will produce better outdoor videography than you are now.

Gear Care

Modern videography equipment is both ruggedly constructed, but also a bit touchy if not cared for properly. Few pieces of equipment that you find in use by professional outdoor videographers were specifically designed for use in the outdoors. When not in use or while camera gear is being moved from one location to another location, protection is essential. I recommend a hard case that is large enough to have a porous form interior that for fits to snuggly and safely hold you camera and related electronic gear firmly in place. Ideally such a case is also waterproof and dust proof. Such cases are available, and cost far less than any repair work your video recorder might need if it is ever damaged in transit.

Every single time you are outdoors keep the lens cap over the lens when you are not shooting footage or holding you camera in a ready mode. If the weather is wet, avoid allowing moisture or water to come into contact with you camera. If the wind is carrying a lot of debris, dust or sand, similarly protect you camera. Video records are neither water proof, nor are they inherently well protected from dust. When you retire your equipment to its storage cases at the end of the day, liberally use inexpensive canned air to blast all dust and grit that might have found its way onto you recorder. Afterwards, wipe it down with a dry towel. Do not forget to remove batteries, and also blow out any connecting ports.

Slow Down There Fellow

One of the most consistently committed errors of all budding outdoor videogrphers is a feeling of urgency they fail to suppress when gathering footage. This results in getting shots that are not long enough for viewers to later savor with their eyes and ears. It is particularly bad when showing scenery that under the worst conditions whizzes by faster than it can deciphered by the viewer. Generally speaking, scenes that are too long are preferred to hurried ones.

Learning to slow down takes more practice than you might think. The best way to self teach yourself correct timing is to critically view your footage. If you sense it is moving to fast, you probably are quite correct. Later when shooting similar scenes again, consciously slow your pans and extend the time you hold on scenes. Get in the habit of ending scenes by keeping the camera running while you slowly point the lens skyward. This provides a natural end of the scene that prevents the next unedited scene from jumping in too quickly.

You’re Tripod or Mine?

Unless you are an extraordinarily steady person, you need to use a tripod whenever the circumstances of your shooting situation permit such a set up. Over the last couple of decades I have been around many of the country’s top outdoor videographers. They all do many things differently from one another, but among the handful of things these professional do is to use a tripod as often as there is an opportunity to do so. They know that no matter how steadily they can hold a video record on their shoulder or in front of the eyes in their hands, they will record better footage if they have their recorders securely attached to a sturdy tripod.

I recommend investing a sturdy, quality tripod with a fluid head. Such tripods can cost over $500, but they are lifetime investments that will outlast a dozen cameras. If you take the time to consistently use such a tripod whenever you shoot scenery, static scenes or wildlife, you will discover that your efforts make the time and money spent a worth while endeavor.

Get Good Audio

Modern videography differs greatly from still photography and even using old 16mm movie cameras. The biggest difference is that sound is recorded on the same tape as are the moving images. Serious outdoor videography requires off-camera microphones that convey sound to the record via radio waves. About the size of a pack of cigarettes, these battery powered units have 36-inch wires that attach to tiny clip-on cardioid or omni directional microphones.

Most video recorders can accept signals from two such units. Each is metered for strength of signal and sound level. If you are serious about your outdoor videography efforts such a microphone should be your first investment following the acquisition of a camera. As always, buy the best equipment your budget will allow. Companies such as Azden and Shure carry an extensive line of good quality audio tools.

Many local stores carry these products. Music stores are sources of audio equipment, and are apt to have very knowledgeable staff on hand to help you. Radio Shack equipment, especially lavaliere and PZM microphones, which are made by major audio equipment manufacturers for resale under the Radio Shack logo. Audio equipment can be purchased by mail order. When purchasing via mail order, be sure to inquire about hidden costs, such as shipping and handling.

Over the years I have used a number of microphone systems. Sennheiser is in my opinion, the best choice in terms of performance and price. I recommend buying a pair of these so you can wire up two people that are talking. These sell for approximately $495 each.

. If you are not yet knowledgeable enough, the best shortcut to preparing yourself for a full or part time career in outdoor videography is my Outdoor Video Home Study Course.

Set-ups, Fillers and Scripts

Every outdoors show you see on television has a certain number of set-up shots. Some, like interviews with the guide, are pretty obviously staged. Others like dogs going on point or birds flushing usually are real, captured by an experienced video camera operator. If you have learned or plan to learn to edit your own footage into a story of your hunting trip or season, set-up shots are essential. In the past I have noted the importance of having a shooting script which is a list of shots you want to get on any hunting or fishing trip that includes easy to overlook things like meal time footage, cooking, scenery, conversations, wildlife and other shots that bring the feel of the fishing and hunting into your story.

These are fillers that make your footage entertaining. Before making a hunting or fishing trip, make a list of all of the various fillers you want to be sure to shoot while on your trip. This list becomes your shooting script. Some are staged, while others like cooking and meal time is seized as opportunities present themselves.

Read the Book

The fore noted is the tip of the iceberg. If you want to learn more to get better at outdoor videography, I recommend my home study course. The Brock Ray’s Outdoor Videography School Home Study Course includes DVDs, CD-Rom software, and a course book to follow along to get started in your outdoor videography career. The core curriculum includes a the operational and functional material on how the camera works and how it is used in the outdoors; details the importance of sound quality and how to properly use wireless microphones; shows the importance of lighting and how to properly incorporate it both indoors and out; demonstrates hunting and fishing set ups; and covers the ins and outs of exactly how and when to bill your clients. The cost is $49.99 plus $10 shipping and handling. For more information visit www.outdoorvideoschool.com.

“Are you ready to accept the challenge of capturing a buck hunt on tape?”
By Brock Ray

Few things put a feather in the cap of aspiring outdoor videographer like successfully capturing the magic and excitement of a whitetail hunt on video tape. The white tailed deer is the number one quarry of hunters and perhaps the most challenging of all outdoor videography to capture on tape. It is only slightly less hit-or-miss than hunting these wary game animals.

Most of the country’s top professional outdoor videographers are also experienced woodsmen who love making a living in the great out-of-doors. Much more often than not these people are also avid, knowledgeable hunters who have traded in their bows and rifles for the modern magic of the video recorder. They approach the hunt with the same preparation, focus and enthusiasm as do the hunters they accompany in the woods. Trust me. Hunters can expect little success in their tree stand if their videographer is not adequately savvy. The videographer is a team member whose job it is to make the hunt a success despite such daunting natural defenses that the whitetail possesses.

The most ironic part of video taping a whitetail hunt is that it sometimes can be absurdly easy while at other times it can be “mission impossible.” Everyone has heard about the first-time hunter killing a record book buck while walking away from this truck on Opening Day. Conversely, we all know at least one lifelong hunter who spent countless hours in the woods with little more to show for it on the walls of a den than a spindly little eight-pointer. This is the nature of whitetail hunting and also the nature of video taping a whitetail hunt. Whereas the hunter measures success by putting venison in the freezer, a videographer’s success is a completed tape inserted in a VCR.

For the purposes of this column, I am going to focus on a single hunting trip. Let’s pretend you are a fellow who hunts with his dad, cousin and two lifelong pals. Normally you guys hunt national forest land located an hour from home in Pennsylvania. However, for two years you have been planning a five day hunt to a large corn farm in Illinois where fifteen record book making bucks have been taken in the last five years. It’s not a cheap hunt either. Every hunter has shelled out $2,000 for the privilege of making this once-in-a-lifetime trophy buck hunt. How they talked you into being just the video man is unimportant, so bear with me now, okay?

Their focus is big mossy horned bucks and your noble cause is to capture this wonderful hunting trip. In Medieval times you would have been the court scribe, but today rather than parchment and ink, you record on magnetic tape. The mission is to tell the story in such a way that the folks at home do not become so bored that you become a candidate for a stint in the dungeon of the local pub. The secret to your magic is having a plan, or as they call it in the mythical land of Hollywood, a “script.” This is not for acting where lines must be recited before the lens, but rather a list of all of the shots or elements you want to remember to tape while on your hunting trip.

Even professional outdoor videographers keep a written script list so they can remember to tape everything needed to tell the story of the hunt to the viewer. It also a good ideal to chronologically list the shots you want. For instance, if you are traveling by air, make sure to get airport shots early. The key element of all whitetail hunting videos is the actual hunt and kills. However, when telling a story you want travel scenes as well as camp scenes and scenery shots, too. You cannot control the weather or the actions of the whitetail, but you can control many aspects of taping a hunting video.

For example, you do not need to video scenery or camp footage on rainy days or at high noon when sunlight usually is very harsh and contrasting. It is always a good ideal to get shots you want of the camp or the lodge as soon as possible, but also when lighting conditions are optimal. The best times to film are the first two hours of morning and the last two of evening when natural light is muted. If time and weather permit you can get most of these the first day and by all means do so. Hunting schedules and weather may not be cooperative thereafter. Indoor shots like mealtime and your buddies staggering around in a predawn stupor are also welcomed respite for viewers, especially if they personally know the actors. Also, try to tape as many different aspects of the pre- and non-hunt as possible such as sighting in firearms, and of course a discussion of the hunt plan between your hunters and their outfitter (this is also the interview segment.) Personally I like kitchen/meal preparation shots and a few shots of people napping or telling about the events of the day during mealtime.

If you are not in the habit of shooting as much and as often as possible with your video recorder mounted to a tripod, this is the time to do it. Everyone thinks they are a steady hand when welding a camera, but if you want the best image quality possible, do it like the pros. Place your camera on a tripod. Also, get a set of headphones, even if they are from your daughter’s portable CD player. What you hear through the headphones is what is going on the tape. Get the habit of using these so you can adjust sound recordings as needed to get the best possible marriage of sound and image.

The hunt is the heart of your whitetail hunting video. Armed with a video recorder, you are much a part of the hunt as is your hunter. Even if the hunter gets buck fever and misses, you still are expected to be able to tell the story. We do over a dozen whitetail hunts a year. I hunt in about half of them and film in the rest. My approach in terms of wearing camouflage, scent control and movement in the stand is the same. I enjoy filming as much and in some ways more than actually being the trigger man. Most of what we film is done from a tree stand although I much prefer the ease and comfort of working in a shooting house for obvious reasons.

The optimal set up for video recording from a tree stand is two adjacent trees where the camera man as the exactly the same view as the hunter and where they can easily communicate without alerting the animals. If you plan well this usually is possible, but it is not always. Using climbing tree stand we have stacked the camera man atop the hunter and visa versa. Sometimes we are not as close as we would like, but because we use wireless microphones, at least the hunter can alert and talk to the camera man if he spots a buck. If you do not have wireless microphones, connect to each other with a length of string. Tug it to get each other attention or to signal readiness to shoot. What ever method you decide to use for communication, make sure it is as quiet and movement free as you can devise and still make it effective.

Whenever we video whitetail hunts from a tree stand we use a special camera mounting system that attaches to the tree and holds the camera mounted to a swinging arm. These have been around for a long time and are readily available through mail order houses like Bass Pro Shop and Cabelas. I cannot over state the value of these or how much you will improve you image quality if you employ one. Your job is twofold. You are there to record the hunt. You are also there not to foil the hunt. As noted, the camouflage clothing and human scent control that is considered essential consistent hunter success is also recommended for camera man, especially if it is a bow hunt. Depending on how exposed the camara man is in a tree stand, draping camouflage printed burlap or leafy camouflage around them is also something you should be prepared to do. The less obtrusive the camera man is, the less likely will be his presence and activity is to negatively impact the outcome of the hunt.

So, lest fast forward now to you in the stand with your cousin Elvin. You and he have spotted a buck 100 yards away moving gingerly in your direction. You and he have exchanged approving nods. If possible, Cuz will shoot this buck. Your job now is to get on the animal and stay on it time to shoot. Feel free to zoom in an out as it approaches, although to make it look professionally you lightly feather the zoom button so it all occurs nice and slowly. Lastly, you and Elvin must communicate 20 to 30 seconds before he shoots. This is where the string is essential. When he lets you know he is ready, and this should be after he has given you a minute or two to tape the approaching buck, you then zoom back away from the animal. The moment prior to the shot the buck should be dead center in the frame. This is because once the animal is shot; it is very likely to dart in an unexpected direction. By having the frame expanded you can follow it far more easily than if you are zoomed in tightly on the animal.

Immediately after the animal is shot, turn the camera on the hunter. You can stage the looks he will be projecting in that brief moment of sheer delight and excitement. If you can contain the hunter, you should descend from the tree stand (or shooting house) first so you can film him coming down. Thereafter follow him with the camera running as he tracks and ultimately claims is trophy. Lastly, position him behind the animal hoisting the antlered head upward telling you just what is on his mind at the moment.

If you decide to try this and think you have covered all of the bases, I would be delighted to review your work for possible editing and broadcasting on my television show, Brock Ray’s World of Outdoors”. There is one condition though, but it will truly up the quality of your final product. You must have completed “Brock Ray Videography School Home Study Course”. For more information contact me at 205-625-5480 or visit me www.outdoorvideoschool.com

Wow… where in the world has all the deer hunting season gone? Seems like last week it was just archery season.

Time does have a way of getting away from us that’s for sure and they say “the older we get the faster time seems to fly” Try to capitalize on every time you’re afield and make the most of each hunt while there.

Every time I go into the whitetail deer woods I try to make myself enjoy just being out there in nature and for me it’s not hard. I just love the pretty trees when the leaves are changing colors and all those pretty birds are singing and communicating with one another. The squirrels, occasional rabbit, fox, hawk, owl, and coyote all help make my time out on stand more enjoyable.

I go into the woods with an idea that I may see a deer, or that I may not? But, I do enjoy every moment out there and hope for another trip out another day. I do fantasize about that ole monster buck that might just walk by my stand or a mature doe and that I’ll be able to make the shot that leads me to bringing one home.

Well the rut or breeding season’s over and deer seem to have changed from that ole fast paced chasing to feeding and being more social. Kinda like they were back in the early archery season I guess. Now they all, even the bucks are cooling down from the rut to feed up for the winter months and to put on as much body fat as possible.

By now they have their winter coats and much darker and kinda grey in color. So how do we hunt them now? Well for me I usually do a little in season scouting - scouting while I’m on the way to a stand or scouting while on the way out.

Now, we need to hunt the freshest sign we come across. Wheater it’s a path with many new fresh tracks or droppings or a freshly planet winter grain field. Food  and cover will be what we need to key in on at this point.

Just a couple days ago I was walking out from a morning hunt and I decided to take an unusually long walk out and scout while I snuck out. I did find a trail with lots of fresh tracks which had not been used since summer time. So, I hung a stand that afternoon and was only able to get 10 feet or so off the ground. But that gave me the vantage point I needed.

I set up that afternoon just after hanging that stand at about 1:45 p.m. and things were looking pretty sad as the evening wore on. At 4:30 p.m. I had almost given up hope of seeing a deer and thought to myself this just might be a good morning stand and not an evening one. Then as time slowly passed and I looking through my Bushnell binoculars, and great day I thought I was seeing things for a second when I saw legs through the brush at 150 yards or, then I could see his rack.

A buck? Cool, now if he’ll only come this way? And low and behold, he did and I was able to take that pretty good 8 pt. at 4:55 p.m. He’s not a monster but a good buck for me.

So, in late season some things to consider: The deer have been pressured pretty hard, so anything and everything we can do to eliminate our human odor is a must so spray down with some Hunter’s Specialties www.hunterspec.com - Scent Away, and re spray yourself when you get on stand. If the weather warm or it warms up spray down often to help eliminate your odors and to help keep them to a minimum.

When you walk in try to not make a single noise, try to sneak into your stand, and out. Sneaking out is as important as sneaking in. Try not to make any non woods sounds while on stand like metallic sounds. Deer key in on these un natural sounds and avoid these areas like the plague.

The deer we are hunting are a lot smarter than they were earlier in the season and may be a little tougher to harvest now but with patients and some good time on stand, and more patients things are bound to go our way.

Remember, to increase you time afield during the late season hunt the freshest sign you come across wheater it’s dropping, tracks, or a new food source. Be careful my friends an God Bless. Remember

- SAFETY FIRST