Video Gear: Action Cams & Drones

Course details

What's one of the best parts about being a video professional? All the cool gear! In this course, Rich Harrington and Robbie Carman tackle action cams and drones, some of the hottest pieces of equipment for video production. These cameras allow you to capture incredible bird's eye views, underwater dives, long panning shots of landscapes, and "driver's seat" angles of sports and other fast-paced action. Rich and Robbie review the best of the batch, including the GoPro HERO, Sony HD Action Cam, Garmin Verb, and Polaroid Cube, as well as the DJI Phantom quadcopter, which allows you to take your video production to the air. They introduce practical techniques for creating time lapses and other types of shots, developing your footage with programs like Premiere Pro, and keeping you and your gear safe and on the right side of FAA regulations.

Learning objectives
Mounting a GoPro
Adapting GoPros with filters and more
Evaluating the GoPro HERO4
Creating a panning time lapse with a GoPro
Developing GoPro footage
Reviewing the Sony HDR-AS15 HD Action Cam
Working with the Polaroid Cube
Creating a GoPro parallax time lapse
Shooting with the GoPro 3-Way
Registering your drone with the FAA
Shooting video with the DJI Phantom
Flying quadcopters with a two-person team

Concepts

Introduction

Welcome

Mounting GoPros

Mounting a GoPro
Jaws - Flex Clamp
Cages and clamps
GoPro Chesty chest harness

Modifying a GoPro

The adaptable GoPro
Stealth
Adding filters
Shooting anamorphic footage
Evaluating the footage

Is the GoPro HERO4 Session Right for Me

The GoPro HERO4 Session
What's in the box
The technical specs
Controlling the camera

Analyzing the GoPro HERO4 Session

A deeper look at the GoPro HERO4 Session
Using the Session in the GoPro ecosystem
Evaluating footage
Buying advice

Creating a Panning Time Lapse with a GoPro

Creating a panning time lapse
Building a timer head
Using a pro head
Setting up the cameras

Developing GoPro Time Lapses with GoPro Studio

Developing GoPro time lapses
Importing
Processing
Evaluating footage

Is the Garmin Virb Elite Action Camera Right for Me

The Garmin Vibe Elite
Beneficial features of the Garmin Virb Elite
Drawbacks of the Garmin Virb Elite
Evaluating the footage

Is the Sony HDR-AS15 HD Action Cam Right for Me

Overview of the Sony HDR-AS15 HD Action Cam
Beneficial features of the Sony HDR-AS15
Drawbacks of the Sony HDR-AS15
Evaluating the footage

Polaroid Cube

The Polaroid Cube
Benefits of using the Polaroid Cube
Accessories for the Polaroid Cube
Drawbacks of using the Polaroid Cube
Evaluating the footage

GoPro Parallax Time Lapse

Creating a GoPro parallax time lapse
Cheap motorized slider
Second axis with timer head
Putting it together and setting the shot

Shooting with the GoPro 3-Way

Shooting with the GoPro 3-Way
Using the GoPro 3-Way as a handle grip
Using the GoPro 3-Way as a pole
Using the GoPro 3-Way as a micro tripod
Closing advice

How Do I Register My Drone

What happened with the FAA regulations
Important issues
How to register your drone
How to label your drone

Is the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter Right for Me

DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter
Beneficial features of the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter
Limitations of the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter
Essential accessories for the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter, Field

Working with the DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter

DJI quadcopters
Calibrating the quadcopter
Flying strategies
Evaluating the footage

Advanced Options for Quadcopters

Advanced options for flying quadcopters
Using the Vision app for remote viewing
Flying with a two-person team - Spotter
Flying with a two-person team - Controller