How to Film Your Mountain Biking Adventures - Pro Tips!
When it comes to mountain biking in the great outdoors, you’re bound to experience some wild rides that you just wish you’d captured on camera! We’ve all seen amazing MBT footage of pro bikers traversing extravagant terrains and conditions. If you want to get involved and learn how to make a film of your own biking experiences, continue to read our guide as we share pro MBT tips for capturing your adventures.
MBT Action Cameras
Action cameras are powerfully more durable than regular cameras- it’s a good idea to invest in one! They are specially designed to capture extreme outdoor action in exceptional detail, the GoPro Hero 9 can even shoot 5K video. They all can be used at high speeds and even rough terrains being waterproof. Here are some of the top-rated MBT action cameras you can find:
Choose How to Mount Your Camera
Next you need to work out the best mounting option. Choosing all depends on what’s comfortable to you, and what angle you want to capture. Action cameras come with WIFI so you can experiment with sample clips. Try to include mostly the trail and a small portion of your bike. This will give your audience an engaging first-person perspective.
Below are some options you can experiment with:
- Handlebar mounting - this option will capture your trail in front of you, however, expect some movement in your video.
- Helmet mounting - this can be used to capture your point of view or, behind you.
- Chest mounting - this mount will help you improve your form as you’ll be included in the video. Invest in GoPro Chesty, it is perfect for cyclists!
- Seat mounting - this option is great rear-facing and capturing the view behind you.
Know Your Camera Settings
Before you film your first solo video, spend some time playing around with your camera settings. You’ll firstly need to consider the camera resolution, frame rate, and field of view. You want your video to mirror what you’re viewing through your eyes as clear and stable as possible. A wide-angle is going to be the best field of view to film your MBT adventure.
Switch Up the Angle
To make the most intriguing clips, don’t just film in one single angle - switch it up! Take your camera off the mount and film yourself or your bike. You could even point the camera at yourself whilst riding and talk to your audience. Let them know a bit about yourself and your location. These short clips are going to add a new dynamic to your videos and break up the long shots of the trail. It’ll add some style and personality and help your audience make an emotional connection with your videos.
Edit Your Video
Utilise video editing software! You’ll need to compress your film into a short movie showing all the highlights from your adventure. Keep it short. Clip selection must be done, even if it means deleting some of your favourite moments- you must keep your audience engaged. Try using iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or GoPro Studio. It’ll take some practice but there are plenty of tutorials out there- just visit YouTube.
Carefully Consider Sound
To create an authentic mountain biking video, let the audience listen to the sound of the trail. It’ll make them feel as though they are in the moment, bringing them close to nature. You may receive a lot of wind noise, to fix this either reduce the bass or check if your camera gives you a noise reduction option.
If you want to add some thrilling music to create drama, consider the waveform. Make sure your music is not so loud that it mutes all the natural sounds. Finding the right sound balance can make your video seem professional.
Take Extra Batteries
This may seem like an obvious MBT tip for filming but it's still essential. To avoid shooting only half a video, make sure you’re prepared with some extra camera batteries in your backpack. Each mountain biking camera is different and will require specialist battery types, so make sure you read the manual.
Wear the Right Gear
As an experienced biker, you’ll know the importance of wearing the right gear. When you plan your mountain biking video, make sure you check the weather forecast for the day so you know what clothing to wear. You don’t want to have to cut a video short because you forgot to pack your waterproofs or are just too uncomfortable to continue the trail.
Tell a Story
If you want to know how to make a compelling MBT video, then learn how to tell a story. It’ll make your video stand out from the thousands available online. A spoken narrative isn’t essential but arranging your footage chronologically is. It will help your audience commit to watching and will give them a complete understanding of your full mountain biking adventure. Random clips are uninteresting and hard to follow. So, if you want to become a pro at filming your time on the trails, learn the art of storytelling.
Advanced MBT
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