Making a cool SUP video is a great way to catch those epic, fun SUP moments and share them with friends and other SUPboarders. They can inspire more than a thousands words in less then 3mins. Here are a few tips to help you make one epic SUP video.

What to use

Making short videos has never been easier due to there now being so many simple ways you can record your video. The most common way people make home videos now is with compact cameras, such as GoPro, Ion, Contour cameras… the list goes on. They are compact, easy to use and almost indestructible. Another really simple way of making a video is with your phone. The iPhone for instance has a great high definition quality video and you would be amazed what you can make using your own phone. If you are videoing in low light levels (i.e. when it’s very over cast or at dusk/dawn) you will find that all cameras with small lenses will suffer therefore it’s always best to video on the brighter days to get the most out of a compact camera.

Get the right shots and keep it steady

The best videos will be made up of small short clips averaging 5-15 seconds long. The reason for this is to keep the viewer interested . If you are using longer clips (like somebody riding a wave or catching fish) make sure the action is interesting enough though out the entire clip, otherwise cut it down. If you want to keep the whole clip and don’t want to cut it, try speeding it up, so the overall clip length is reduced. This sort of technique works great, for example if you’re filming someone inflating their iSUP, which isn’t always the most interesting but helps make the story. On the other hand, if you use clips shorter than 5 seconds it can make the video too hectic and confusing to watch.
  Shooting from different angles is another good way of making a video more interesting. You should be constantly thinking ‘how else can I film this shot and where from?’ Also try to minimise all shaking when videoing by either steadying yourself while videoing or by using video stabilisation in the edit on your computer afterwards . Shaky videos are not good and will make your video hard to watch (and make viewers feel sick!)

Overall length

The length of your video will probably be determined by afew things… how long your music track is, how much footage you have, and how much of it you really want to use. Try not to repeat yourself with the same angle of shot or manoeuvre too many times, and make sure there’s enough variety throughout the video to keep it fresh. You don’t have to make the video the same length as your favourite music track. You can always fade the track out or have a screen with credits at the end. Ideally 2-3 minutes is the best length for a short video.

Music and audio

Along with the action, music is just as important in any sport action video. The music should set the scene within the first 30secs. The type of music is up to you, but don’t go too heavy if the action is light. For example, paddling down the river videoing a pair of swans whilst playing AC/DC doesn’t really fit that well! Sometimes it can be easier to find your music track first and then visualize the video around that music. This is a really good way to get inspiration to make a good video. But be aware of copyright issues when using music for videos you plan to put online.  YouTube for example,  may not allow you to use certain music tracks on their site. There are some good online music sources like Sound Cloud and Dig CC Mixer where you will find non copyrighted video music that you are allowed to use as long as you credit the artist.
 Also, when it comes to audio, make sure you remove all background noise, unless you particularly want it in the video. Background wind noise can be the most annoying… so just remember, if you don’t want it, take it out.

Make it a story

All good videos must have a good story… a beginning, middle and an end. You could set the scene at the beginning by getting your kit ready. Go for a paddle and have all the action in the middle, followed by packing up and driving home. Sometimes you may have an idea of what you want to make a video about and how you’re going to put it together. But other times you may have to just start editing your clips and make it up as you go along with your music selection.

Get your mates involved.

The more people you have in your SUP video the more people there will be to video, do funny stuff , and help you come up with ideas. So get as many of your mates involved as possible! For example, having someone else in the shot rather than just the nose of your board when filming with a head cam, will make your video way more interesting.

Think outside the box.

Find a few videos you really like on the internet and see how you can do them yourself… and maybe even better!

Editing software

As far as editing software goes there is a lot of good-quality free software out there, some which may already be installed on your computer. If you are using a Windows PC computer, ‘windows movie maker’ is great for making videos and is easy to use. If you are on a Mac then ‘iMovie’ should be uploaded on your Mac already and is also very simple and intuitive to use.

Keep it simple in the edit.

Don’t fall into the trap when you start editing, of finding all the quirky little special effects and transitioned tools that are available on your video editing software, and using them all! A simple cross dissolve transition, fade or straight cut, is best when editing between clips. Let your video and clips do the talking and leave the funny special effects on the toolbar menu. There is a fine line between cool and naf!

Upload it and share it

There are loads of video sharing sites but the two most popular are ‘YouTube’ and ‘Vimeo.’ They both have their own characteristics so the best thing to do is to play around with them both and upload on one or both of the sites. Also don’t forget to share it on SUPboarder on the readers video page. And if it’s a really good one you never know, you might even make it onto the SUPboarder home page as a sick SUP video for tens of thousands of SUPboarders to see!

So what are you waiting for? Make the most of the summer and have a go at making your very own SUP video.

Check out more videos on the readers videos page and remember to send us your SUP videos via our contact us page or Facebook.