POV shooters, need some pointers to stabilize footage
 

done about 30 something POV scenes in the past year, the first dozen were a wash, mostly due to camera inexperience, bad lighting, too shaky, etc... but im learning as I go. one thing I still haven't figured out for the life of me is how do you stabilize the camera when you're doing the girl doggystyle... let alone fit her in the frame so her face is visible in the distance. I have a camgrip stick under the cam and use the handstrap too but its almost like you need an extra arm or some kind of gadget arm to mount the cam over your shoulder. any tips on this appreciated. for now ive just resorted to the tripod angle but it makes the whole POV thing seem inconsistent when you toggle back from 3rd person to POV like this cap below, i'd rather do it entirely 1st person than this... advice welcome

http://www.breezygirls.com/cam3.jpg

Get mirrors and try and try again! It's how I do it. I shoot nothing but Pov,.

mount the camera to your head so what your looking at is filmed...

Here, use this... http://reviews.ebay.com/Video-helmet...00000002123360

Imagine how cool you would look on top of it :)

Hold the camera still as a number 1 rule, fuck hard second. I've been shooting POV since 1996 - it takes alot of practice.

um get a whide angle adapter. Century Optics/Snieider is the best. Get the .6x that does not allow zoom through because you don't really need it and also it is cheaper and lighter. Zoom in just a little bit so there is less distortion. Then press record. Done. You are welcome.

Use a cameraman shooting over your shoulder.

Have the girl move instead of you.

I always thought that's how they are all done... :2 cents:

i use a canon .7 x 58 wide angle but will look into that other one, and thanks all for the pointers. the camera helmet is a novel idea but i wouldn't want to mix 3ccd video with cheapocam video

Use a tripod with a remote control head and a video monitor set up so that you can see the shot at all times.

someone needs to post these tips to all the celebs trying to make a POV video LOL

Here's a solution for you. You'll need a bit of space between the bed and your wall for this to work, but if you put the camera on a crane you could operate it while you're fucking the girl. There's a counter-weight that goes on the other end that's meant to make the camera "fly" but this would be perfect for your situation because it will allow you to raise and lower it smoothly without it getting in your way. And you won't have to hand-hold the camera.

There's a bunch of them on the market, but here's what one of them looks like.

http://www.adorama.com/CAM99133050.html

I used to have a non-zoom-through lens but found that I messed up the focus far too often. (My own fault every time, of course.) A zoom through lens is more expensive and heavier but you set it and forget it. Go for the zoom through, IMHO.

Lots of practice.

You can attach a Stroboframe (used for still cameras to attach the flash) and use that as an extra bar to hold on to. I used to use this all the time and worked great.

Shoot on the floor, not on the bed. If you shoot on the bed there's no way your cam won't be all over the place.

Shooting camera and holding it still is a real talent, holding camera and shooting POV style is a serious talent and takes a lot of practice.


Practice shooting your self fucking a pillow and try keeping your shot framed the whole time. If you cant frame that, ur not gonna frame a real girl while ur fucking her and every time you try and fail, its gonna cost you a lot of money.


Pillow practice and save your self some money.:thumbsup


Good luck with that.:thumbsup

Reverse cowgirl.

Crane or jib above your shoulder is really the best solution for this kind of shoots - it delivers the necessary POV and also really nice and stable frame that is not jerking at all.

But your method of combination of handheld + tripod shots is cool too - tripod is not POV but in this context it'll convey the same feeling of a self shot scene.

gotta do your curls dawg! :thumbsup :pimp

Hmmmm....I suppose you've already tried crazy glue-ing a cam to her ass and pointing it down....hmmm.....tough one. But you know, seriously, the shaky thing - a bit, not too much (like in all of my horrible shit) kinda lends itself to the whole self-shot/self-made 'mystique', right? I mean, no one can get a perfect steadicam thing going on without some help, human or mechanical. And whenever I see that 'perfect shot' i always assume there's a cameraman there along with the couple, which kinda ruins whatever 'fantasy' you got going on.

MUCH more important than steadiness when it comes to shooting POV (personal preference alert):

Get great, long shots of the face.
Get shots of the body, moving up-and-down, and lingering on the boobs, belly, nipples, etc. I don't know about you guys but when I fuck I just don't stare ape-ishly at my cock sliding in-and-out for hours (although if I did the drooling would help maybe, as lube). I look at her face, her tits, ass, legs, whatever, she's hot ALL over. So: linger on her. We know you're pounding her.

Hope that helps!! :)

That's not P.O.V. - that's O.T.S. - Over the shoulder.

OK... in all seriousness... send me your pillow fucking video and I'll post it on my site and I'll make a cool million & retire. WTF? :1orglaugh

I have done tonnes of POV & heav usually caught the picture just right. A small amount of wobble with the hardcore fucking, pounding against the models arse. However, I would suggest, practice the egg&spoon. I used to come first in this when I was in middle school. This all comes back to basics, balance & steadyness. Hold your hand out & pass a book back and forth behind your head & this shall improve your handling technique.

When shooting, Dont just hold the camera infront of you, Above you is great to get everything in sight but also Hold the camera around you, to the left & right of your head for different angles but always keep the models & action (cock & pussy) in target of the center of the camera.

We have quite a bit of this kind of film on pleasureville.co.uk

No shit! And who cares! Where is the advice? Or you can hi-Jack this thread and talk about how good you are and what you used to look like and who you bang way back when. Who gives a shit!!! Give this guy good advice or shut the fuck up!!!


And i recommend you not TROLL me dude. I work a lot and i hear everything...



I will leave it at that,


Have a nice day Roy

I second that.

Troll you? I thought you were kidding about the pillow fucking thing. But I still would like to see that. You read me all wrong Dave. Someone answered all his questions that I was about to answer so I don't need to repeat after them and act like I know everything. The way I used to look? I'm fat - huge actually - and still have hot girls in front of my lens as I did way back when I was hella cute and got paid to stand in FRONT of the camera. But, I am curious as to what my looks has to do with anything - especially photography, or this thread.

I've backed this guy 100% on all his threads. I love his work and have asked him several times to contact me on ICQ. And Shimmy - if you didn't get the other requests, hit me up on ICQ, email or the good old fashioned telephone. My advice was simple and right. I used to shake the camera alot - and that's when I fucked hard first, and tried to hold the camera still second. Wrong thing to do. Ask Mike John who gave almost the exact same advice several times in many an interview when asked the same exact question.

I have talked to many photographers (including today) on here and other boards AT LENGTH and still do - about lighting, camera operation, casting, higher F-stops, strobes, Cameras, CMS builders, webmastering, editing, advertising and everything else under the sun to help them and to no benefit to me whatsoever. I give alot, too much at times and can't answer every photographer's question in every thread on GFY because I'm working and have things to do but as usual - once again - I'm always happy to help anyone WHO IS SERIOUS about shooting an not just making noise or pondering becoming the next big content provider. My contact info is right there in every single post I make Shimmy - contact me at any time. Good work so far - BTW. It takes alot of practice - as I said before.

My bad and my miss understanding. Sorry dude.:thumbsup

Shimmy (or anyone else for that matter) just imagine your camera is a large screen TV - which it is in reality if your content goes onto DVD's & Cable. Move it as such - slow & steady: No jerky movements, no quick changes of direction, and no loud pounding on the speakers (The LCD screen & housing) and turn the damn air conditioning & telephones off!!! I personally hate cutting at all since I edit all my own material so try not to do anything on camera that you have to edit out because useless footage is just a waste of tape.

Xenigo hada great sugestion and that's something that I've researched before and had on my wish list of equipment for a while. Get it if you got the dough & the space.

If you don't want to fuck on the floor, at least put the boxspring and matress on the floor and that should cut out 90% of the bounce from a bed.

Deej was also right: Surgeons often lift weights during work shifts to keep a steady hand. Abs play a key role in whole body stability as well.

And here is another hot tip on POV shooting in general that will help your focus and light meter work alot better while you are concentrating on holding the camera still while doing the Elvis Pelvis and giving the viewers what they want: Always shoot with a white ceiling and bounce alot of light off the ceiling to boost the ambient light without creating harsh shadows from bright directional lights. It's "Point Of View" which is mostly looking down as oposed to portrait or lanscape which is horizontal lighting.

Practice your transitions and blocking ahead of time with the model so it looks natural and not a forced jump around the room with footage of the ceiling, the lights, the bedspread, or the model's forehead as she slams into your Large screen TV... I mean... High Definition video Camera.

Oh, and last but not least... don't ever let the models near your equipment, tapes, or model releases. Sometimes they like to sabotage these things to get back at you for hiring them (WTF?) even if they accidentally film themselves in the act. Get a safe, keep it locked, yes even when you are shooting. And don't forget those pre-shoot disclaimers and tail disclaimers and copy all your content and paperwork and store it in another location.

You have my contact info.

Just remember... film first, fuck second, and practice, practice, practice!

That's how we have always done it.

thanks to all for the helpful pointers btw, i'll get in touch with you guys once i'm back home

Yea and dont treat your models like shit. Treat them with respect . Dont act like you think you are king shit. Youll have good references then. Dont be like some people on this board

I asked the same question a few months back and someone recommended a better camera - it actually worked - much more stability and better focus

the best pov is shot with a cameraman .... How ever if after 30 scenes your still not getting it right .... hire someone to shadow shoot you. All the POV i do is shadowed .. my clients like it, it's clean and looks great (less jagged movements) also a widfe angle adapter like century would help .. nothing more then .6 or you'll have too much distortion in the corners of the frame ... using a cheap wide angle will only vignette the corners, hence giving you more work in post.

good luck ... best bet is like i said hire a shadow to shoot.

I went to some dude house where he shoots.

He had a stand that held the camera over his chest. I thought it was pretty cool.

The stand was custom. He called it "Hands Free POV" or something.

If I was doing POV that's what I would have. The "shakey" scenes I skip

Its not needed for the second cameraman, but obviously is going to work all the same.
2 Cameras, one on a tripod & 1 held in a steady hand can produce an excellant scene. :thumbsup

Already said whats good for training in my previous post, above.

fun thread..
lots of personalities coming out of the closets.

most high end POV productions are shot with a camera guy.
but the real deal is interesting porn.

my advise: check out some of the POV sites to get ideas and input.

Why do people who don't know how to drive, drive cabs?

Why do people who can't act, act.

Why do people who can't write, write?

If you don't know how to shoot. Don't. You either got it, or you don't. No amount of trickery or advice is going to help.

I'm so sick of the people "who shoot porn", who don't know how to.....shoot porn; or light, or hold a camera steady, who don't fill the frame, use bad angles, or know how to fuck for that matter, etc. etc.

Arghhhhhh :mad:

Where the fuck do you think people who drive cabs come from? They start, and they learn.

Where the fuck do you think people who write come from? They start, and they learn?

Same thing with shooting. You learn.

You couldn't do any of those things and you learned, so why can't someone else?

LOL...lots of good tips and some funny ones too.

Heres my:2 cents: you have to know how to shoot first if you are looking for a profesional POV look. If you cant shoot a regular scene and have it be quality then POV will be more challenging in my opinion.

you can use a bed or couch or any of that stuff, you just cant be on it. Work the corners dawg. Like someone said earlier if your on a shaky bed it aint ever gonna work keep yourself stabalized on the ground.

also previously mentioned, you gotta get your workouts in. Not saying you gotta hit the gym to POV. But certain things gotta be strong. Ever met a fat lazy camera man? Not too many and the ones that are have strong hands, forearms and legs. Shoot a few hundred scenes and you will be ripped were it counts:winkwink:

But if you are going for the "ex-girlfriend/amateur" look then dont even worry about all that shit. :1orglaugh