This is very much a work in progress - I am trying to find a way of capturing the story of a good run… which is quite hard to achieve without it becoming an exhausting endeavour. This is my most recent attempt. I ran up some hills while on holiday in Athens last week. (Warning - it has too much of me in it but it also represents some progress as far as technique is concerned - which is why I am sharing it here.)
The contextualising of personal footage via a bespoke animated map is a solid step forward for my storytelling technique - I took data recorded on the Workoutdoors app and then used the brilliantly flexible Footpath app to create a reference video (via screen capture) as a basis for the animation that you saw in the clip:
The video footage was shot using my iPhone - and although the image quality is superior in so many ways I felt sad about having to stop so often to remove and open my rucksack to get it out. I need to find a better way of filming more flexibly and immediately - there are so many things you see on a run which would be fab if you could capture them more quickly. It’s all about removing friction and layers of hassle. I feel I am nearing the solution…
Each week I try to take part in the local Worthing Park Run - this is a piece I shot recently with an Insta360 camera which I don’t think works very well due to the limitations and friction of the technology involved.
(I should also say that I detest the music on this clip but I was pushed for time so whatevs…)
I think the 360 camera isn’t quite there yet - although the form factor is cute, the shots are too often grainy; the labour involved in reframing shots is annoyingly tedious. Once the novelty has worn off you are left with essentially 1080p clips of occasional quality. I want something better and I think a switch to GoPro after so many years of resistance might be the way forward.
I am hoping that I can:
easily store one in the front part of my running bag without it being a hassle
whip it out quickly and record decent 4k (and higher) material with good stabiisation
be able to access and edit the material quickly in FCP
not be hindered by battery issues (assuming that I am not filming everything - just the odd clip of something that catches my eye)
This is a sketch of my next kit list when I fully intend to capture a longer South Downs run - possibly the Three Forts Challenge…
I will be posting more updates as I make progress.