This has been a problem for a few people. If you’re good keep your footage underground and release a movie. This sport is so young that no one person can be so much ahead of everyone else that they can take a 6 month break for shooting a movie and no one pass them. Well they’re not really passing them, just passing their last seen footage. Then that person will post their footy on the gallery and take away from the interest in the movie, that the person on “break” is shooting. Don’t post your stuff if it’s good, (kinda a bad pred. adj.) Work on it, and release a video. This sport is also too young for anyone to get cocky about their skill. If you’ve got a few tricks awesome, but don’t get cocky. This sports devoleping like mad. Any one can pass anyone else, just takes time. Sorry to be mean. Some might agree with me, some will for sure disagree. But i don’t mean for anyone to be offened
I am going to have to disagree with my friend. The reason I am against your Idea is that one of the ways I progess is by watching someone do something, and then I go out I will try to do it. Your argument does make sense but every time i watch a clip of andrew_carter, tomsey, Ryan A., Jeff Groves, and Jess and his possie I get a crazy sensation to go ride and progress.
ps. Sorry i if missed anyone those were just riders who came to mind who make crazy short online films:D
Yea that’ been a big problem for me. Everytime someone releases a movie, I find that my skills are already passing the skills in the movie. Okay… not really. I still suck.
I love watching the online videos, the quality is unbelievable, and it is really inspiring.
Every non unicyclist I show any of the videos think they are amazing. People just don’t believe that some of the things on the videos are possible. There is no way non unicyclists would watch a feature length video, but they are happy to watch short clips.
The best videos are the ones that riders do where they make a video, then go home edit it, and add it to the gallery.
I wouldn’t buy many videos of people riding; I would prefer to spend my cash on new unicycles and bits for my bike. I think a lot of others would be the same.
Brock posted a much nicer version of what I am about to say, so if you don’t wish to hear something that ain’t nice, don’t read on.
Don’t tell us how to shoot videos. Do what you want, be a capitalist, and don’t release any footage. We are not here to get rich, and nobody unicycles for any reasonable profit. If you are looking to make money with videos, get out of unicycling and go find a cheezy porno to star in.
You posted this foolish thread as if you were replying to someone, and your language reads as if anyone with any decent amount of skill is already arrogant and self righteous when it comes to their riding. It seems as if YOU are the one who is arrogant about having tricks, while most others, skilled or not, just ride, and if they feel like it, post videos of it.
You are speaking as if you are at the forefront of unicycling, and hence have the right to tell us what is going on with it. You act as if you are the judge of the age of unicycling, and you are the person who decides whether someone can be “cocky” about their skills yet. I have news for you. A good portion of the people out there ride to ride, not to be better than everyone else. Quit talking about the age of unicycling, because you act as if once the sport reaches a certain age, there will be a few riders who will be like untouchables. That kind of mentality is foolish and stupid. Basically, if you are looking to profit from this sport, or to make it “evolve” into a stupid, corporate, wannabe punk rebel sport such as skateboarding, please stop, and go get another three wheels. There’s never gonna be a “Shaun Johanneson Pro Uniier” video game, so quit trying to tell us how to ride our sports and quit trying to start a buisness where there isn’t a market.
Shaun, try looking up the meaning of “failed venture capitalist.” It will perfectly describe you in a few years, if you keep trying to make videos for profit.
Only slightly on topic, but I think the movies that really can work in terms of sales are those with some sort of theme or story to them. My all time favourite unicycling video to date is “Into The Thunder Dragon”. I’m sure Kris and Nathan have most likely overtaken the level of skill they had while filming that movie (really really good!), but I will still love watching it in 10 years because it tells a great story and the movie really takes you there with them.
I like online movies and also buy all sorts of unicycling DVDs.
I think Shaun’s point is that short videos, well edited and set to music are way preferable to five second long clips of a single trick, posted solely to tell the world ‘look I’ve done this new trick’. I must agree with Shaun - save 'em up for a more impressive short film. Also if people have seen all your latest fresh new tricks, then they’ll be less inclined to be impressed when they see the same footage or same trick used in a short film. Just my 2c.
Brock - dare I say it but the majority of those videos by Jeff Groves, Andrew Carter, Ryan A and Tomsey you’ve called ‘clips’ are actually edited short films, not ‘clips’ as you’ve called them. It takes much more time and effort to edit and put together a 4 minute film than a one trick clip.
im half half here… i want everyone to appreciate my videos. and most of the time, people are just impatient and want everything as soon as possible.
i think… if its good enough. it can wait. and if i do beleive it is far better to see in an actual dvd or video, than low quality short online videos. also… everyone who buys the latest dvd will be contributing to more dvds being put out there…
also… everyone whom has posted here before mine has not produced a dvd. its a very tedious thing to do and a lot of effort is looked passed. i regard it as highly worth it though.
seriously dude. why did you start this thread? sort it out without getting the masses invloved.
as far as i know the most innovative videos are not online… heaton doesnt upload anything…
Call them clips or films or whatever you want, they’re just another form of expression / communication and I am amongst those who are very receptive to such expression. Since I’m not lucky enough to have regular riding partners, I learn my progressions by the grace of those who share their accomplishments online.
Every rider has their own styles, and they’re expressed both in the riding and the filmmaking. Whether or not I can do the tricks I’m watching, or if I’ve seen them ten times before, I’m always stoked to see someone else’s rendition. Regardless of the tricks, no two clips are shot in the same location, or from the same angle.
Until the quality of online clips improves and the price of bandwidth drops, I wouldn’t worry if I were a DVD producer.
I like to see online videos, especially with new tricks and ideas just as much as anyone else, but I prefer that the better riders keep stuff underground for video releases or until they are put into a more complete format.
There are riders that post videos that I have asked to exclude certain lines or tricks from them. Maybe this is a bit selfish, but it helps to create a much more powerful video in the end. These are riders and tricks that I have filmed for future videos.
The internet has made releasing new videos with top notch riding much more challenging and frustrating. This is mainly because the timeframe for producing unicycle videos is very long at the moment, so new tricks might have been done 8+ months back, but never released or talked about. There is a little frustration when someone will come up with it and instantly post it online as a new trick. I still think it’s awesome that they do, just saying it makes it more difficult for those of us that are working to create full length videos with the newest tricks. The fast progression of the sport and the ability to instantly post new tricks online will force producers to release videos sooner to keep the tricks original in them and also come up with other creative ways to make the videos stand out.
As Andrew said for a video to really be timeless it does need to go beyond just the riding, because the riding will always become outdated. I have not seen this done too well in many action sports videos period, but I hope to see it in some unicycle videos. In the end though, the riding is key and I think it’s good when some riders are a bit reserved in posting certain things online.
I hold back posting my footage because I want to release a really enjoyable video that has all original footage. It has very little to do with being able to sell more videos or make money off of them.
I also met Shaun this past weekend and he is a great guy who is really excited about the sport. He is also one of the better riders I have seen thus far.
If you’re right, and he meant what you said, then I don’t know why the movie-section on his homepage only contains 2 second non-edited clips.
He is an awesome rider, as Dan pointed out. Who can claim he can do a 720 unispin? I can’t
I think it’s everybody’s decision to keep stuff underground or not. I am planning to make and release a bigger video in some months - for free.
Tomsey might know first hand, that making a DVD is not done for making money, becaue he might have spent hundres of hours editing OWA - more or less for free, because he won’t get a rich man by selling the DVD. But I think it is something to look back and say: Look what we Australien Mates achieved. And for my part, I clap my hands and say: Well done, to everybody who makes the effort to edit movies and release them - for free or not.
Bevan said it well. I like seeing how every one is getting along even if the riding isnt great or the best its still fun to watch it. Some times I think I can do better and maybe can but that doesnt make it not fun to watch. Its kinda like an update how the person in the video is inprooving and I like it. I dont think youre a big poster or reader, I think this might be why you dont apriciate the the videos you think are less then par.
I prefer edited-together things of at least one minute long over one-trick or one-line clips. What happens is I download them, and eventually I have hundreds of tiny little clips with no good way to watch them, other than one at a time. But really they’re not very watchable. Something like a Universe, or similar video is much more watchable.
If you have no plans of editing your clips together, go ahead and post them if you want. Point taken though, if you keep “leaking” little bits and pieces of something someone else is trying to edit into a saleable film, it will take away from not only the saleability, but the “freshness” of the material in it.
i love watching professional level stuff like the universe seriers, etc. i think simply the quality of editing and music and all the other top notch things put into those videos make them awesome. i like the 2-3 minutes of riding most of us post, maybe with a bit of text and music and such. but to get that into a good format and size online is tough and probably not worth it. I personally don’t watch the professional quality dvds for the “newest” tricks. i watch them for longer, and better put together segments, with tricks/jumps/drops/locations that i can’t do/haven’t been to. I definitely think there’s room for both and i understand why guys like dan don’t release their stuff online.
i guess to sum: if you wanna put it online, go for it. if you wanna save up your best stuff for a dvd, that’s awesome too.
I enjoy seeing all of the new things that people accomplish, and feel that short clips in the forums are alot of fun. It is tough as a new unicyclist (under 5 months) to learn new things without seeing some of these video clips because unicycling is such an underground sport. It is a sport that is growing in my city, but is still very small. I would much rather see a group of riders or a complete session rather than a 30 second video clip because I enjoy learning about a riders location and riding style as much as that 1 cool trick.
(I say that last line as I posted my 30 second 1 rider 1 trick video yesturday) sorry!
Seeing a DVD is awsome! Sites, sounds, tricks, lines, all bundled up into $19.99. Who could ask for more? I respect the riders who have the ability to perform the tricks, and also the time, money, and dedication to complete the DVD. Hats off!
Question:
If the sports best riders keep good footage for long periods does it impact our sport? I say NO, our sport is so diverse that we have passed the “ONE TRICK” plato.
I have a bunch of random thoughts on this subject.
Shaun, I think you’re viewing this too much as a competition. It’s better to be concerned about advancing the sport as a whole than simply being the best yourself.
While I do see the point in keeping good footage underground, I think too much of that will hurt the sport. It might become more of a business than a sport.
I, personally, don’t like new tricks to be kept underground too much. I think it’s better to share them with the unicycling community, and encourage others to learn them. This will help the sport grow faster. I simply cannot afford to buy the latest unicycling DVD, because I can barely keep myself in unicycle parts the way I go through them. So I get most of my ideas from watching on-line videos. If a new trick is only included in a DVD, only those who can afford to buy it will know about it.
Another factor to keep in mind is this; if you are hyper-competitive, as Shaun appears to be, you will probably want credit for inventing your new tricks. Well if you wait six months after learning something new to tell everyone about it, someone else might invent it on their own, so you won’t get credit for it.
Also, posting short clips of your riding is a very good way to promote your DVD.
agreed. i recently learned gliding (still no clue how to get stuff from a digital camera on to the computer) after watching people do it over and over in there clips. i get a lot of inspiration watching the good clips. also who would want to post a bad clip- no one wants to see those.
