Disc Golf Coverage REinvented - FLYBOY video

[jaos]

How about this clip?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fLhQ_ZT3pA

It seems that timing is pretty crucial. The best shots, easily, are the ones with the camera flying at about the same speed and direction as the disc.

 

[Menacewarf]

It is operational and has been used, just not advertised publically.

I just meant instead of messing around on DGCR to settle things, he could well be working on this stuff in real life!

 

[keith johnson]

Noise is a big hurdle that needs to be overcome if the camera is to be anywhere near the competitors. With that hurdle overcome, there are a ton of scenarios where I could see it doing an amazing job at bringing coverage to the next level.

Two Words...............

Blue Thunder.

 

[digital]

from the 'cool news from the pdga' thread re: tv coverage:

i wonder if flyboy's fancy remote controlled plane cam will be put to use for these televised events?

that would be pretty sweet

 

[BogeyNoMore]

The PGA does an excellent job with it's footage, and has a much higher speed and distance to deal with than we'll ever reach throwing an object. Their "follow-cameras" on blimps can zoom in on a ball after it is struck and follow the entire course of it's flight. There is also a "ball tracker" that highlights the flight of the ball and it's trajectory. The heli-cam can do neither with disc golf. It is a cool angle, a nice additional piece of the puzzle, but it will not revolutionize the game. Suspended cable cameras would be a much better option, but the underlying problem is cost, placement, and interference with the flight. You are better to set up high cranes with nice cameras and follow holes in specific locations.

Again, lastly, it's awesome piece of tech, but it's def not something that's going to cause an explosion in disc golf. You need more cameras and strategy than just that.

Agreed those work well for golf, but aren't those pretty big ticket items? and don't the spend a lot of time and money setting some of that stuff up? The kind that networks don't mind paying because you can sell ball golf for commercial airtime? I just can't see DG's popularity blossoming to the point where real $$$ is spent covering it. Maybe that stuff's not as expensive as I think.

I think the gyro copter and other methods may revolutionize the way the game is captured on film (so to speak)... perhaps even the way the game is covered for the media (or perhaps not). I hope no one here thinks it's going to create a boom in the popularity of the game itself - ain't happening . It's already been growing on it's own at a pretty healthy rate for about a decade now. I don't see photographic techniques changing that one way or the other.

Now if the game starts to get mainstream network coverage (even ESPN), I think that might cause an upsurge in popularity- but I don't foresee much in the way of mainstream coverage. They're gonna cover what sports thae can generate $$$$ from, and DG ain't that.

 

[skurf]

So smooth.

 

[Big Weekend]

Yeah it was pretty solid for some of the USDGC footage.

 

[smyith]

cool video. camera moves way! too slow. hard to follow the disc flight if you are not an avid disc video viewer.....that came out really dumb, it's early....

 

[JNP1974]

I am by no means a videographer, and am doing my best to be a amateur disc golfer, lol. With that said, I am not trying to make aerial video mainstream. I just want some cool videos of me and my friends on the course. My entire setup costs less than $400. It is a toy, first and foremost, and I enjoy the hell out of it. It is wicked fun to fly, and will pull off some pretty sick aerobatics. :thmbup: I can get about 15 minutes out of each battery and should be able to do a complete 18 hole course flyover with 3 batteries. I want to fly each hole at a given course, in the optimal flight path of a disc, to give viewers a good idea of how a particular course could be thrown. This will never replace other forms of video for events, but it could provide some GREAT clips to be used for promotions and highlight reels.

As far as noise goes, as long as I am more than 30 feet away from anyone, they wont notice it that much, if at all. I don't plan to fly remotely close to anyone, simply for liability reasons. I have practiced flying over a person teeing off and following the disc down the fairway, and they did not say anything about being distracted.

In any case, this should be an interesting season.

Pretty cool video, you need to install an attachment that can grab your buddies beers while they are turned away.

YES, that would be AWESOME! Unfortunately, my quad would not have the power to pick up a beer, at least not one full enough to justify taking, lol.

 

[C Short]

It's a pretty cool vid, I liked it.

 

[prerube]

I just meant instead of messing around on DGCR to settle things, he could well be working on this stuff in real life!

oh yeah, He comes in every so often and types "flyboy" in the search engine and leaves.

The camera has been used and you have probably seen it used and did not even know it.

 

[Connor Jones]

If it was my guess, I bet kellys microcopter has been used for way larger events than disc golf

 

[Menacewarf]

oh yeah, He comes in every so often and types "flyboy" in the search engine and leaves.

The camera has been used and you have probably seen it used and did not even know it.

^ Pron?

 

[Ripper]

oh yeah, He comes in every so often and types "flyboy" in the search engine and leaves.

The camera has been used and you have probably seen it used and did not even know it.

Kelly sent me a very nice PM after I left his place so i'm sure he lurks. The guy is a first class human being fo shure! If I get back down (which i'm almost 100 % sure I will this year) I would love to see this copter! Everyone says that we have seen footage from it already, where would this footage be from?

 

[ChuckDiscs]

When I was down in Charlotte last year I saw a crew of 3 or 4 at Winthrop with one of these flying helicopter machines. Was like a month and a half before worlds so not sure if it had cameras or what, I didn't get a chance to talk to them. They were on the bamboo hole and all I could hear from the next tee was them smacking the sh1t out of the bamboo fortress lol. The copter wasn't to loud either. Would be cool to utilize this more.

 

[JTacoma03]

I still disagree with what he's saying despite your attempt to reconcile our differences, I think the copter can get better coverage than a guy with a camera. A guy with a camera is head height so you're going to get the profile shot of the disc, it's not as aesthetically pleasing and it's harder to see the farther the disc gets away.

With the copter you're above the disc and can get a lot more lateral movement than a guy with a camera can. You're going to get a better shot of the disc flying, not to mention you can get way more angles on a fairway with a copter than you can with a guy and a camera.

Crane cams? How is that logistically possible to set up on 18 holes with the budget of current film crews?

A blimp? how is that better than a copter? The copter can actually fly in semi wooded areas, a blimp can't see crap in the woods. A copter gets multiple angles a blimp gets one angle.

He's saying the copter can't get legit coverage of the disc well if you watch that first video I think that proves everything about what he's saying wrong. Trying to push the way ball golf is filmed on to disc golf is dumb, it's two completely different animals.

Dude, you need to stop trolling. Don't start arguments about things you don't understand.

First of all, Whiteybear is correct in his assessment that while this is a really useful tool, it's not going to become the standardization of disc golf videography (at least with current technology). Second, it's not in opposition to those excited about it to point out this fact - so this whole issue is a complete flame war created from a non-argument.



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but the thread being dug up is awesome - I missed it the first time around, I'm going to look at ways to adapt this for my own projects

 

[prerube]

Kelly sent me a very nice PM after I left his place so i'm sure he lurks. The guy is a first class human being fo shure! If I get back down (which i'm almost 100 % sure I will this year) I would love to see this copter! Everyone says that we have seen footage from it already, where would this footage be from?

Sorry, Kelly is not ready to share that information.

 

[prerube]

Dude, you need to stop trolling. Don't start arguments about things you don't understand.

First of all, Whiteybear is correct in his assessment that while this is a really useful tool, it's not going to become the standardization of disc golf videography (at least with current technology). Second, it's not in opposition to those excited about it to point out this fact - so this whole issue is a complete flame war created from a non-argument.

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but the thread being dug up is awesome - I missed it the first time around, I'm going to look at ways to adapt this for my own projects

Just a heads up, New013 has seen this camera in use.

 

[New013]

Things I don't understand? What qualifies you as somebody who does and me as someone who doesn't? What you've made some videos, does that qualify you?

My qualification is my eyes, I can watch something and tell you if it sucks or not. I can see what the limitations are of each aspect. It's not rocket science, even idiots watch something and tell you if it sucks.

I've made my points and the only thing you can do is naysay without a supporting argument.

Have you seen the copter in action? Unless you have then it's you who doesn't have a clue. Quit being butt hurt because the copter takes better video than you.

They're already using the copter for major pro sports, I guess those people are dumb to.

 

[freakinwizzz]

thats awesome!