Filming Your Display

[FireworkNewbie]

Hey, I just got a tripod and phone attachment for it. I am planning on using my iPhone to film my display this year and had a couple questions.

1. Do any of you use your iphone/android to tape your shows? If so, do you use any video app or just the default camera app that comes on the phone?

2. Landscape or portrait? There are pros and cons to filming both vertical and horizontal. What has caused you to go with one over the other? Any insight or input would be appreciated.

Thanks guys!

[Mattp]

Always in landscape.. not pertaining to fireworks necessarily.. but for any filming with a phone... when in portrait view the playback on other devices/tv's is small with the boxes on the sides.. personally anything i video is in landscape(device held sideways)

[MtnViewPyro]

My videos on YouTube are all done with either my iPhone or iPad. I have videos in both landscape and portrait. You can check them out at MtnView Pyro. I prefer landscape for the reasons MattP suggests. My first show was done with a Canon and most likely will use it for shows going forward. The only negative with the Canon is getting it transferred to computer then in a format for uploading.

[NorthernKYPyro]

My iPhone works great for fireworks. My only suggestion is having someone at the camera to focus. Sometimes when there's dead time in the sky the camera can become unfocused.

[FireworkNewbie]

Good to know, will do. So I am going to go landscape... seems to be more of a standard and capable of capturing all those angled and z shots.

[Mattp]

Good to know, will do. So I am going to go landscape... seems to be more of a standard and capable of capturing all those angled and z shots.

Yes. It definitely gets a wider view too.. but for me the best advantage of landscape is for when you want to play it back.. or send it to other people.. in landscape the playback will take up the entire screen..like a widescreen tv.. instead of being vertical in a little box in the middle of the screen..

[Bazerk]

My iPhone works great for fireworks. My only suggestion is having someone at the camera to focus. Sometimes when there's dead time in the sky the camera can become unfocused.

You can lock the focus on the phone so that doesnt happen. In fact, find something in the distance and tap and hold that spot on your screen and it will lock focus and exposure so the video will be perfectly lit and consistently focused through the entire filming.

[James76]

As others have said, the focus is the biggest issue we have had trying to film with an iPhone. If you can, you should try and get out there early (or some other night) with some cheap cakes/shells to practice with whoever is going to do the video.

[esgrillo]

Bazerk hit it on the money. You have to lock focus on infinity on whatever camera you are using. I dont use an iphone for my main cameras but I always add some PIP views from people in the audience and always have to edit to find sections that are in good focus from the iphones. I would also suggest borrowing another camera(s) if possible. Getting other POVs is always good to put in your final video. Also if possible always get an angle that has the smoke moving away from you and the camera.

[3 Fingers]

I always record the audio separately with a digital audio recorder and replace the camera audio in post. If dig recorder has auto level control turn it off.
Then set your levels low so the loudest booms won't overload it. Audio is half the video...!

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Since we're on the subject... What program does everyone use to stitch together your audio and show video?? I usually use a SONY camcorder to tape the show, but this year I bought a "GoPro Hero 5 Session" to (hopefully) get a wide-field view. I'm also going to have music this year. So what's a good video editing program to use to stitch the SONY and GoPro video together, and add the audio tracks on top of it all?

[GyroPyro420]

have any of you guys used a drone? I plan on using my Mavic Pro this year to get an eye in the sky angle. For the ground I have a tripod for my Nikon DSLR and a handycam.

[Big Worm]

have any of you guys used a drone? I plan on using my Mavic Pro this year to get an eye in the sky angle. For the ground I have a tripod for my Nikon DSLR and a handycam.

Check out esgrillo's vids i think he has some drone footage. It really is a neat perspective to view a show.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Esgrillo and Bazerk both use drones. If I remember correctly one of the drones Bazerk uses is a Mavic Pro.

[GyroPyro420]

Check out esgrillo's vids i think he has some drone footage. It really is a neat perspective to view a show.


Esgrillo and Bazerk both use drones. If I remember correctly one of the drones Bazerk uses is a Mavic Pro.

Thanks guys, found a few others on youtube with some settings advice for the mavic pro when shooting fireworks as well!

[Bazerk]

Esgrillo and Bazerk both use drones. If I remember correctly one of the drones Bazerk uses is a Mavic Pro.

We had 4 drones flying around at my last 4th of July. A Phantom 4 Pro, 2 Mavic Pros and a Phantom 3 Pro. The do pretty well on auto to be honest. set your focus to infinity and call it a day.

[FireworkNewbie]

I did think about getting a drone to film from that additional perspective. Not sure where to begin as far as what to look for. I'm sure there is a quality to cost equation in there...

[GyroPyro420]

I did think about getting a drone to film from that additional perspective. Not sure where to begin as far as what to look for. I'm sure there is a quality to cost equation in there...

The Mavic pro just had a price drop to 899 I believe..it shoots video in 4K

[Bazerk]

I did think about getting a drone to film from that additional perspective. Not sure where to begin as far as what to look for. I'm sure there is a quality to cost equation in there...

Drones are one of those things were you get what you pay for. No matter what, I would stick with DJi as they absolutely crush the competition in the drone world. The price drop on the Mavic Pro is due to the release of a drone that would replace the Mavic.

[esgrillo]

Since we're on the subject... What program does everyone use to stitch together your audio and show video?? I usually use a SONY camcorder to tape the show, but this year I bought a "GoPro Hero 5 Session" to (hopefully) get a wide-field view. I'm also going to have music this year. So what's a good video editing program to use to stitch the SONY and GoPro video together, and add the audio tracks on top of it all?

Rick, I use Cyberlink Powerdirector. I actually do my final soundtrack in there as well and use that for the music track for the final video too. It helps having a clean audio track since the fireworks tend to overwhelm audio everything.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Rick, I use Cyberlink Powerdirector. I actually do my final soundtrack in there as well and use that for the music track for the final video too. It helps having a clean audio track since the fireworks tend to overwhelm audio everything.

Thanks Ed. I'll track that down and give it a try. I don't know a thing about any of it, so hopefully it's user friendly.