Hey guys, so I started self-filming with my gopro last year but next season I am looking to film a little more advanced this year. My biggest question right now is how you guys set up your tree arms so they are easily adjustable but also won't be in the way of a shot? I am right handed but I am thinking that if I put the camera by the left side of my seat it should be low and out of the way, easily accessible and not block any shots. Any advice from guys who have done it successfully? Thanks
I'm a lefty, and I put mine on the left side. so I don't have to put my bow down to move the camera. not saying it's right but it works for me, and It hasn't been in the way of a shot. I'm kind of a rookie at it though...
Set it up on your right side so you can hold your bow with your left while making camera adjustments.
Swamp stalker is that the muddy camera mount in your picture? How do you like it? I was thinking about getting it but I am worried it wouldn't be too steady on one of my bowholders.
I'm in the same boat as Swamp. I'm a lefty but it seems kinda hard to adjust prior to shot and after shot. Please go into more detail on your setup. Are you sitting in the pic? How many joints are in your boom? It will be my first season as well this year. Good thread to get started. I think Zarr or Graf should make one of their episodes focus on self film setups.
I assume you will be switching to another camera with a visual display? If this is the case and you are righty then you want to set it up on your right side at waist height when standing. This will put it at shoulder height for sitting and out of the way when you stand. The major problem putting it on your left side is first your bow is most likely to that side and you risk it being in the way and secondly all camera displays as of now are still on the left side. It makes it extremely difficult to self film this way. Sent from my iPhone 5S using Tapatalk
It all depends on the tree, shooting lane, and where you think the deer are coming from. I struggle with self filming honestly, only 1 out of my 12 bowkills were self filmed.
spot on. no better way to explain in. only thing i would add to it is to get a camera arm with 3 sections. makes it easy to tuck it away against the tree when it needs to be out of the way.. also gives you TONS of flexibility on angles and lanes etc. Also when mounting it to the tree, i mount it so it is just around a 20-30 degree angle from how im facing on the tree. allows it to not be right behind your head or next to your face and gives the arm the range you need.. thats what i've found to work anyway.
Great thread guys. I too am gonna throw my hat in the ring for self filming this year. Already have a Canon HF 20, got a GoPro for Christmas for my bow and just bought the muddy camera arm. I also have been editing video footage for years so it only makes sense for me to try. Any more info you guys can give would be great. I'm gonna try to film during turkey season this spring to get some practice. Wish me luck.
Last year filming was a last minute decision in late august. I bought a $100 reconditioned/like new HD camera on ebay, I used a 3 arm bow holder, and muddy micro mount. all my videos in my sig were filmed from this setup. you will not get smooth panning shots following a buck, with this setup!! self filming is very tricky, and makes scouting/stand hanging a lot trickier because you need to be setup for the 2 shots, the one with the bow, and camera. I was caught unprepared several times with deer coming from areas I wasn't expecting, so it was hard to get the camera rolling AND ready for the shot. I was sitting in this picture in my summit viper. like a few others mentioned, you want the camera on the opposite site of the hand you hod your bow with, so you don't have to put the bow down,,move the camera the pick up the bow again. I practiced several times in the back yard in a tree with a 3d target pretending it was the real thing.
for those of you using a gopro in addition to a camera in the tree.. self filming or not.. check out Blacktail 154. Met this guy at the outdoor show in Harrisburg PA. He is a one man company, from what i understand, from oregon. Makes a wrist/forearm band for your arm you hold your bow... that you can mount a gopro to that will capture your drawback from tip of arrow to your face. It's a little pricey at $60, but I'm getting one instead of mounting it to my bow. It's unbelievably well made. They arent up on the site yet.. it was a new product he was showcasing there and at ATA.. you may have to email him. Also makes some other awesome pack strap products. like radio holder and a horizontal magnetic range finder holster. Awesome stuff. gotta check it out. especially the go pro band. much better alternative than adding weight to the bow like this.... This is how i mounted the gopro this year for the reverse angle... adds some weight to it.. this is the angle it gave me.. and i assume the wrist band will give a similar one
Here's a few articles we've put together over the years on filming your own hunts. Tips For Filming Your Hunting Adventures | Bowhunting.com Blog Self-Filming Your Hunt | Bowhunting.com Blog How to Film Your Hunting Adventures | Bowhunting.com Blog
Thanks Justin! This is a good thread. I guess I need to set up a stand just off the ground and piddle with the setup. Heck I just got my Epic and did a few shots mounted on my stabilizer towards a target. I can see where self filming takes this to a whole new level.
Self filming is a tough thing, but when you pull it off it's very rewarding! Stick with it guys, it gets easier! One tip I can throw out there is having a good fluid head for the camera. I use a Manfrotto 701. It's not cheap, but it's worth its weight in gold! Those cheap heads make it hard to move the camera on the arm and make noise. A fluid head makes that one hand movement a lot easier, when you have your bow in the other hand. Good luck guys going solo!
