Sailboat Videos-- what do you like to see?

[rayaldridge]

This may be a bit off the usual subject matter, but when you come across a sailing video on the web, what sort of things do you hope to see?

I know nothing about making videos, but I did take some with the video option on my digital camera, and put them up on Youtube. They've been watched a fair amount, but I'd like to know how I can make them better. I've collected them here:

http://slidercat.com/blog/wordpress/?page_id=22

The second video from the top has been the most-watched. I don't know why.

I think it's important to get shots from aboard the boat, and also to have shots from outside the boat (and that's the hardest part.) So many amateur sailing videos have only one or the other.

Probably the most important thing is to cut as much footage as you think you can, and then cut a little more.

Ray

http://slidercat.com

[TeddyDiver]

Originally Posted by rayaldridge

what sort of things do you hope to see?

Roll over..

[Petros]

I always like seeing how the rig is set in action, especially seeing the wind flowing over the sails.

It is also fun to see the boats slicing through rough seas at various angles to the wind. I think the best is from an aft or aft 3/4 windward view since you can see the heel angle and the sail's behavior at the same time. Especially fun to watch is a sail boat tacking into the wind, there is always a lot of action going on both on deck and in the sails.

I often see in videos a close-up of the prow cutting the water, and as fascinating as that is to see "live" it does not do much for me in a video.

[Butch .H]

You your boys your boat Heaven nice vidio. (Above comments suck)

[rayaldridge]

Thanks--

Making video of Slider seems to present me with an unusual problem. It never looks like there's much going on.

This was by design. The boat is aimed at folks who want to go cruising in a little boat, but with as much luxury as possible.

You can see a tack in the video "Slider goes to the Narrows" but it's not too exciting. I sail toward the beach, tack, and sail off on the new tack. All you can tell I'm doing is twisting a little in the seat to get in the jib sheets.

In another video, called "Upwind at six knots" my wife is steering, but you can't tell she's doing anything at all, since the steering line is on the other side of the cockpit coaming, and the coaming hides her arm where it lies along the side deck. She appears to be gazing off across the bay; again, not too exciting.

I don't expect to capsize any time soon, since the boat has a relatively modest rig.

In lieu of excitement, I've been trying to show the boat in the context of its strengths-- anxiety-free, comfortable sailing. These attributes may be a little subtle to get across in a Youtube video.

Ray

http://slidercat.com