What do you want to see from an MTB edit?

I want to see mountain biking. haha but really I think that there needs to a balance I liked both edits.

Personally, I prefer old school skate-style filming. But, I have to admit, the stuff that Revel Co's is doing with the past few Semenuk edits is pretty unreal.

Here are the Brannigan video's you referenced:

Video 1

Video 2

The latest edit made me sick. I'd just start to get into a shot, on the edge of my seat wondering what he was about to hit. And then an awkward abrupt cut to who knows where. It's like someone spewing facts at you without constructing complete sentences.

Showing someone a MTB vid who's not into the sport vs. what those of us who're completely immersed into it, IMO, are two totally different things.

Showing them that Motorhead edit of Brannigan they won't get how insane that riding is. They could watch an edit of us and come out of it thinking the same thing... that looks kinda crazy.

They won't be able to spot and understand how gnarly that video really is like we can.

I think there's two types of videos to show someone who's not into it: Rampage videos // gnarly freeride stuff... and they'll just think you're crazy. This is what they'll see when they watch it though:



Videos like what Clay Porter used to make, where he tried building a story // drama about the World Cup series with interviews and suspense might be the kind to show someone.

I still think they old school skate style videos were the best.

good question AGR.

i personally lean towards no B.S. videos and partially with that in mind (and a little bit of luck) we stumbled onto the #VitalRAW format a few years ago. there's so much video content out there anymore, it's hard to grab attention. if a vid has long intros, i find myself bored before it starts. i'm sure i've missed some incredible riding because of things like that.

i really like "bro" edits where it seems like the riders are just out doing what they're doing and a camera just happens to be there documenting. i think world cup or race footage is the best for that reason. riders aren't there to film, they're racing. there won't be "fake" shots (like skidding down some colorful dirt pile, you'd never ride on in real life, just for the sake of a pretty video image) and the riders are hauling faster than they ever would. most of the time if a berm gets slaughtered at a race, it's not for the sake of a cool shot, but b/c a rider is on the edge of control. i love that stuff.

while i'm with you on last year's brannigan vid being more entertaining, this year's was good too but in a different way. i personally like last year's better, but it seemed more like a "bro" film. this new one was more polished, more sponsored (?) and w/ that, music rights had to be considered, so they couldn't just throw in any rad song.

edit: if i want to show someone who has never seen "gravity mountain biking" before, i show them rampage footage. that opens their eyes more than anything in a world of crazy, random viral videos. they'll instantly forget the lycra-clad MTB image they had before : )

it's a tough one for sure and fun to talk about. stoked to hear what others say since i'm old and crusty and set in my ways.

more techniques on how to put on/ take off goggles. I need to know the most endurbro method.

but really, more big mountain. basically i wanna wake up every morning to a new doerfling edit.

I gotta be honest, the slo-mo, over produced videos of late are really bumming me out. It's all filler, no thriller. It becomes overproduced, and we see less and less actual riding footage. Not to mention the buffed, groomed trails that are wider than a double lane road. I'm looking disappointingly at you anthill films/teton gravity research.

For the love of all that is (un)holy, we need to bring back Earthed.

Whenever i see a VitalRAW video on the homepage, i get goosebumps before i even watch it. That's what i want to watch. Those couple odd minutes have more emotion/soul than ANY slo-mo, overproduced segment with AWOLNATION playing in the background. Gross.

racing inspired riding. whether dh or euro duro. i want corners.. hot nasty corners. off camber, on camber, no camber. like the stuff bryn put's out or luke strobel.

P"

I don't know a whole lot about filming and editing techniques. I have no idea what some of you mean by "old school skate videos." What I do know is that if it takes more than 20 seconds to get to riding, I'm very likely to stop watching the video. Please, I beg you, no more of the "alarm goes off, turn off the alarm, get out of bed, shower, brush the teeth, make the coffee and toast, eat the coffee and toast, read the paper, pet the dog, take the bike out of the house, put the bike on the car, get in the car, drive, turn up the volume, arrive, get out, check the engine, unload your bike, walk to the lift, wait in the lift line, flirt with the lifty, ride the lift up, get off the lift, put on the helmet, put on the goggles, adjust the goggles, contemplate the meaning of life, put foot on the pedal, visualize the run, think 'this is going to be sweet,' then ride" intros. Please...think of the starving children in Africa!

beautiful, naked, blonde ladies backfliping 80ft doubles

Yeah in gonna go with the skate style filming, with a crazy rider and crazy music. No slo mo

Frankly, I like vids where I can see fine details of everything from rider technique to how the trail's built. I prefer slow-mo vids where I have more time to notice details. I have a peeve against speeded up video at the "good parts". I generally like to get stoke out of the video, though things like Rampage, Semenuk's one-shot, and Life Cycles are still impressive despite being too out of my world to provide stoke.

Boobies ( . )( . )

Lens flare, Imagine Dragons, taking bike off the truck (tailgate cover must be EVOC or Dakine), slo-mo goggle shot, dude eyeing up a gap with his bike next to him, slo-mo whip into a tree branch.
Oh, and most important of all: WHAT DID HE HAVE FOR BREAKFAST???!

Bring back the earthed series!! some of my favorite videos!

It's great reading everyone's opinions. Everyone has such different tastes when it comes to videos. I'm a videographer that comes from a racing background. I've always loved racing footage. A track is never ridden faster than when it's raced. Capturing that raw speed is just the best. Especially from a riders point of view. I feel I've always tried to produce videos for riders. Not really for people who haven't seen mtb. I'm always trying to best showcase a riders ability as aposed to shooting more cinematic.

Zip lines are tedious to set up but they give an indication of the the rider at real speed on film.
Example here http://www.pinkbike.com/video/416213/

Some of my favourite edits have been the raw stuff from the WC, but even more so the New Zealand guys riding at home, Brannigan, Ed Masters, Reece Wallace... If the rider is loose enough, that is the way to go!

But a finely crafted edit showcasing exceptional skill in varied terrain with a hint of landscapes, a tiny bit of slow mo, drone shots, cable cams and money shot replays can work well if the editor puts in the time!

This one is currently floating my boat: http://www.vitalmtb.com/videos/member/Florian-Nicolai-Getting-Wild-in-t…

But this remains the gold standard: https://vimeo.com/20601448

If I was showing a video to someone who doesnt bike, I'd show them a MacAskill video or Semenuk's one shot...

Seasons is my all time favourite bike video. I love the story, the variety of riding and the videography. As far s short clips I much prefer the RAW style. I loved Brannagans motorhead, didn't watch the whole way through the new one. Ironically I also enjoyed life cycles which is much slower pased but all the shot are beautiful

I showed Life Cycles to a non rider who didn't expect to like a bike video and she loved it.

Remy

Metailler

Good point. I second the motion.

No love for slowmo here. Not looking for some Warren Miller style snooze fest. This is why skate videos have had it right for so long. Hit 'em hard, hit 'em fast. I think Tom Caldwell is on the right track. He's like the heir to the Earthed legacy.

This.

I'm genuinely excited for his new video, slice of british pie.