Filming at Alton Towers

[Rob]

If I'm looking for a POV on YouTube, if there's either a Theme Park Review or CoasterForce POV I will watch one of them. You know they are going to be of good quality and TPR's are very professionally made. There are of course a few others that do good POVs for some parks. I don't see the point of people trying to do the same but much poorer POVs.

 

[delta79]

I think Official POV's or a good youtube video maker in partnership with a theme park is the way to go.

Just think about the partnership route, a respected you tube user produces a high quality video for their channel. the park get high quality footage to use for marketing. It could be recorded during morning testing, to save down time for rigging.

 

[SLADEY]

I believe that filming at AT is all fine unless you are walking down the queue line because I was with my mate poison Tom 96 and we were waiting in the SR queue for The Smiler and the dreadful TT were there and they were walking down the queue line and if the person that was filming were to fall that means that the whole queue line behind is most likely to fall over him and crush him now this will cause a big problem for the AT saff and will make AT look bad. This will also cause a lot of other people to get injured and will mess up there day.

 

[Burbs]

I believe that filming at AT is all fine unless you are walking down the queue line because I was with my mate poison Tom 96 and we were waiting in the SR queue for The Smiler and the dreadful TT were there and they were walking down the queue line and if the person that was filming were to fall that means that the whole queue line behind is most likely to fall over him and crush him now this will cause a big problem for the AT saff and will make AT look bad. This will also cause a lot of other people to get injured and will mess up there day.

Well that escalated quickly! :/

 

[electricBlll]

People need to relearn how to use their eyes and memory instead of cameras.

Photos and POVs will never ever deliver. Not limited to theme parks either.

 

[DiogoJ42]

People need to relearn how to use their eyes and memory instead of cameras.

This. In my day, you had to make your pictures count. I did A leve photography, and I spend my working life messing about with video. The last thing I want to do on my days off is go anywhere near a camera! I'll never understand these people who spend their whole life looking at the world through a screen. I prefer to use my eyes, the contrast ratio alone is infinately better!

 

[MattyH]

the dreadful TT were there and they were walking down the queue line and if the person that was filming were to fall that means that the whole queue line behind is most likely to fall over him and crush him

But on the brightside one less TT member?

IMO filming rides from the outside is fine, as long as it's in a safe position, wouldn't spend the entire day filming however.

 

[Alastair]

People need to relearn how to use their eyes and memory instead of cameras.

This. In my day, you had to make your pictures count. I did A leve photography, and I spend my working life messing about with video. The last thing I want to do on my days off is go anywhere near a camera! I'll never understand these people who spend their whole life looking at the world through a screen. I prefer to use my eyes, the contrast ratio alone is infinately better!

The human eye has an equivalent aperture range of 6.5 stops on a camera. Incredible when you think about it, that even today's technology can't even come close to the capability of the eye at processing light.

But anyway, back on topic!

 

[McKillmore]

Amongst the detritus found strewn under any given coaster, I see hats, phones, keys..... but I can't recall ever seeing a video camera. I think the H&S argument is a bit redundant as people lose stuff on coasters often enough anyway. The keys in your cargo pants pocket are as likely to fall as the camera you're holding onto so hard your knuckles are going white.

As for why we do it? To recreate the thrills in your living room with a nice cold drink in hand? Not sure really. Maybe it's because we can. I'm going to be making coaster reaction videos such as this: http://youtu.be/yRM7Qk_6ueA

More interesting than the multitude of POV videos out there I think.

As for the whole copyright infringement issue. Companies often consider user generated video as free marketing which is why most of the content on youtube hasn't been deleted. Sure AT may not condone people making videos, and if someone is blatantly waving a camcorder around whilst sat on the ride, steps may be taken. But this is all lip service as if they were that bothered about copyright, user generated POV videos would be removed from youtube at their request.

As for what I use; I use a Contour +2. Nice wide angle lens and 60fps in full HD. Waterproof case too for all those log flumes.