What Goes into Filming a Guided Hunting Experience
When it comes to capturing an outdoor adventures, there's nothing quite like filming a guided hunting experience. We pride ourselves on creating cinematic and meaningful content that tells a story, immersing the audience in the excitement of the hunt. But what does it really take to film a guided hunting experience? Here's a behind-the-scenes look at our process.
1. Planning and Preparation: Setting the Stage for Success
Every successful shoot begins long before the camera starts rolling and opening day of the hunt is here. Our process starts with a thorough planning phase, which includes:
Understanding the Client’s Needs: We begin by discussing the goals of the shoot with our client. We want to understand their vision, the story they want to tell, and any specific moments or details they want to capture. This step ensures we're aligned with their expectations and can deliver content that meets their needs.
Scouting Locations: Knowing the terrain is crucial. We often scout the hunting location in advance, assessing the best spots for filming, taking note of lighting conditions, and identifying potential challenges. This helps us plan our shots and ensures we're prepared for the environment. But with this step, take everything with a grain of salt. Hunting will lead you to places that you never expected and things will happen you didn’t anticipate.
Preparing the Gear: For a guided hunt, we need to be mobile and ready for any situation. Our gear typically includes a high-quality camera (we use the Panasonic Lumix S5 II), a good lens (usually we have our Sigma f2.8 24-70 mm lens), stabilizers, and microphones to capture ambient sounds and client interactions. We also ensure we have backups for everything—batteries and memory cards especially!
2. The Shoot: Capturing the Adventure
The day of the shoot is where the real action happens. Here's a glimpse into what goes on:
Early Starts: Hunting often happens early in the morning when wildlife is most active, so we're up before dawn. This means setting up and being ready to film as the first light breaks, capturing the serene beauty of the wilderness at dawn.
Staying Invisible: One of the biggest challenges of filming a guided hunt is remaining unobtrusive. The success of the hunt depends on not disturbing the wildlife. We move quietly and carefully to avoid making noise. Our goal is to blend into the surroundings, allowing the hunters to focus on their experience without distraction and without knowing we are even there. This part is perhaps the hardest part. Getting the shots you want and the angles you envision is sometimes impossible so learning to adapt and be creative (and very careful) is crucial!
Adapting to Changing Conditions: Nature is unpredictable, and so are the subjects of our shoots. Whether it's a sudden change in weather (you never know when it will rain so bring a raincoat for your camera), unexpected wildlife behavior, or an alteration in the hunting plan, we have to be flexible and ready to adapt. This often means quickly adjusting our camera settings, repositioning for better angles, or even taking advantage of spontaneous moments that unfold. You have to be ready to film at a seconds notice because sometimes, that is when the hunter takes the shot and getting the kill shot is perhaps the most important part of filming the hunt.
Drone Shots: Incorporating drone footage adds a unique perspective to our videos, capturing the vastness of the landscape and the scale of the hunt. Drones provide dynamic shots, such as sweeping views of the terrain or following the hunters as they move through the wilderness. We take great care to fly responsibly, ensuring the drone does not disrupt the environment or the hunt. BUT BE CAREFUL WITH THIS. Many U.S. states do not allow drones on hunts. So before flying, know the rules and regulations. If a drone isn’t allowed on a hunt or to assist in the aid of a hunt, we would recommend leaving the drone at home. It’s not worth talking to a law enforcement officer about. :/
3. Storytelling: Beyond the Hunt
While the primary focus might be on the hunt itself, our approach is to tell a broader story. We aim to capture the emotions, interactions, and the overall experience. For example, on the father daughter hunt we captured, our secondary goal was to show the bond and relationship between the two while hunting. This includes:
Client Interactions: Moments of camaraderie between the guide and the client, the guide’s knowledge and expertise, and the client's reactions—all of these add depth to the story. Capturing these interactions helps portray the guide's role not just as a facilitator of the hunt but as a storyteller and educator.
The Environment: The location often plays a leading role in our shoots. We focus on the landscape, weather conditions, and the natural elements that make each hunting experience unique. These shots set the tone and mood of the video, showcasing the stunning beauty of the outdoor setting. These things also play a huge role in the hunt itself, which means to make your story good - you need to incorporate it as well.
Capturing the Emotions: From the quiet anticipation before the hunt to the thrill of a successful shot, we aim to capture the range of emotions that make hunting such a compelling experience. These moments are often subtle and fleeting, requiring us to be constantly alert and ready to capture them. But out of all the post production requests we get from clients, the most popular has to be not to show them getting frustrated, upset, or mad. Hunting is stressful for most people so when you add in an unexpected missed shot, spooking the animals, or getting rained out, emotions are high and things are said that they later regret. We almost always incorporate these into the film because - it’s what happened and we are here to tell what happened. Those high emotions are embarrassing but more times then not, they end up thanking us for including those moments in there.
Recap of the day: One of the most crucial parts for the person watching your film, is for them to know what is going on. So even if you capture every single second of the hunt, there is a high chance that most people will have no idea what is happening and why. So, take a moment after each hunting day and have the hunter or guide (whichever the focus is one) explain step by step what happened that day, what they did, and why it all happened the way it did. Personally, we like to sit them down at the end of the day but depending on the person or hunt, we might ask them to do it every time we finish a hunting session. Keep in mind that tensions are high and if the hunt goes bad for the day - you might have to hold off until they cool down and collect themselves a bit. Use your discretion. Here is an example of a project where we interviewed some one.
4. Post-Production: Crafting the Final Story
After the shoot, the magic happens in the editing room. This is where all the footage comes together to create a cohesive and engaging story:
Selecting the Best Shots: We review hours of footage, selecting the most compelling shots that align with the narrative we want to tell. This involves careful consideration of composition, lighting, and action.
Color Grading: The right color grading can enhance the mood of the video. We adjust the colors to reflect the atmosphere of the hunt, whether it’s the warm hues of a sunrise or the cooler tones of a dense forest. This is also a time for you to showcase your unique style so don’t be afraid to experiment!
Sound Design: Sound is a crucial element in creating an immersive experience. We include natural sounds from the environment, such as birdsong, rustling leaves, or the crunch of boots on the ground, as well as dialogue and any narration from the guide. These elements bring the video to life. For us, its also the most challenging part. We would recommend experimenting with what works for you prior to shooting the hunt that way you have your best foot forward when its time to shoot! This includes microphone set up and placement.
Adding Music: Music sets the tone and pace of the video. We choose tracks that complement the visuals and enhance the emotional impact of the story. The right music can elevate the viewer's experience, making them feel part of the adventure.
Conclusion: More Than Just a Video
Filming a guided hunting experience is about more than just capturing a hunt. It's about telling a story—one that showcases the beauty of nature, the skill and knowledge of the guide, and the excitement of the hunt. It’s about creating content that not only documents the experience but also resonates with viewers, transporting them into the heart of the adventure.
