How do you decide whether you like filming or skiing more?

B.Snow

Active member
So I'm 18 and I have been skiing since I was like 4 and freestylin it since I was like 10 or 11 I guess. Over the past few years my interests have grown in filming and I am really interested in filming edits. The thing is, I can't ever really decide wether I want to ski or film, hit the handrail or film the handrail. And because of this my edits always suck and I never really get max potential of my hits on a rail, jump or whatever we're filming. I'm thinking that filming is quite an investment, but not only financially but in terms of time and effort, and for this reason I'm having trouble fully committing to it.
What do you guys think?
Any serious comments or stories that relate are welcome.
 
Do both, bryan, but you don't have to necessarily do them at the same time. I've been living like a skibum for the last 2 seasons, but in a year or so i'm going to the melhoppiem film school in mtl, to see where it takes me.
 
well i dont have any expirience in the field cuz im bad at filming and love to ski, but id say you should take a season and devote it to mostly filming, and if that doesnt work than you have the rest of your life to fall back on skiing

and if you like filming better you have a cool job!
 
I am sorta in the same situation. I like to film and I want to see If that is what I want to do for a career...or whatever, but I feel like I won't film so much this winter, because I want to get better at skiing park, which I basically just started, but I have been skiing for about 12 or 13 years.

I have been thinking that about once every weekend or every other weekend I will bring the camera out on the slopes and film for a few hours and really "get the shot" as much as I can and sort of forget about hitting the features. Or get everyone that I am skiing with and get them to cooperate for a while so It will be easier.
 
Yeah dude I actually completely understand... though each year I've been dedicating myself more and more towards production and it seems to be paying off. Plus I realized I never would make it as a big time skier and that I wanted to eventually work in the field of production so it kinda makes more sense for me to pull towards that. I still really love skiing though.. but I definitely find the time to make both happen.
 
Here's what i do which might be a good solution for you. Take your camera to the hill. leave it in the car. Hit up the park and throw down what you think will look good on film. Then take a friend, and just lap the park taking turns filming eachother.
 
It's a tough call, and I know the feeling... Obviously I love skiing, and it's my favorite thing to do... However, I definitely enjoy scoping out dope spots to film from, and when I'm hurt I like filming friends. I took a film class last year at school, and I really really liked it. When I am filming I am having fun, but watching my friends hit the features and throw down, I always just wish I was skiing, and although I love filming and editing and stuff I never really wish I was filming when I am being filmed... It's a tough call, but no one is saying you can't do both. Stick to your guns and play both fields, maybe don't try and do them on the same night, but pick one to do at a time... If you really have to make a decision then go with your gut instinct. Which ever you have more fun doing, you could always just do one for fun, and try to pursue the other.
 
i am in the same position sort of

but i think overall you have more fun skiing

the gratification for filming and producing and edit is good, but not as good as stomping a perfect trick
 
You can never do both as well as you possibly can, just decide which one brings you the most joy. And if you choose filming more, you can still ski. If you want to ski more you can still put out an edit every now and then.
 
Well this is kind of what I'm doing now and it makes for shitty footy. I dunno it just looks way un-professonal.
 
Everyone here keeps saying do both and I agree that you should but my photography teacher always told us as I went out on a project that I was there to do one thing.. I could go to shoot or I could go to ski/hike/whatever.. You can go to do both but both will suffer some. Your best bet is to ski on the crappier looking days and to film on the nice days.. You may not get to enjoy the sunny powder days as much as you would like but you can ski to your content on the off days and film to your content on the sunny days..
 
no he wasnt telling me I couldnt do something.. he was just saying that if I go to ski and shoot.. both would lack
 
weeeelllll you could do a bit of both...hit the jumps switch while filming the rider coming over the jump behind you, give some cool aerial shots..or invest in a headcam, tehn you can ski and film at the same time haha
 
If you really truly are passionate about videography, you won't have to question this. Give it some thought.
 
find someone else at your mountian in the same situation, and then you can trade up 50/50.

problem solved
 
Get a small crew together and film with them, that way you get to ski and film and chill with friends at the same time.
 
This reminds me of an old saying:

Pictures are reminders of how much fun we could be having if we weren't too busy taking pictures.

What you need to ask yourself is Does the art of cinematography, and all forms of inspiration and memories that come from it, surpass the joy of skiing?

In my personal experience, I have found that the answer is entirely dependant on set and setting. Part of the challenge is deciding whether to grab my DVX or my poles on the way out the door...

But then again, you could try and work out a schedule that lets you do both. For example, at summer camp a few years ago, I did some skiing and some filming. From my filmer's eye, the set was too beautiful to pass up. I had to film. The end result was my Big Easy Part III edit, which to this day is my favorite out of anything I've ever made.
 
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