After filming Scale Nats this year, Toyofast came up with some good points for media coverage at big comps. Course makers and spectators, please try to keep some of this in mind when it comes to this year's AWCC:
"For me, being a "media" person, I'd like to see something that has been promised each year...
1- Path for camera folks to walk along the courses. Never seems to be a clear path to run along to capture footage. Fighting to gain a vantage point between 2-3 media folks, driver, x2 judges and bystanders trying to get a closer look always becomes an issue. I plan to come out a day earlier next year to assist in this plan.
3- This is more or less for the media folks... Like to see maybe some roped off areas around the finals courses to keep the spectators out of view of the cameras. I know Ty and myself had issues with non-drivers walking into our camera views on some courses, even after it was yelled out to stay off the courses.
I have almost 12 hours of footage from this year, I'd say a good 85% of it has bystanders walking into view or people walking up next to me to BS, many times dropping the F-bomb while the camera is rolling. Or my favorite is to have someone walk over and blow their cigarette smoke into my face/camera while I'm shooting video of a rig in action... That footage with smoke rolling past the camera only goes to the trash. It's too bad because there would be some great shots but due to either foul language or cigerette smoke in the view, I can't use it. I guess being aware of your surroundings isn't easy for some.
Also, if your NOT driving, judging or part of the invited media folks, please stay off the courses. Those that get asked to come and cover the events heavily rely on getting good shots, if we don't, that means money lost. We depend on getting useable footage and photos to keep our bank accounts in the positive. Yes I know that everyone wants to take pictures, if anyone were to ask/tell me that they wanted to get some pictures from "xyz" spot, that's fine as I'd respect that and move off to a slightly different angle to not block the shot.
End of rant. "
Last year at the AWCC people were awesome and assisted me when I needed it, like keeping me from falling down some rocks "thumbsup" This is mostly for anyone new who is planning on attending. And I still want this to be a very spectator friendly sport, don't want people to have to watch from 50 yards away. Just please excuse me if I jump in front of you to get "the shot"! :mrgreen: As for foul language, I can always dub that out, but there are usually a lot of youngsters attending and I think we should let their parents be the ones who cuss around them, not us :ror:
sorry for any future edits you have from me, but just to let you know i have been curbing my mouth and working on my dance moves:lmao:if you want I'll be your body gaurd and personally knock anyone out of your way:lmao: I am one for having by standers and fellow competitors off the courses ( even though I am guilty of it) judges get overwhelmed by the other drivers and miss stuff when they are jockeying for a position to watch the driver.
