Filming Golf Course Overviews

[Johnny Sky]

Hey Guys,

Looking for suggestions for flying/filming/photographing golf course overviews, typical style starting from the tee and travelling a straight path to the green. My main question is, how do you prepare for filming a lot of course holes when it comes to batteries? Just bring a ton of them? Portable generator to charge during your shoot? Thanks.

 

[gruvpix]

Hey Guys,

Looking for suggestions for flying/filming/photographing golf course overviews, typical style starting from the tee and travelling a straight path to the green. My main question is, how do you prepare for filming a lot of course holes when it comes to batteries? Just bring a ton of them? Portable generator to charge during your shoot? Thanks.

Generator would be very handy, I have relied on one a lot in the past and it will be your best bet. You could get two holes per battery, so if you had three batteries that would likely suffice to get a continuous charging cycle going.
If a generator is not an option, you'll have to shuttle back and forth from the nearest outlet, so you'd still be ok with 3 batteries but you'd be doing much more driving in the cart.
Depending on how high end the golf course is, they could have power at each hole or at least every few holes, if not then yea grab a generator.

 

[Highrpm955]

2 holes per battery?.. I'm about to film one next week, I was thinking twice that.

 

[gruvpix]

2 holes per battery?.. I'm about to film one next week, I was thinking twice that.

Yea that's pretty conservative, you're right. If there is only one take per hole you really only need like 3 minutes of flight time. If you mess up the shot easy enough to rip it back to the beginning

 

[Highrpm955]

I see your point. I was thinking of just doing a "T to Green" flyover per hole. The thing about a shot like that is you can't cut edit that shot. It has to be one continuous smooth like butter,shot.

 

[Airwolf13]

Sorry dude. golf courses DO NOT LIKE GENERATORS. Just finished a show at very prestigious GC here in LA Get yourself an extra cart and after you burn a batt, send a PA back to the clubhouse to charge it from AC. I had 5 batts and it was plenty. Shot an average of three takes per hole

 

[John Alan]

My current battery setup and real tentative plan...
I have yet to truly stress test it with an all day Ag farm field survey shoot however...
Different need... but same problem (no 120v ac)...so I thought I would post up...

Inventory...
7x batteries (3x 47's plus 4x 48's)
5x 100w DJI chargers
I will count the 47's as 10 mins and 48's as 15 mins fly time when rough estimating very conservatively...
If it's windy..I will halve that... Will adjust these figures as experience shows reality...
So 90 mins base available with 45 mins windy day worse case...

The Need...
Ag Bird will be carrying two extra lightweight point and shoot cameras... (Canon SX260's with MaxMax mods)
https://www.maxmax.com/5-band.htm
They are modified to make a 5 channel NDVI crop camera set with interval trigger timer to fire both.
The added weight is the main reason I'm figuring fly times very conservatively...
I will NOT be using MaxMax's camera mount...working on a custom mount to fit the bird...

The working plan...
Stock camera will be taking 4K video to pull color stills from in post...
NDVI set is snapping 4000x3000 pic pairs with RGB + edge IR and near IR channels for NDVI post...
This is the 1 year from now plan anyway...

If I need more...
True sine wave converter nearby wired into my dual alternator Cummins pickup truck...
Truck taken for a "soda run" as needed to top it's dual stock AGM battery's...
Five a charging... one a flying,,,one in transit between rigs...

I think it looks good on paper...

 

[Airwolf13]

Sorry dude. golf courses DO NOT LIKE GENERATORS. Just finished a show at very prestigious GC here in LA Get yourself an extra cart and after you burn a batt, send a PA back to the clubhouse to charge it from AC. I had 5 batts and it was plenty. Shot an average of three takes per hole

 

[Highrpm955]

I'm thinking finished product should contain about 15 sec per hole. So that's 4 and a half min for the whole 18. Peoples attention span seems shorter all the time. Call it 5 min with other beginning and ending shots. I'm thinking of doing two links for this course's website, on for the front 9, and one for the back 9.

 

[Airwolf13]

And heres another tip Go buy a "GOAL ZERO' 400 portable battery. It charges all four of my '48's in about two hours. Quiet great item for shoots

 

[Phatzo]

ok now I would have a really maybe stupid question... How much can I charge for a GC course filming?
what do you charge if I may ask?
do you count on a daily rate or per hour?

 

[AllanVB]

Sorry dude. golf courses DO NOT LIKE GENERATORS. Just finished a show at very prestigious GC here in LA Get yourself an extra cart and after you burn a batt, send a PA back to the clubhouse to charge it from AC. I had 5 batts and it was plenty. Shot an average of three takes per hole

Please show us the finished product. I too am filming a GC here in Central Oregon.
Thanks

 

[InspiredOne]

what do you charge if I may ask? do you count on a daily rate or per hour?

Not to be stinky, but that's like asking how much does a house cost, or how much does a car cost? It depends on the variables involved.

 

[GadgetRick]

I started to look into this--as I live in FL--and actually started on one course before we got our first frost (live in NE FL) and the grass turned. Was doing it as a proof of concept (i.e. for free). Problem is, I'm not sure golf courses (for the most part) will be willing to pay what it will cost. It will take a couple of days (at least) to do a full 18 holes. Partially because of the amount of time it will take and partially because you've got to work around the golfers.

Would love to hear others' thoughts on this subject as I'd love to get this part of my business going. Just haven't been able to find a way to make it work.

 

[Phatzo]

I meant in general like the thread on how much one can charge for a video... (the maldive one)... and you are not being stinky at all... I might have been rude maybe... just asking because I do have some chances to get some work in that direction and don´t want to underprice the work and effort... I know that prices should not be in bundle meaning cutting / editing should be extra in normal cases.
I will try to specify then: 18 hole course with clubhouse and Hotel with SPA and an adventure park. I would go for the 3 min max as an image film.
that is what I would like to include in the recording. I am guessing but did not say anything new in regards to the variables you are talking about and would like to ask back if you could specify what you are thinking of?
I just realized writing this post.

 

[Highrpm955]

I just finished the shoot for the front 9. Did it on 1 TB47 down to 30%, and 1 TB48 down to 35%. I picked a Monday because that seems to be the least busy day. I waited till 3-4 holes were open ahead of me. Through everything in a cart they let me use. Good experience. I flew from the T- box to the green.. landed, and then drove down to pick it up. I think this saved alot in battery not having to fly back.

 

[Sky High Photography]

Generator would be very handy, I have relied on one a lot in the past and it will be your best bet. You could get two holes per battery, so if you had three batteries that would likely suffice to get a continuous charging cycle going.
If a generator is not an option, you'll have to shuttle back and forth from the nearest outlet, so you'd still be ok with 3 batteries but you'd be doing much more driving in the cart.
Depending on how high end the golf course is, they could have power at each hole or at least every few holes, if not then yea grab a generator.

Hey,
What generator do you use? Do you have one that you would recommend. Is there a car charger inverter that could work. From my research, we would need a 110V 1500W unit. Correct?

 

[Sky High Photography]

My current battery setup and real tentative plan...
I have yet to truly stress test it with an all day Ag farm field survey shoot however...
Different need... but same problem (no 120v ac)...so I thought I would post up...

Inventory...
7x batteries (3x 47's plus 4x 48's)
5x 100w DJI chargers
I will count the 47's as 10 mins and 48's as 15 mins fly time when rough estimating very conservatively...
If it's windy..I will halve that... Will adjust these figures as experience shows reality...
So 90 mins base available with 45 mins windy day worse case...

The Need...
Ag Bird will be carrying two extra lightweight point and shoot cameras... (Canon SX260's with MaxMax mods)
https://www.maxmax.com/5-band.htm
They are modified to make a 5 channel NDVI crop camera set with interval trigger timer to fire both.
The added weight is the main reason I'm figuring fly times very conservatively...
I will NOT be using MaxMax's camera mount...working on a custom mount to fit the bird...

The working plan...
Stock camera will be taking 4K video to pull color stills from in post...
NDVI set is snapping 4000x3000 pic pairs with RGB + edge IR and near IR channels for NDVI post...
This is the 1 year from now plan anyway...

If I need more...
True sine wave converter nearby wired into my dual alternator Cummins pickup truck...
Truck taken for a "soda run" as needed to top it's dual stock AGM battery's...
Five a charging... one a flying,,,one in transit between rigs...

I think it looks good on paper...

Hi john,

Which True sine wave converter are you using? Have you tried it already - no problems?

 

[InspiredOne]

I will try to specify then: 18 hole course with clubhouse and Hotel with SPA and an adventure park. I would go for the 3 min max as an image film. that is what I would like to include in the recording. I am guessing but did not say anything new in regards to the variables you are talking about and would like to ask back if you could specify what you are thinking of?

Your proposed project could be shot and posted in an infinite number of ways.

Just to scratch the surface, variables would include: Can I shoot it alone or do I have to hire help? If so, what kind of help--talent or just an extra pair of hands for grunt work? Will the shoot be fairly straight forward or will be complicated? Will extra equipment need to be rented--someone to operate the extra equipment? Will the post production phase be straight forward with simply cuts or will extensive color grading be required with optical effects to be included? Will additional graphics beyond basic titles be required? If so, what kind, motion or 3D or both? Etc., etc., etc.

I think you get the picture.

 

[sdjackaerial]

I just finished the shoot for the front 9. Did it on 1 TB47 down to 30%, and 1 TB48 down to 35%. I picked a Monday because that seems to be the least busy day. I waited till 3-4 holes were open ahead of me. Through everything in a cart they let me use. Good experience. I flew from the T- box to the green.. landed, and then drove down to pick it up. I think this saved alot in battery not having to fly back.

It's been asked on this thread and nobody has responded. Would you mind sharing with us what you charged for this job?