Filming for online dressage

[05jackd]

With this horrendous wet weather making our fields a slippery bog I am thinking about dipping our toe into some online dressage. However, I am usually on my own with no help (even more so with covid restrictions) so how do people film their test?

I tried setting up a go pro behind C but as it needed to be so far back in order to get the whole arena - we are just a blurred ginger blob when we hit the A end. I cannot be the only person that has this problem so does anyone have a clever solution?

I am by no means a tech wizz so something simple but functional would be ideal!

 

[Annagain]

It's very difficult to do without a helper as ideally you need to zoom in a little when the rider's at the A end of the school to make it easier to see what's going on. I've found that getting up high helps - you see more of the school without going so far back. A stepladder or even a chair, works for this. I actually park my land rover in the field outside the arena and stand on the roof rack (the field is lower than the school!) to film my friend and we then swap over. Is there someone at your yard you could team up with to film each other? You needn't get close to one another and if you're both there seeing to your horses anyway, it's just about within the rules.

 

[dorsetladette]

I'm wondering the same. I think a couple of people on here have Pivo's but not sure how they work. @milliepops might be able to enlighten us?

 

[Annagain]

I'm wondering the same. I think a couple of people on here have Pivo's but not sure how they work. @milliepops might be able to enlighten us?

I think the Pivo has to be in the middle of the school as it tracks you as you go round it and dressage tests have to be filmed from C. It might have a static setting which means you could put it at C but then it's just an expensive tripod!

 

[tatty_v]

Dressage Riders Online have a pivo class for those without a spare person to video - I’ve not tried it but might be worth looking into? Otherwise I just ask a friend to come and video me. She stands on a portable mounting block at A.

 

[Branna]

I use a Pivo to film online dressage. It relies on you having a good phone and takes a bit of trial and error to get used to. The school I use is 20x60 but with mirrors behind C I wouldn't have space to set up the camera for a long arena test so just do short arena. It has worked pretty well. Even with someone available to film, zooming at the A end relies on your helpers hands not being too frozen which is tough at this time of year! The test filmed with Pivo have had a couple of jerky moments but was better than the one filmed by my frozen helper!!

Video here

for an example on how it films.
(Not a good test, but it was a last minute decision to complete on of my goals for 2020 which was to have a bash at an AdMed test)

 

[Cowpony]

Wow! That's really impressive for a device filming!

 

[palterwell]

I’ve been using pivo as I can’t get anyone to film. It does work really well placed behind C .

 

[05jackd]

The horses are at home so unfortunately no yard people around to help. The Pivo sounds really Interesting. I am going to look into that.
Do you find it uses much battery on the phone?

 

[palterwell]

I’ve had no problems with the battery draining but I have got a new phone. I got a new iPhone SE when I realised I had to find a way to film on my own .

 

[RachelFerd]

I've also found that the Pivo works pretty satisfactorily for filming dressage tests. Here's one I filmed on a very frosty and misty morning this week - it didn't lose me, and it zooms and follows more smoothly than most helpers can.

 

[AUB]

Pivo works fine from c if you have a decent phone, decent lighting and the background is not too busy.

 

[05jackd]

Thanks everyone. You convinced me and I hope to be trying out my new Pivo at the weekend (assuming it arrives on time!)