Video: Patagonia in 8K

Anyone who has ever been to Patagonia will tell you that it is amongst the most stunning landscapes on the planet, and that there is no true way to appreciate it without going there yourself. The next best thing is to capture those landscapes in high resolution video, which is what the filmmaker behind this clip did. He spent six weeks traveling across Chile to shoot this clip in 8K resolutions, which sadly very few of us can actually playback. Still, Patagonia remains incredibly compelling, and as you'll see here, it is breathtakingly beautiful.

PATAGONIA 8K from Martin Heck | Timestorm Films on Vimeo.

Video: Amazing Mountain Bike Ride Caught in a Single Shot

This four-minute mountain biking video comes from our friends at Teton Gravity Research and is part of their latest film unReal. It features pro mountain biker Brandon Semenuk in a cinematic first. Remarkably, this segment of the film was captured in a single shot, following Brandon as he drives to the top of the trail, gets out, and starts his descent. To pull this off, TGR had to set up a sophisticated camera and mount it to a truck that followed the action on a custom built road located next to a custom built trail. The results, as you'll see, are nothing short of spectacular.

Video: Climbing Poumaka with Mike Libecki and Angie Payne

This past February, climbers Mike Libecki and Angie Payne spent 16 days climbing a 1500-foot (458 meter) rock spire known as Poumaka. Located on a remote island in French Polynesia, the tower proved to be an 8-pitch challenge that involved heavy rains, slick surfaces, and plenty of mud. This video takes us behind the scenes of that climb, as 3 Strings Productions looks to document the expedition. The result is a great look at an amazing climb, and a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes to capture these adventure films. Great stuff.

Adventure Tech: GoPro Releases New Mid-Level Camera, Hints at Drone and VR in the Works

It has been a busy week in terms of news from the folks at GoPro, the makers of the ubiquitous action camera that seems to be carried by just about everyone these days. Yesterday, the company released a new mid-level camera that helps lower the barrier for more people to use their devices, and last week CEO Nick Woodman announced that the company was working on building not only a drone, but a complete package for creating virtual reality films as well.

The new entry level camera is called the Hero+ LCD and as the name suggests, it comes equipped with a touch-screen LCD that provides users with the ability to make easy adjustments to the device's settings and more easily view the footage that they are capturing. The camera is capable of shooting video in full 1080p resolutions at 60fps, and has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options too. It comes with a waterproof case that allows it to be submerged in up to 40 meters (131 feet) of water, and it has onboard editing for making basic cuts to the captured clips without needing a computer, tablet, or smartphone.

The new Hero+ LCD falls squarely between the entry-level Hero ($129), and the slightly more capable Hero4 Silver ($399). It is expected to go on sale June 7 – this Sunday – at a price of $299.

Perhaps even more interesting is the news that GoPro is working on creating a drone of their very own. The company's cameras have been popular with the drone crowd over the past couple of years, but up until now it has been content to stay out of that market. That will change in 2016 however, which is when it will release a quadcopter model to consumers. The price and design of that drone are not yet known, but it is expected to be released in the first half of next year.


Woodman also told a crowd at the Code Conference in California last week that GoPro is diving headfirst into the burgeoning virtual reality market. With products like Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR coming to the market in the next few months, VR is expected to take off like never before. To meet that demand, GoPro is building a special housing that will allow filmmakers to use six cameras at once, capturing video in multiple directions. Specialized software will than be used to stitch the video together, creating a seamless VR environment. The new housing is expected to debut later this year at a price of between $1500 and $2000, which puts it out of reach for most consumers, but should appeal to the professionals using GoPro cameras already.

It is an exciting time for a company that has grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years. It seems evident that GoPro isn't about to be left behind by new technology, and that they are working hard to maintain their crown as the leader in the action cam market.

Video: Cycling Filmmakers Want to Hear Your Story

This clever and entertain video outlines the plans of two cycling filmmakers who are about to hit the road in search of great stories to tell. In fact, if you have a great story to share, they want to hear from you. In exchange for crashing on your couch for a few days, they'll make a video about your story, and share it with the world.

Max and Tom are two filmmakers who live and work in Amsterdam. In June, they are going to strike out on their bikes looking for amazing stories from average, everyday people living in countries from all over the globe. At this point, they don't even know where their travels will take them, but they want to hear from us so they'll get some idea. The duo is accepting submissions on their website – FreeWheelStories.com – and will be plotting their course in the days ahead. So, if you have a great story to share, be sure to let Max and Tom know. Perhaps they'll pay you a visit, and help share your tale with their audience.

This is a unique and creative journey for sure. I can't wait to see some of the stories that they discover.

Freewheel Stories - The Cycling Filmmakers from Freewheel Stories on Vimeo.

Adventure Tech: Lily the Autonomous Drone

There is no question that personal drones have been one of the hottest tools to come along for budding filmmakers in recent years. They give us the ability to capture shots that simply weren't available in the past without a large budget. But now, nearly anyone is capable of capturing stunning arial footage without breaking the bank or learning how to fly a helicopter.

But drones are still sophisticated pieces of equipment that require some degree of training to fly, and a good understanding of how they operate in order to use them properly. This has created a barrier of sorts that some filmmakers might struggle to overcome. That could change with the introduction of an autonomous drone named Lily however, as the promise of handsfree flight and video capture is realized at last.

Quite frankly, using Lily couldn't be easier. To get the drone to start flying and recording, simply toss it into the air, and it's rotors will automatically kick in. Lily is designed to follow an included tracking device, so the personal UAV will first hone in on the location of that device, and immediately start following it. That means whether you're hiking, trail running, mountain biking, kayaking, or climbing, Lily will follow you and capture both still and video images of your adventures.

The drone comes equipped with a built-in camera capable of capturing full 1080p video at 60 fps. It's 12 megapixel sensor works great for standard photographs too. The device is completely waterproof, is capable of 20 minutes of flight on a single charge, and is built to withstand the challenges of being out in the elements. The tracking device allows the user to adjust some flight parameters, giving you control over the images you capture, and it can even record sound from the ground, independent of the camera itself.

Lily is set to ship in February of next year at a retail price of $999. But a presale event for the flying camera begins today on the official website. If you order now, you can get the device for just $499, although that offer is only good for the next month, so you'll want to order soon.

And checkout the video below to get a better idea of what Lily is capable of.

Video: Introducing the New DJI Phantom 3 Drone

Yesterday DJI, the leader in consumer drone production, introduced a new product to their line-up that I'm sure will be of interest to more than a few of you. The Phantom 3 brings a host of new features including better navigational features for both indoor and outdoor flights, built-in wireless video streaming to the remote, the option of broadcasting live video to YouTube, and an optional 4k camera as well. The video below was shot with the new drone and will give you an idea of what it is capable of. As you can imagine the footage is quite spectacular.

Drones are one of the best tools for aspiring filmmakers these days, and DJI keeps making nice, incremental steps forward. The Phantom 3 provides some very nice advancements over previous models, but does so at an affordable price too. The new Professional model with 4k camera costs $1260, while the standard model with an HD cam will set you back $1000.