I play outdoor basketball everyday the whether seems reasonable. That means anything above 48° F with enough sun radiating to warm any exposed skin. Basketball really is life in my world.
I purchased a new gimbal for my camera (DJI Ronin RS 2) and wanted to refine my skills a bit, so I hit up a couple ballers I play with pretty much every day – Darius and Rob. We filmed in the morning on a weekday, where there was little chance of anyone being on the court. My son, Excel, helped out as a focus puller and PA. We brought a substantial amount of equipment: three cameras, a jib, reflectors, two lights and a Segway.
Darius is one of my favorite players at Ft Stevens in Northwest, DC, and we almost always end up on the same squad. His 3-pointer has to be around 60% and he’s impossible for cats to guard because of his explosive drives and fearlessness in the paint. he’s actually playing overseas for part of the year, so he’s been missing in action some months.
Robert is the court acrobat, with a pattern of circus-like shots. He keeps his phone on record, usually posting some of his Harlem Globetrotter moves on his IG. Even though we all know his signature moves… he still makes the damn shot. It’s as if applying defense augments his chances of making it.
This was just a test, with hopes I could add some excitement to the sports and action portion of my reel. Basketball moves so fast the the movements can be unpredictable. Getting a sharper connection with a fast moving subject is the objective in the exercise. There will be more to come summer of 2021.
