Bird's-Eye View: Why You Should Film Soccer from a High Angle
Jun 26, 2017
3 Min Read
The high-angle is ideal for analysis. We have some pro tips on how to get the best shot.
We are currently offering teams a free Hi-Pod with the purchase of Hudl by April 15th.
There are many benefits to adding video analysis to your club. But some of you might be wondering how to actually film matches.
Some common questions we hear are, what type of camera should I use? What’s the ideal camera angle for filming? How much of the action should I have in my shot?
Let’s go through some of the perks of filming with a high-angle camera or capturing the action from an elevated position, as well as some #protips on shooting video.
The Ideal Angle is from Above
With millions of hours of video uploaded to Hudl each day during soccer season, it’s safe to say we’ve seen matches with some pretty low-quality footage. The reality is most teams aren’t equipped with the modern technology required to capture amazing video.
Why do we prefer on high-angle filming? The more of the action you can see, the better analysis and feedback you can provide for your team. Take these two examples side by side and you can see the difference for yourself.
For optimal analysis, you need to see as much of the pitch in the shot as possible. This allows you to get a better sense of how each player is affecting the build-up play as it happens in real time. Once that video is on Hudl.com, it’s easy to provide notes and comments to your team on what runs/passes could’ve been made directly on the video so they can continue to learn and develop.
We recommend using a Hi-Pod. It’s a solution that comes with a fixed mount for your camera and a monitor built into the kit that will allow you to obtain high-angle video.
If funds are limited, finding a perch or elevated platform that you can set up your tripod and camera on will have a similar effect on the video quality. For recommendations on cameras and equipment, check out our blog for some recommendations.
#ProTips on Filming for Soccer.
Keep as many players in the shot as possible.
You’ll notice on many soccer broadcasts that the camera stays zoomed in as it relates to the action happening on the pitch. While that’s great for viewers on TV, it’s not ideal for analysis. Here’s what we’re talking about when we say “wide” shot.
You’ll want to try to keep your back four and as many players upfield in the camera shot as possible. You want to be able to provide insight on players’ movements given the possession on screen.
The higher your camera is, the easier it is to achieve. Many professional tactical shots keep almost 100% of the pitch in view. That might be unnecessary for your squad, so find the shot that works best for you.
There are times where it is okay to zoom in, however. If the ball is in either team’s final third, try and zoom in so you can see a bit more of the action up close. Set pieces are another great example. Make sure you have both the kick taker and players on the end of the impending cross in the full shot.
Eliminate extra dead space.
Try and keep as much of the action slightly left or slightly right of the center of your shot. This will ensure that all of your frame captures the action on the pitch. Look at the outside edges of your shot and make sure that you are utilizing as much of it as possible to capture everything.
Follow the action.
It sounds simple, but it’s important that you try and maintain the action in your shot at all times. Using the above guidelines for basic shot composition, you should be able to see what a cohesive shot looks like with the action in the frame.
For more tips on filming for soccer, check out this piece from our friends at The Coaching Manual.
