VIDEO: INTO THE DARK
MOUNTAIN BIKERS ARMED WITH GOPROS AND A VISION TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN THE MUNDANE & BORING, AND EXCITEMENT & ILLUMINATION
Seth Tan is no stranger to the local mountain biking and videography scene. With a vision he wished to share with the world, he gathered a crew of 8 and went on to turn his dream world into reality. Here’s the background story.
THE CONCEPT
The concept of this project is to bring out a fantasy world of riding beyond imagination. In reality, unlocking the possibilities of what can be done with GoPro cameras.
WORKING ON A SHOE-STRING BUDGET
The budget was gathered by most of the crew at their own expense, to afford a total of 20 construction working lights that would light up the track. Unfortunately, hidden costs like transport and mounting equipment were not included in this calculation. The estimated total budget amounted to approximately $1200.
SHOOT THOSE BIKERS!
The average strength of each shoot including riders was 4, and it takes about 2 hours to set up each section. During the test shoot, it was discovered that lights with color gels couyld only light up several berms. The test results suggested that 20 lights will light up approximately 30m of the trail, which translate to about 3 – 5 seconds of usable footage. There’s a total of 4 night shoots done over weekends, with the longest shoot started from 7pm and ended about 4am in the morning. During post production, Seth did the stitching work till the edit is “picture locked” for Denise to carry out VFX & Sound Design works till the final cut.
MY DREAM WORLD
The outcome of the team’s effort was something unexpected within the ambit of the initial vision. It captured the joy, rapture and excitement of trail riding, all at the same time bringing across the sensation of moving from one state of being to another.
To the team, the edit is a result of a combined effort over a stretch of time, coupled with difficulties and challenges that sprang up and were eventually beaten down like stray nails in a wall.
NOW ENJOY THE VIDEO
Step into the fantastical as two worlds converge. The mundane reality we know clashing with an addictive flow. Cross illuminated portals with us; Enter, irresistibly, Into The Dark.
Shot 100% with GoPro
Crew: Seth Tan, Brandon Chen, Joseph Tan, Jerome Tan, Nicholas Lin, Nick Ho, Denise Elisha, Li Jialing
Special Thanks: Stream Cast Asia, Outdoor Sports Travel Singapore, Bikezilla, The Cyclogy
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Photos by Into the Dark team