DOs and DON'Ts of Onboard Video

Why does the onboard footage from TV shows look so much better than your GoPro video? Today we share five tips and tricks to give your in-car video a more professional look and feel. ▼▼▼▼▼
Example onboard made with these tips & tricks:
• Onboard: Racing Starts...
Equipment Shown
-------------------------------------------
Panavise ActionGrip Shorty Suction Cup
amzn.to/2CHX0Ee
Exshow Suction Cup Camera Mount
amzn.to/2Cd40rD
Sony Roll Bar Mount
amzn.to/2IUvxj8
RAM X-Grip EZ-Strap Rail Mount
amzn.to/2RLzWJ3
IOPort Camera Mount (for large / heavy cameras)
www.ioportracing.com/i/o-port...
Sony X1000V Action Cam
amzn.to/2CfDPAv
(Good used examples go for under $200)
Channels for Learning HitFilm
-------------------------------------------
Surfaced Studio
• HitFilm Express 2017 T...
Hitfilm University
bit.ly/2Emr3mz
Shiny Films
bit.ly/2NCHb2R
Don't forget to leave a comment and subscribe for more automotive and motorsports related how-to videos!
#TrackDay #ActionCam #InCar

[@batialexis9339]

The only thing i HATE about this video, is that it doesn't get the appreciation it deserves. MY MAN

[@batialexis9339]

i had track day today with the GR yaris it was awesome, about to edit my first track day clip (expected to be shitty) and getting here to see the software that you recommended. thanks again sir.

[@csp6]

Really awesome tips, thanks!

[@capnthepeafarmer]

Simple and to the point, love it!

[@patrickbyr]

Great resource! Thanks so much for sharing.

[@tommyv4980]

This video is totally underrated, thank you so much for this info

[@fups1]

NJMP represent! Helpful video 🙂

[@TheIcybus]

Excellent video 👏

[@mgmgf1996]

Very helpful thanks

[@DJones1861]

Very good! Thank you.

[@burning190]

Great and helpful wish more videos like this are made thank you

[@89ivanivp]

Helpful, thank you from Australia.

[@E.T.GARAGE]

Very good advice.

[@astv7668]

Great vid

[@IntegraDIY]

Awesome, great tips. I’m going to use some of these tips for my gopro videos I’ll be posting soon 🙌

[@nebeachbum]

good info

[@ekosim-racing754]

Awesome vid :)

[@DresRacingChannel]

you gained another subscriber bro dope content!

[@turokrem79]

good job

[@HRWU]

Greetings from Germany. You deserve more subscribers :)

[@streetchronicles5693]

Came for the video, stayed to figure out this dudes setup! Sick!

[@dezinetech1000]

Thanks for the stabilizer tip! My camera wanders off in its own lol.

[@supervitz7178]

You just gained a subscriber!

[@christopherlaw2575]

Solid video, never knew about the gps data on these cameras, if your good with after effects you can get more professional looking results than them templates also.

[@AWBuilder]

Great video! Top tip, don't forget to turn off the camera.

[@korloq8968]

My issue is that track day footage looks incredibly slow compared to real life. Flat out around a curve is thrilling as stuff flies past you, but the camera makes it look like you're going normal street speeds.

[@StudioVRM]

It's a tough problem indeed. I've found that mounting the camera low (around dashboard height or lower), using the 170 degree wide angle setting, and un-warping the footage using Action Cam Warp effect in HitFilm helps preserve the sense of speed in the footage. You need to capture your audio from somewhere inside the cabin too, because the wind noise will absolutely obliterate the onboard mic in your camera. It takes quite a bit of work, but it's worth it if you can pull it off.

[@RememberHesName]

Lower the FPS and your problem is solved go to 30fps Max, the eye can only see 24fps but when setting high Fps the footage will look slow.

[@miguelhxrnandez]

@@RememberHesName the eye cannot only see 24 fps, what the hell are you on about?!???

[@BillySabillon123]

@@StudioVRMWhat type of mic do you recommend for under the hood?

[@StudioVRM]

​@@BillySabillon123I like the BOYA BY-M1 (and its variants) as an external mic for action cams. You might need an adapter if your camera doesn't have a 1/8" audio in port, but it's well worth it for the improved audio quality. Some action cams have an internal amplifier for the external microphones, while some others don't. You will want to do some test recordings with the inline mic amp on and off to see which sounds better. If you're recording from inside the engine bay, I would also recommend taping the mic down against a rubber or plastic surface so you don't pick up suspension clunks and road debris. If you still get a lot of background noise, try taping the mic to the passenger side floor of your car near the firewall. You can often get good, clean engine sounds that way.

[@LinxESP]

Cool video, and about free video editor you have davinci resolve too, the no-studio version is free

[@TopMassEntertainment]

Sony camers are amazing!

[@StudioVRM]

Aren't they? Their action cams lack a few features compared to the latest GoPros but the quality of the video is superb. Plus you can find gently used examples for under $200 on ebay nowadays so they're totally affordable too.

[@Grandpasaab]

You can record at 24fps for more motion blur just make sure to lock the shutter on double, low iso and ND filters

[@Black16STI]

I did this for my track day on Saturday, while it did help make the speed look like more than 10mph, it made EVERYTHING blurry. Take a look at my Most recent 2 videos-- 24FPS, 1/48 Shutter, ISO 100, ND16 (Cloudy Day), Wide View, 2.7k, GoPro 5 Hero, Stabalization On. If there's better settings to use. please let me know. All n all i do like the outcome better than before.

[@Black16STI]

Also-- I do want the motion blur and cinimatic effects of speed.

[@demonslayerx061]

@@Black16STI I had similar settings with My hero 8 in my most recent video. However, I did 4k 30fps 1/60 shutter instead. I also set my sharpness to low and color to flat(adjust them to your liking in editing).

[@Black16STI]

@@demonslayerx061 Did you use a ND Filter? what about ISO and the other settings?

[@demonslayerx061]

@@Black16STI ND16, ISO 100, EV comp -1

[@alxcastro95]

can i use dashwere to export de gauges as a png sequens ? great video

[@StudioVRM]

Yes there is actually. After you load up the data and configure your gauges in Dashware, you can go into the File menu and click on Create Gauge Image Sequence button to export the gauges as a PNG sequence.

[@alxcastro95]

@@StudioVRM Tkns m8 this is way better than VIR8, in there i had to export the video and them it will create the png sequens i like to use premier so i use this for the gouges png sequense ♥

[@BlackGold_28]

What about 3 axis gimbal? Is it worth it? For dirt track bumpy high vibration?

[@StudioVRM]

If you mount the camera to the cage with a solid enough mount, the vibrations won't come through. The IOPort camera mount is still my favorite for these types of applications. That said, I would never turn down the opportunity to play with a 3 axis gimbal. Those things produce amazing looking footage.

[@vwrabbitgti]

What cameras do you recommend? What camera did you use in the video?

[@StudioVRM]

I use Sony Action cams. They're older models (and probably discontinued at this point), but they still work so I keep using them. If any of them go out, I would probably replace it with an Insta360 One R.

[@trackfresse]

PAL is a system for analog-video. I haven't seen anyone using it for at least 10 years now (I am from Germany where PAL was the standard). Today we have the same digital systems everywhere in the world.

[@kameratorskikam8138]

What a nonsense. PAL is standard in EU because of our electricity power. In EU we have 50Hz in USA 60Hz. You must use PAL (25/50/100fps) in EU otherwise u will have light flickering like in this example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXm0fYqXob2fapI&ab_channel=jmibk In USA use 30/60/120fps.

[@5150Santo]

How do you get better audio with a microphone? At lower speeds the engine comes in nice and clear. At high speeds, there is way too much noise from the wind. Any recommendations? Thanks.

[@StudioVRM]

I like to shroud the microphone as much as I can to keep the wind noise down. If your camera has an external microphone port, try plugging in a lapel mic and taping the mic head to a location that is shielded from the wind (e.g. behind the drivers seat or on the floor). If not, a few layers of masking tape over the microphone grille can make a noticeable difference.

[@5150Santo]

@@StudioVRM Thanks for the quick reply. I have a couple Hero 9s. Any recommendations on good microphone? Thanks.

[@StudioVRM]

@@5150Santo I don't have much firsthand experience with the Hero 9, but I asked a few of my fellow racers, and they recommended the Movo ACM400. Apparently it is one of the few cheap lapel mics that produce clean audio on the Hero 9. You might need the media mod to plug it in, since the Movo plugs into a standard 3.5mm mic jack.

[@JWS1968]

HitFilm Pro rivals Adobe and Final Cut 😂😂Ok got it.

[@Stigmaru]

I see everyone use the GoPro Video stabilization for track videos and it actually looks really good TBH. I thought they were using a physical gimbal.

[@StudioVRM]

You're right. The stabilization on newer GoPros and action cams have come a long way. They still get a little confused under hard cornering, but it's much better than it was only a few short years ago.

[@user-lv9my6jw3x]

Any tips for mounting a pedal/foot cam?

[@StudioVRM]

Pedal cams are surprisingly tough to pull off. You need a small camera that does very well in low light, and a very sturdy mounting surface that doesn't vibrate. On a street car, I would probably do something like put a GoPro Session on the hard trim surrounding the steering column, and point it straight at the pedals. Depending on the car, you might need a LED sticky light to illuminate the area to make sure the footage isn't all grainy. On a race car without a full dashboard, I would hang a mount off of the dash bar on the roll cage and offset it so you can see the pedals from an angle. This will give you a similar result to the old Best Motoring / Hot Version setups.

[@user-lv9my6jw3x]

@@StudioVRM thanks for the reply and advice man, much appreciated!👍

[@clubx1000]

dashware

[@sgj762]

Sorry, but I did not understand the name of the first video editing software? Thanks

[@StudioVRM]

Oh it's called Hitfilm Express. It's made by FXHome: fxhome.com/ I got the Pro version on sale a while ago and have been using it ever since.

[@E.T.GARAGE]

My biggest problem seems to be after I upload it to YT the video will have all sorts of distortion and artifacts.

[@StudioVRM]

I took a look at some of your videos (nice channel, by the way!), and I think I see what you mean. I usually see that kind of blocky distortion when I have the bitrate set too low in my video editing software. Do you happen to know what kind of codec and bitrate settings you use when you export your video from your editor? For reference, I export all of my 1080p videos with the H264 video codec, with Variable Bitrate enabled and a target Bitrate of 16 Mbps. KZbin compression seems to do pretty well when I use those settings.

[@clubx1000]

hit film express

[@gmontenegro9711]

30 frames is cinematic…

[@StudioVRM]

If you want your in car video to look cinematic, I would recommend converting it down to 24 fps. 24 fps gives it a surreal look that is visually very interesting.

[@gmontenegro9711]

@@StudioVRM unfortunately GoPro is only 30FPS and 60FPS

[@StudioVRM]

@@gmontenegro9711 Try taking it down to 24 in a video editor like DaVinci Resolve or HitFilm.

[@gmontenegro9711]

The stabilization is far better than crazy ass vibrations.

[@StudioVRM]

If you have crazy vibrations coming through on your in car footage, I would look at your mounts before turning on stabilization. Decent camera mounts are very affordable nowadays and current digital video stabilization algorithms have a lot of trouble dealing with the high frequency vibrations that your car produces at speed.

[@gmontenegro9711]

@@StudioVRM I’m going to test today. I’ve tried head rest mounts as well as seat rail mounts. Now using a suction cup mount, mounted to sunroof window. I’ll remove stabilization - it’ll be a good test up and down hills and winding roads. This time not using a cell phone but a GoPro Hero8 Black.

[@StudioVRM]

@@gmontenegro9711 Using a gopro instead of a cell phone will also help. Cell phones have a lot of mass to them, so they tend to really shake the mounts when you hit a bump. The gopro is much lighter so you'll see a lot less vibration and movement, even on the same mount.

[@gmontenegro9711]

@@StudioVRM sweet! I’m looking forward to it. I don’t do any track, just spirited driving through backroads (California is infamous for all its vistas). So the roads aren’t always smooth as a track’s surface. That’s been the biggest challenge of acceleration, hard braking, taking curves etc..

[@StudioVRM]

@@gmontenegro9711 Ah yeah, that's always a challenge. I think you might be pleasantly surprised when you switch to the gopro. Most phone cameras also have a rolling shutter that works kind of slowly. So if the phone is jarred suddenly (like when you drive over a big bump or pothole), it causes some weird distortion in the footage that doesn't go away until the phone goes back to being perfectly still. Gopros and other action cams are much more resilient to that kind of thing. You might get some shaky footage but it won't have crazy warping and jello-like motions. And shaky footage can always be fixed in a video editor as long as you shoot at high enough a frame rate.