Filming a Freedom Hike…
Have you ever had an idea for a great adventure and then got to capture and share it with your friends? I did... in the form of an endurance hike.
Participating in an endurance hike (called a Freedom Hike) that helps save people from human trafficking + getting to capture the whole experience moment by moment on camera was an endeavor that challenged me and made me feel truly alive all at the same time! I live for the types of projects where we can combine a physical adventure challenge with a charitable cause that goes beyond just us. When asked to do a short film by Jennifer Loyall, the hike facilitator for Yosemite, I was so in! I did my first hike the year before and documented that one as well, so I knew how rewarding the process can be! Getting to combine outdoor adventure, philanthropy and filmmaking is a triple win!
There was no question that filming the hike was going to provide an extra challenge that just participating in the hike alone would not have. I wanted to kinda share the process here as well as a three tips for filming adventure type stuff.
The Balance of Planning/Spontaneity: The biggest thing in filmmaking in general but specifically within adventure filmmaking, is the balance of preparation/planning and spontaneity. For this hike, the planning part started with a lot of phone calls talking about the general feel and style along with the moments and places that we definitely wanted things captured - moments such as reaching Glacier Point (the pinnacle of the hike), the food and community leading up to the hike itself, as well as, the breathe-taking scenery of Yosemite Valley. Once out in the park, I actually left a day to just explore around Yosemite Valley spontaneously to capture whatever b-roll I could find, and the results yielded some beautiful shots.
Tools of the Trade
Sony A7sii, A6500 and the Ronin SC Gimbal
Gear at a Bare Minimum: In terms of gear used, my philosophy is to keep my gear intentionally to a minimum. This becomes a necessity when you have to carry it on your back in a back pack and you’re climbing up a mountain. For this film, I used the Ronin SC Gimbal from DJI as well as my Sony A7sii and a 25mm Cine lens along with a 50mm one and that was literally all I had. I shot parts in 4K while others were shot at 1080p and the result was a beautiful mix of clear visuals along with slow motion stuff at 1080p that would create a dynamic feel for this video.
Staying Mentally Focused The Entire Time: This hike got moved from a September venture to the beginning of November which brought with it winter weather. There was a lot of uncertainty around this hike because there was a winter storm warning in place for that weekend. As we summited Glacier Point, the weather rolled in and over the next hour it began to snow heavily which required me to think ahead and only capture shots when we stopped for a break etc. A few times, I literally had seconds to pull out my camera and grab a couple angles, so it was very important to be firing on all cylinders mentally in order to get what I needed in the changing elements. I really did not want to slow down everyone since it was freezing cold, so I mentally was always thinking and observing what was around me trying to be intentional and maximize the times when I did pull my camera out. This helped so much with getting the shots in minimal time.
The Freedom Hikers movement is a group of hikers that are passionate about the outdoors and about stopping human trafficking. To learn more about this movement visit here: https://rescuefreedom.org/fundraisers/get-outdoors/#OutSecThree
To specifically get involved with the amazing Yosemite team freedom hike you can check out the details here: https://loyallgroup.com/yosemite-hike/
My passion is to be a part of more great causes and to tell more of these types of stories. If you have your own video idea and want to discuss further please feel free to reach out to me through the Contact link or via email makayla@mgwpro.com
