Get ready, the Olympics are coming! And although the much anticipated Summer Games happen only once every four years, there’s always a demand for great sports footage. From teamwork to failure, victory to defeat, well-produced athletic videos can portray a slew of concepts and themes. By planning your shoots carefully, you’ll find a high-demand for this type of content — not just during the Olympics, but year-round, as well.
Of course, with the 2016 games set to take place this August in Rio de Janeiro, demand is higher than ever for Olympics-related video. With that in mind, here are three important topics to think about when producing sports footage this season. Remember, customers are searching for these things now, so the sooner the better!
1. Training and Preparation
There are many ways to capture the anticipation and grueling preparation before a big game. Close-up shots of people’s faces mentally preparing or deep in concentration can portray determination and focus.
Kickboxing Woman Training by AilaImages
Do some research about the pre-competition rituals that athletes do for their respective sport. Shoot footage of things like athletes wrapping tape around their hands (like a boxer) or powdering their hands with chalk (like a gymnast).
Male Gymnast Chalking His Hands by hotelfoxtrot
You can include footage of athletes stretching, pacing up and down, warming up or even putting on equipment — a basketball player tying his shoe or a swimmer adjusting her goggles, for example.
Concentrated Female Swimmer by Gorodenkoff
See more examples of Olympic sports training and preparation video footage »
2. Competition
Capture the beginning, middle, and end of a competition. Include shots to indicate the game has begun, such the firing of a starting gun, boxers with their arms raised, or an opening pitch.
Runners Lined Up by ArtbeatsExpress
For game time, shoot footage that indicates teamwork. This can include people shouting to each other during a volleyball game, passing assists in basketball, or handing off a baton in a relay race. Try to capture close-up shots of athletes in deep focus during the competition, be it a weightlifter’s face as he holds a barbell, or a runner as she jumps over a hurdle.
Athletes Pass the Baton by VIAfilms
See more examples of competitive sports video footage »
3. Celebration or Failure
With competition, there’s always a winner and a loser. Don’t forget to portray both sides of the contest. From the ecstasy of victory to the despair of defeat, try to convey the wide spectrum of human emotions involved with any sporting event.
Male Athlete Gets His Breath Back by icsnaps
From a group of runners passing the finish line to winners receiving bronze, gold, and silver medals at an awards ceremony, this type of imagery evokes many different concepts and can be used for a wide variety of purposes.
Athletics Team Celebrates a Victory by hotelfoxtrot
The Olympic games can be an emotional rollercoaster. Whether it’s a boxer laying down for the count or a goalie blocking the final shot, these activities and visuals are relevant to all types of campaigns or video productions.
Boxer Knocks Out Opponent by VIAfilms
Everyone has their own unique style of celebrating, from cheering to crying, and from laughing to pouring champagne over people’s heads.
Professional Female Swimmer by Gorodenkoff
See more examples of sports results video footage »
Explore all the clips in this post and more in our full Olympic Sports footage collection below.
Stay tuned for more tips on what to shoot, like our post on shooting political footage, or for more on this topic, check out our post on The 5 Elements of a Great Promotional Sports Video.
