Very nice scenery. That opening shot looked like you were flying over the surface of Mars! I espcially liked the shot where your s1000 was dragging the camera/gimbal under water to see the hiker walking through the water LOL.
How did the s1000 perform? Any issues, concerns or tips when doing a shoot away from home?
Thanks! It performed very well. Here are some things I learned:
(1) consider buying a carry case that allows the system to be transported assembled. I had to disassemble/reassemble the arms, gimbal, and landing gear before every commercial flight. They now sell cases that are expensive, but allow everything to ship completely assembled. The waterproof cases I would imagine are also nice because you could get caught in a storm and not be in a mad panic. We often had to skip shots because it looked like bad weather could potentially be an issue by the time our hike was over with.
(2) film, film, film. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. film, film, film. If you worry too much about one location, you may overlook other good spots. Also, unless you have good reason, don't waste your additional batteries in the same location -- go capture something else. In my experience, nobody wants to see the same thing drawn out, they would rather be overwhelmed with diversity.
(3) make sure you have the ability to charge via a car battery. this led to crucial recharges in the field when we were far from wall sockets. i would have never gotten the Bryce Canyon footage without car charging capability.
(4) bring tools and spare repair equipment. i brought extra screws, thread sealer, cables, zip ties, rubber bands, super glue, hex wrenches -- just in case. I figured I was already traveling with 100+ lbs of gear, I might as well not skimp on a "first-aid" kit.
(5) understand that you are taking a risk, and be at peace with failure. this hobby is sometimes about risk, but it is also about enjoying the process. in order to reduce my would-be sadness of a total loss, I made sure to minimize whatever potential impact I could by downloading my footage to a laptop after each flight. my thinking was that if i took a nose dive into the dark abyss, at least I would have something to walk away with. i know, it seems a bit disconcerting if not morbid, but i find it to be honest.
(6) enjoy yourself
