Question about recording games

I say pay someone to do it so you can enjoy the game.

I ended up recording my daughter's games with my Samsung handheld camera ($200) w/ 20+ zoom (no sound) and used a basic tall tripod ($20). Quality was better than I thought even during a night game.

I first tested the camera quality while recording another game while my daughter was reffing. I learned the hard way to never test a camera during one of your child's games cuz you may miss some good stuff trying to get acclimated to the new equipment.

When I was recording her games, I realized that it's not as fun cuz you're trying to catch everything and you don't want to miss anyting. I ended up hiring her best friend to record the games who is not a sports fan and she did an amazing job for $10 a game.

If you need affordable yet effective highlight reels, go to Fiverr.com. They are never too young for a highlight reel!

Higher frame rate is better than higher resolution. For sports you're better off doing 1080p/60 than 4k/30. It smoothes out the rapid movement.

Current cameras that are good enough to do sports well will run you about $500-$1000. Cheaper ones can work, but the quality and features DO go up with price.

Regular tripod must be a fluid head. Can be had fairly inexpensively.

A high tripod, like these services use (and they used for DA) are expensive and bulky. You can build one with some ingenuity, but to buy one they start at about $1500.

Tip: Listen to what you recorded before sharing with friends.

Thanks for including those videos. I’ve recorded enough game video of my kid to be a proponent of paying someone else if it’s affordable.

My opinion of the two videos (yours might differ, this is just my personal preference):
The zoom level: Can’t be too tight or the camera must pan right/left to follow the ball, it’s jerky motion is annoying. Also, you can’t see enough of the players around the person with the ball, so it removes much of the context of why the player is doing whatever they’re doing.

First video: Even for a highlight video, I think the first video would frustrate any coach or scout. I personally think that unless they’re desperate for players they would just move on to the next video. For game analysis by a coach however, it’s absolutely unusable. Again — just my opinion.

Second video: The Zoom is wider, and the panning right/left is smoother and less frantic. This could make for excellent player highlight videos. I think a coach could use this for some game analysis, but he’s going to ask for *much* wider shots in the future.

If helping with post game analysis is the purpose of the video, my opinion is that the nearly half of the field needs to be in the picture frame. And getting the camera up to a height of 12-15 feet is just as important. Height gives depth, perspective, and a clearer view without the closer players blocking the view of the action.

The zoom level and panning are easy to adjust. You can simply tell the video service, or the kid you hire for $$ how you want it recorded. Explain what you want ahead of time. I would supervise the kid until they’re getting it the way you want it.

Depending on the limitations of a video service, getting them to record from a higher position may not be possible, or just an added fee. If it’s your own gear, there are expensive ready-made solutions, and cheaper DIY solutions.