A 360 Look at SailGP on MAX

In The Wild

Mar 23, 2020

Australian local Nick Kavo, a.k.a. @nicklovinadventure, is just your Average Joe, but somehow, he keeps ending up in above-average situations. Nick is a 23-year-old videographer and photographer from Sydney, Australia, and he is on a quest to create the most creative and innovative content seen on the web whilst having a great time doing it.

Nick can usually be found traveling to strange and distant lands, experiencing amazing cultures, documenting his journeys and then sharing them with his family and friends. In the rare circumstance he is not filming, you can find Nick ripping it up on the d-floor, shredding the pow-pow whilst skiing, getting pitted whilst surfing or kicking back with his mates.

Most recently, Nick became a guinea pig as a filmer aboard the competitive Australian GP SailGP boat. We caught up with him to learn about the the adventure and the days leading up to it.

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A post shared by Nick Kavo Travel AUSTRALIA (@nicklovinadventure) on Feb 26, 2020 at 10:17pm PST

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GoPro: Tell us a bit about yourself.

Nick: First and foremost, I love anything that gets the blood pumping, spikes the adrenalin or involves exploration of some sort. Secondly, I love capturing these experiences and sharing them with my fam and friends. This mindset has led to some crazy opportunities and epic times, much like this opportunity I recently had at the Sydney SailGP.

What on Earth is SailGP?

SailGP is the world's fastest nation vs. nation sail racing championship, with the boats reaching speeds of up to 100km per hour (62mph). The first leg of Season 2 took place in Sydney in February, with the Aussies taking on teams from Denmark, France, Great Britain, Japan, Spain and the U.S., all vying for a $1 million prize. Basically, it's some of the fastest boats in the world racing around a super tight course in some of the most epic locations on Earth.

How did it come about that you got yourself on the Australia SailGP team boat?

The Aussie team's skipper, Olympic sailor Tom Slingsby, invited me on board the F50 ahead of the Sydney SailGP, to shoot some epic content of what its like onboard the fastest sailing boat in the world. The team were super curious about the GoPro MAX and its capabilities onboard a boat like this. Luckily, I was able to show them just how versatile it is!

What was it like onboard the boat?

In short, insane. I had never experienced that type of acceleration on water before. You literally felt G-Forces as you tacked and jibed around the harbour. Seeing the boys in action first hand was epic as well. There is always so much happening on board when you are on the foils - it honestly feels like you're flying. Whether it is Tom directing the boys on what maneuvers they need to do next, or the boys running across the deck with massive G-Forces working against them. It was incredible to watch this well-oiled operation.

What GoPro camera, settings + mounts were you using?

I was using GoPro MAX in 360 Mode mounted on a #270Pro Pole to get the extra length to place MAX pretty much anywhere on the boat and make it look like a floating camera.

I had the MAX Protunes set to:

Shutter: Auto

EV Comp: 0

White Balance: Auto

ISO Min: 100

ISO Max: 800

Sharpness: Low

Color: Flat (for grading after)

I also set the wind detection to Auto, so MAX would pick up and soften wind noises when we were travelling fast. I edited all the clips in the GoPro Player desktop app using Reframe and then exported to edit in Premiere Pro.

Was it hard to film going at that speed?

Hanging onto the boat and my GoPro MAX on a 270-cmpole whilst battling sea spray, close to 100km/ph (62mph). speeds, and the constant thought that you might go overboard at anytime certainly wasn't easy haha. Luckily the internal Max HyperSmooth stabilization paired with horizon levelling was a lifesaver. It allowed me to capture the smoothest possible footage in some angles that are literally impossible to get with a regular camera.

How long have you been using GoPro for?

I have been an obsessive GoPro user since I was just a young 12-year-old frother running around videoing my brother and myself trying to do kickflips on skateboards. The epic GoPro anthems on YouTube are pretty much the reason I got into making films in the first place. Since then, I have owned every GoPro since HERO2, taking it on all my travels and adventures. So working alongside GoPro on productions like this is a lifelong dream come true!

Follow more GoPro adventures down under on Instagram with @GoProANZ.

LINK:	https://gopro.com/en/gb/news/australian-sailgp-gopro-max-footage...
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