Comments on: POV Videos & Sneaking Cameras on Roller Coasters

By: Bobbie Butterfield

Bobbie Butterfield — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:31:19 +0000

What do you have to do or be or whom do you have to know to get permission to film a ride? I started a blog in the hope of becoming a roller coaster guru but that's not going to happen so I doubt that any park would grant me permission to film a ride, because I'm not a name in the industry. In fact I did approach one park to ask permission to film a ride and they refused because I’m not a Joel Bullock, Arthur Levine or Robb Alvey. I agree that taking a handheld camera on a ride is extremely dangerous if not downright stupid. I remember riding in the front seat of The Voyage with some guy who claimed to be a member of the media, claimed to have been on one of Robb Alvey’s trips and proceeded to record the entire ride with a handheld camera; how he managed to hold it steady on that coaster is beyond me. Media or not, he sure as hell was not authorized to record the ride but I didn’t say anything because it was frankly none of my business. Besides, I have personally recorded a number of rides but only with a safe, hands-free device – i.e., camcorder sunglasses securely fastened to my head with a cord. I don't even consider this to be in the same category as sneaking a camera onto a ride because the device is clearly visible to everyone! I don’t think that what I did was so awful, as the recording device stayed firmly in place even on rides with multiple inversions such as Talon at Dorney Park. However, I probably won't be doing this any more because I've been through half a dozen pairs of camcorder sunglasses and all of them have worn out within a matter of months and also because I joined ACE and their code of conduct prohibits taking a camera on a ride. Anyway, recording rides is probably best left to the pros but I did what I did for one reason: I wanted to be able to relive my rides, MY RIDES!!! When I watch one of my videos, I almost feel as if I am on the coaster. It’s like hey, that’s me on I305 and we are about to drop 300 feet, hallelujah! I hadn’t done much travelling in this country until this past season, when I went on 7 roller coaster riding trips – and having some of these rides on video is very, very special for me. Watching someone else's videos on YouTube is not the same because THEY’RE NOT MY RIDES!

By: CoasterCritic

CoasterCritic — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 17:59:53 +0000

I'd agree with you CoasterFun. I wonder that when I've seen CoasterForce videos in the past. Most don't start until the riders are out of the station and they end before they return. I was agree with Matt's point about permission and experience and the term 'amateur'.

By: CoasterFun

CoasterFun — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:46:22 +0000

Also forgot to mention that Carowinds even stated in a post that they did NOT give them ANY sort of permission to CoasterForce to film on the rides. So I close my case.

By: CoasterFun

CoasterFun — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 09:29:40 +0000

Actually there is many videos that East Coast(er) General/CoasterForce DON'T get permission with and just sneaks it on. For Example Cedar Point I know for a fact cause the only way someone can get videos is if there with television like Travel Channel or Discover Channel. Anyone else no matter how experienced they are wont let them. You can also tell cause in their videos it doesn't start in the station and starts after they are already on the lift hill. He also uses a small cannon vixia camera.

By: CoasterCritic

CoasterCritic — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 02:09:29 +0000

Good points. And I agree. Amateur is okay if both conditions are met (permission and experience). I found out recently that Busch Gardens is allowing riders with chest mounted cameras on their rides as long as the rider's are given the okay by ride ops. Seems like a surprising move to me.

By: @mattmcirvin

@mattmcirvin — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 03:50:35 +0000

A small point of terminology: The problem isn't amateur videos, per se, it's videos made without permission by people who don't know what they're doing.

East Coast(er) General of Coasterforce is technically an amateur, since making POV videos on roller coasters is not his job, but he always gets permission from the park in advance, and he's as well-equipped and experienced as a pro; in particular, he knows how to secure his camera properly. Because of his knowledge and experience, he also gets superior results, often superior to professional POVs shot with mounted cameras. (By now, his reputation probably also makes it easier for him to get permission in the first place!)

The point of the original post stands, though: As it is, the chances are remarkably good that East Coast(er) General, or somebody else on Coasterforce, or one of the folks mentioned above has already made a better video of the ride you're interested in than you're going to, and put it on YouTube. Unless you're going to set out to do what they do, and do it right, it's probably best to leave it to them.

By: DRU

DRU — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 21:41:39 +0000

The last time I rode Apollos Chariot a girl in the front dropped her Blackberry as we neared the top of the lift hill. The phone bounced down the floor of the entire train then dropped into the inside of the lift chain housing. We could hear it sliding down inside. Right after we rode and for the rest of the day we noticed the Chariot stuck halfway up the lift hill every once in a while, and we wondered if the phone had messed with the chain gears or something. What a stupid waste!
As with everything they won't get serious about it until someone dies…

By: The Coaster Guy

The Coaster Guy — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:29:51 +0000

I just stumbled upon this article and I couldn't agree more. I've never tried to make a POV video on a roller coaster for a number of reasons. First, it's against the rules. Why jeopardize getting expelled from a park for something so stupid? I'd rather just enjoy the ride. Second, they're crappy videos. Even with professional rigging, it's hard to get a roller coaster video that looks good. Even if you do, what can you really see? You might see your girlfriend's hair floating up and down, or the horizon do a loop or two, but you can't really see what the coaster is doing or relive that exhilarating feeling you got by watching the video later. I've only recently started to video tape rides to accompany the ride profiles I do at my local park, but they are all off-ride videos. I will not take a camera on a ride.

By: The Coaster Critic

The Coaster Critic — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:12:37 +0000

PC, they can't just take people's word for it that cameras are secured. It would be a judgement call of the ride ops to decide whether you've really secured your camera and another guy hasn't. Plus, how do they know it won't become unsecured after an insane dive or loop? Are they supposed to know that you're an expert rider with 20+ rides on the coaster you've ridden. They can't judge or predict all that. It's safer and easier for them to just restrict cameras on roller coasters.

Doesn't that make sense?

By: PC

PC — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:21:01 +0000

To take an unsecured camera on a roller coaster isn't smart I agree, but I have a small camera that fits in my hand and has a leash that goes around my wrist and have had operators take it from me even when I show them it can't come off. I think if you can show them it can't come loose they should allow it. There's no way they're going to stop people from using phones or anything else to video or take photos. I think it's more of a liability on the parks end if someone gets hit they're gonna get sued, or if someone gets hurt due to a ride malfunction and you got it on tape they're up a creek. If it were strictly an issue of people getting hit with the thing, they would let you on with it if you showed them it's secure. It's no different than anything else that could be in anyone's pockets that could fall out. Do they search everyone's pockets to make sure there's no loose items in your pockets? No, they're trained to spot and take CAMERAS.