With the advent of tiny POV cameras over the past few years, adventure filmmaking has gone from an expensive, time consuming proposition to something that anyone with a laptop and a good camera can do. This week, aspiring filmmakers got a couple of new options to help in this process in the form of a new camera and an improved drone for capturing arial footage like never before.

First up, ION released their new Air Pro 3 WiFi camera, which brings an assortment of upgrades and improvements to the device. The new device has an improved 12 megapixel sensor that increases performance in lowlight conditions while continuing to shoot in full 1080p resolutions at 60 fps. Its ruggedized body is waterproof down to 49 feet (15 meters) and includes built-in image stabilization to help minimize shaking when worn on a helmet or mounted on the handlebars of a bike. It has a battery life of about 2.5 hours, which is a solid amount of time for a camera this small and an array of new mounting options are available to make this camera as versatile as possible. 

Additionally, the Air Pro 3's WiFi functionality makes it easier than ever to share videos online. The system even comes with 8GB of free cloud storage and can be paired with an app on an iOS or Android device for remote operation. 

The camera carries a price tag of $349.99 and begins shipping November 15. Preorders are available online.

Adventure filmmakers who want to add a new dimension to their next project will love the new offering from DJI, makers of the Phantom remote controlled drone systems. They've introduced the Phantom 2 Vision, which is unique in that it comes equipped with a camera right out of the box. Unlike previous models from DJI, the Vision has a built-in 14 megapixel camera that comes mounted on a tilting gimbal that can rotate 60º and has a wide 140º viewing area. A shock-aborbing bracket, built specifically for this camera, helps to reduce shaking and jitters that were an issue when  mountain your own camera on previous Phantom drones. The camera can also be paired with an iOS or Android device, allowing it to become a remote screen for the device, which the pilot can then use on the ground to see exactly what footage is being captured. 

DJI also improved the drone itself, giving it a greater battery life. It can now stay aloft for 25 minutes at a time. The drone also has improved stabilization for easier flight, even for beginners, although it all comes at a hefty cost. The Phantom 2 Vision will set you back $1199 when it goes on sale in a few weeks. The original Phantom, sans camera, is still available for just $479. 

Check out the Vision in action in the video below. Is it wrong that I kind of want one of these things?

Back in May, Xpedition.tv launched a new short adventure film competition which was focused on looking for emerging talent in the outdoor adventure world. The competition was broken down into three categories with winners being honored for being the "Most Inspiring," "Most Innovative" and "Most Surprising." Earlier this week the winners were announced and there are a couple of familiar videos earning some of the top honors.

In the category of "Most Inspiring" our friend Dave Cornthwaite, along with Miguel Endara, took home the top honors for their Swim 1000 film (see below). The eight minute short chronicles Dave's grueling thousand mile swim down the Missouri River last summer which pushed him to his physical and mental limits.

The prize for "Most Innovative" when to a film called Further Up Yonder, which features stunning images from the International Space Station. I featured that film on my blog last December when it was released and it remains breathtaking months later. Finally, in the category of "Most Surprising" is the video Shunpo, which is a beautifully shot movie that encourages us all to break out of the mundane and routine. You can read more about the winners and view the runner-ups (some of which I've shared on here before as well!) by clicking here.

All in all, really great field of winners which were selected from a group of 60 entrants. The folks behind the competition and Xpedition.tv say this is only the beginning for what they have planned however. Stay tuned for more inspiration and adventure from this site in the future.


Swim 1000 from Miguel Endara on Vimeo.

Xpedition.TV is a new website whose mission is to showcase new adventure films while also helping aspiring filmmakers to find funding for their personal projects. The site looks to mentor those filmmakers while also organizing a series of challenge awards that will help them to gain exposure. Today at MountainFilm they have announced the first of those competitions in the form of their "Emerging Talent Filmmaker's Challenge."

The competition will run from May 23 - June 30 and features three potential categories in which someone can win. Those categories include "Most Inspiring," "Most Innovative" and "Most Surprising." The films should be no longer than five minutes in length and should focus outdoor adventure, outdoor sports or exploration. For complete rules and information on how to submit your film, click here.

The winners of this first challenge will have their short films showcased on Xpedition.TV, gaining some nice exposure for their work. On top of that, they'll each receive a Sherpa 50 solar charging kit from Goal Zero. That is a piece of gear that I reviewed very favorably awhile back and is something that will come in handy for any filmmaker working in the field.

If you're an aspiring outdoor or adventure filmmaker this is a great chance to get some exposure for your work as well as snag a great piece of gear in the process. If you have a project you've been working on for awhile, wrap it up in the next few weeks and get it entered into this competition. It could be the big break you've been waiting for.

Climber and filmmaker Renan Ozturk gets to do some amazing things while visiting some amazing places. Something that we're reminded of while viewing his beautiful cinematography reel that shows off his talent. The video was posted by Camp 4 Collective as an example his work but it also serves well as an inspiration for adventure.


RENAN OZTURK // CINEMATOGRAPHER // REEL 2013 from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

I have to admit, I have a soft spot for expeditions that plan to set off in search of nebulous adventures. The kind that don't have a lot of concrete goals per se, but are just looking for adventure in what ever form it arrives. That happens to be exactly what three filmmakers have in mind when they launch their "Finding Guapo" voyage later this year. The team is setting off to shoot a documentary on what they say will be "about life, adventure, nature, sailing, diving, freedom, but mostly about madness."

The men will be joined on this voyage by a mysterious adventurer who is simply named "Guapo." I don't know a lot about Guapo, but from what I have heard, he sounds a bit like he Dos Equis Most Interesting Man In the World.  In addition to being both a scuba and sky diving instructor, he is also a mountaineer who has climbed the big mountains of the Americas. A few years ago he also sailed solo from New York to New Caledonia, a tiny island located in the South Pacific, which he ended up making his home. In short, he is a free-spirited adventurer who goes where his wanderings take him.

It turns out, Guapo was planning on being in Mexico for a short time later this year and our intrepid filmmakers at KRAKEN decided they wanted to make this documentary with him during which they would be sailing across the Pacific Ocean. The current plan is for them to set sail for Australia, but as you'll see in the video below, those plans are in flux. They four men are going to see where their whims, and the tides of the Pacific, take them as they go looking for the adventure of a lifetime in the hopes of making a film about their travels.

To help fund this endeavor the men have set up an Indegogo campaign. They hope to raise $15,000 towards creating the project, although they're off to a bit of a slow start at the moment. With nearly a month to go however, they'll hopefully reach their goals.

Good luck to Guapo and the rest of the crew!


Finding Guapo - Indiegogo from Kraken Productora Tentacular on Vimeo.