Wasn’t AI supposed to make life easier, with the human population relaxing while robots worked for us? That doesn’t seem to be the case. Artificial Intelligence has been in the headlines (and writing headlines) the past few months, regarding a potential knockout blow to the job market in the entertainment and journalism industry if the media world becomes more automated. And as terrifying as that is (as a person in the media), hasn’t this been happening for decades in all other aspects of society? Google had to put librarians on the ropes, and automation in the car industry is said to be responsible for 80,000 job cuts in 2020 alone. I’m sure with every major tech advancement, someone is sitting there out of work and a bit perplexed about what they did wrong… even if it takes a few years to really sink in.
That left us wondering about where AI has hit in snowboarding. Ticket scanners have given way to annoying subway-like turnstiles that turn into an annoying game of “my pass won’t scan,” online shopping hurt a lot of brick-and-mortar stores, and everyone older than 33 always talks about the disappearance of the snow phone. If you don’t know what that is, it was an audio snow report given by an employee at a resort, updated daily, that you had to call to hear conditions prior to mountains posting trail openings online…real ground-breaking stuff.
Writers obviously only have a few more years before AI comes up with shitty puns and asks snowboarders how their seasons are going, but what about on the visual side? Phones have become the primary recorder of clips seen by the masses, but there are still a few specialists and artists out there that earn their keep taking photos and filming with gear that can’t complete a Facetime. Will they ever be rendered obsolete? Hopefully not, but they will have to adapt like the rest of us to keep the checks coming in.
It has been a short jump from the CondorCam premiering at X Games in 2017 (a cable cam that normally runs down the side of the slope course for an uninterrupted angle of almost the entire field), to the FPV drones whizzing down the pipe the past few winters. So far, follow-cams have survived. But is their time coming? We hit up a few filmers that have follow-camming in their arsenal to see if they fear drones potentially taking their job as the FPV era settles in on the contest scene. And of course, we had to talk to a drone pilot to see how he feels about the whole thing.
Editor’s note: Most of the filmers said this was a stupid idea for an article because drones are still operated by people and that I should be worried about losing my job for writing stupid things on the internet. Oh, and that they all “do” more than just follow-cam. But who’s to say when AI drones will hit the marketplace; they already have some tracking ones that are fully auto. I just want this on the internet as proof that I am right just in case drones DO take their jobs in a few years.
INTERVIEW 1: KAI GERARD – SNOWBOARD FILMER AND RED GERARD’S BROTHER
You afraid of losing your job to drones?
Kai Gerard: Hahaha. Why are we talking about this? YOUR FEAR should be video overtaking photo, then you are out. You should see my follow-cam screengrabs.
Relax.
Aren’t you taking photos on a 20-year-old camera?
This is not about me…my camera is only 10-years-old.
If I stopped working, there would be nobody that cares, anyway. Lucky for everyone, drones are pretty annoying.
What about your brother, Red?
He would just hire a drone. [Red walks into the room.] What do you like better following you, a drone or a follow-cam rider?
Red: Drone. Why?
Kai: See, there you have it. He doesn’t care.
What about the noise?
Red: You don’t really hear it unless they get super close. There is less pressure when you are riding; they normally don’t get as close.
Kai: Haha. Well, what I would say is follow-cam is still requested more than anything else at contests. Static shots are the least requested thing right now. Riders would rather have an iPhone follow-cam than the 8k static shot most of the time. The drone just doesn’t look as good yet. Do people really care about this?
Any downsides to drones?
You can’t record sound because of the blades.
What if they made a silent one?
Hit me up when they do! Time to by a drone, I guess! Get with the times. I would be hyped on it though, because then I could just fly drones instead of risk my life.
INTERVIEW 2: COLE PATES – COLORADO-BASED FILMER, HAS FOLLOW-CAMMED AT EVERY HIGH PROFILE EVENT IN THE US AND FOR PLENTY OF MAJOR CLIENTS
What’s the benefit of a follow-cam vs. a drone?
Cole Pates: I feel like it’s easier to trust a follow-cam dude because they can see the emotion of the rider and can tell when to get closer or pull out. Drones still can’t get that close without the fear of hitting someone. Fuck the hornets, haha!
Have you ever flown one?
Not the FPV ones, but been around enough of them to know the capability and how it looks/feels to have it chasing you.
You think follow-caming’s time is almost up?
I wouldn’t say over, but it’s definitely way too saturated currently. All the content looks the same and it gets repetitive. I guess if all the follow-cammers are broke off, they will have to! Our mini propeller friends might be replacing us all soon…
INTERVIEW 3: RUSSELL CHAI – SNOWBOARD FILMER, MOST NOTABLY FILMS FOR MARK MCMORRIS, AS WELL AS RED BULL AND BURTON
Do you fly a drone?
Russell Chai: No.
You ever see one hit anyone?
Yeah, Anna Gasser got hit when filming for One World, I think. It cut through Anna’s outerwear and shit. If it would have hit her face, that would have been bad.
You think they can replace follow-caming?
There are some drone shots that I have seen that I think this is basically a follow-cam but better, haha. Some of the courses are getting pretty gnarly to follow-cam on unless you hit the features, too.
What is the biggest jump you’ve hit while following?
40 ft.
A drone has no jump limit.
No fear of jumps.
Would you unionize against drones in snowboarding?
Just FPV drones, regular are fine. Hahaha.
INTERVIEW 4: SPENCER WHITING AKA GIMBAL GOD – GO HIT INSTAGRAM AND SEE WHAT HE HAS DONE IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD OF HIM
How do you feel about being the biggest follow-cam guy to ever do it, potentially being replaced by drones?
Spencer Whiting: I built my name as a follow-cam guy to just start a production company and get helis back in snowboarding again. Fuck drones, haha.
How many follow-cams did you do this year?
There area maybe five follows in Torgeir and Judd’s projects, combined.
How many drone shots?
No comment. Haha. We used a heli this year.
You had that viral crash while following a rider a few years back?
Haha, I’ve had a few. I’d clown on me not doing follows after I did my knee. I went from invincible to terrified. Haha. It just became too popular where I was over everyone doing it. I think people forget there’s a lot more to filming snowboarding than just a follow-cam.
Like drones.
Exactly haha.
INTERVIEW 5: RAFE ROBINSON – FPV DRONE PILOT BEHIND FLEETING TIME, BURTON ONE WORLD, AND PLENTY OF OTHER PROJECTS
What do you think about drones vs follow-cams?
Rafe Robinson: I don’t want to be too mean or anything, I’m sure they have a lot of fun getting to strap in and ride and pretending they aren’t obsolete, but let’s be real, in five years I’ll be doing their job from my fucking couch, bro. Won’t even need to leave the house, hahaha.
You have any tips for those afraid of drones taking their jobs?
Embrace the fear. It’s happening. The future is now, motherfuckers.
What about people saying the footage will never look as good?
You can fly a RED with a gimbal on an FPV drone if you’re a hog. 90% of the people I see doing follow-cams are using a GoPro on a stick anyway, which is almost as offensive visually as a little drone buzzing behind someone IMO. Oh! And at least other cameras can deal with a drone being in a shot.
True, very small in the shot compared to another body in the air (see thumbnail photo). What about not being able to record sound due to the buzzing?
Just use AI to make up sounds in post? Nothing is real anymore. We live in a simulation. Are there any new sounds we really need to record? I’m pretty sure we got ‘em all.
What about when AI takes over FPV?
Thats a tough one haha. There will just be more of a spread between the high-end boutique filming and probably the brand stuff will all go that way eventually. But why wouldn’t they? Instead of a filmer, you will be a camera wrangler.
There you have it. Drones probably won’t replace follow-cameras in the field unless the operator gets hurt (which has happened to two of the four we spoke to above) or the drones keep getting better (which they are). Pretty soon Rafe will have all of the jobs following riders at contests and in the mountains until AI replaces Rafe with a single tracking beacon worn by the rider under their jacket (which they already do for avalanche safety). We are all doomed. Enjoy retirement!
