Three rules that make this work
Phone footage is fine
Almost all of this is better shot on a phone in the moment than properly a week later. The only thing that genuinely matters is holding it steady and getting close enough.
Get permission first, once
Ask students at the start of the lesson, not at the end. Most say yes happily. The ones who don’t, you film around.
Faces beat action
A big jump is impressive. Someone’s face the first time they ride is what actually sells a lesson. When in doubt, point the camera at the person.
Bank the good light
Golden hour footage is worth filming even with nothing planned for it. It gets used eventually. Nothing else is worth interrupting it for.
No wind needed — these can be filmed now
| Shot | When | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Stuart to camera, at the shop | Any day | The introduction post. Do it once, properly, and it is reusable for a year. |
| Walk-through of a first lesson | Calm day | Kit laid out on the beach and talked through. An explanation, not a demonstration. |
| The van and the demo gear | Any day | Nobody knows the mobile test centre exists. |
| Servicing on the bench | Any day | Bladders, lines, bar. The pre-season kit check. |
| Slow pan of the shop | Once | With Stuart talking over it. Reusable for months. |
| New stock as it arrives | As it lands | Say what each thing is for, not just what it is. |
| The bay on a flat day | No wind | For the spot explainer. Also proves the account is a real place rather than a highlight reel. |
| Reviews on screen | Any day | Text over any of the footage above. Twenty-four already written. |
When the wind comes — the standing list
| Shot | When | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Wide beach with the wind up | Any windy day | The anchor shot. Get it once properly. |
| Golden hour riding | Last 45 min of light | Worth prioritising over anything else if the light is good. |
| First trainer kite on the beach | Every beginner lesson | Including the crash. Especially the crash. |
| First water start | When it happens | Have a phone rolling any time a student is close. |
| First proper ride | When it happens | Get the face, not just the board. |
| Student to camera, straight after | Same session | Ten seconds while they are still buzzing beats a polished testimonial a week later. |
| First time on foil | Wing lesson | The board leaving the water is the whole sell. |
| Group shot at a sundowner | Every event | The best proof that this is a thing people come to. |
| Downwinder from the water | On the day | The adventure footage. |
| Langebaan flat water | On a trip | Needed before camps can be sold. |
The kit
Nothing here needs buying to start.
- A phone is enough for everything on this list.
- Whatever action camera is already around covers the on-water shots.
- Worth having eventually, not now: something to keep the phone steady in wind, and a way to get a bit closer from the beach.
Being based at Van Riebeeckstrand is what makes this list realistic. It isn’t a shoot anyone has to travel to — it’s a walk down the road on a day that was going to happen anyway.