During 33 Days of Niepołomice, a very energetic event took place. It was a knockout-style challenge featuring 16 freestyle football players.
Initially, my plan was to capture a few shots at 120 frames per second in order to slow down the most difficult performances four times, down to the final 30 frames. However, while filming and editing, I decided that instead of creating a subjectively chosen set of the best tricks, it would be more like a reportage or coverage, showcasing some of the best moves from each competitor.
The video was recorded with a GoPro camera at 120 fps in linear 4K mode. The raw file was shot in D-Log, which gives footage with limited colors, so I applied a LUT (Look Up Table) provided by GoPro. Since the first part of the competition took place in full sunlight, I used an ND16 filter with polarization. While this was a good choice for the beginning, the second part happened in the shade of the Castle, which made the footage darker. To fix this, I brightened the files using exposure adjustments along with slight lifting of shadows and blacks.
In the competition itself, 16 players took part, judged by 3 referees, with a host and a DJ also present. Unfortunately, out of the 15 duels, due to purely technical reasons, I was unable to record 2 battles — one from the round of 16 and another from the quarterfinals. As a result, I couldn’t showcase one competitor, for which I sincerely apologize in advance. Sorry, Krzysztof. Nevertheless, you will still be included among the tagged participants connected with the tournament.
The soundtrack consists of two songs generated in Suno in English, both in Hip Hop style. The first one refers to real events that took place during the competition, including a mention of the top four players by name.
The video begins with an introduction of the speaker, DJ, and jury members. After that, each competitor is presented in the order in which they were eliminated from the tournament — meaning the winner is shown at the very end. My goal was to dedicate around 20 seconds to each player, where, in my opinion, I selected their best displayed skills. Since I’m not familiar with the scale of difficulty or the names of football freestyle tricks, my interpretation might not fully reflect the level of ability shown.
For every competitor, there is a 4-second introduction along with the stage they reached. The entire video was edited in Premiere Pro and finally rendered in Media Encoder using VBR-2 to reduce file size.
The initial concept I had for this project — using creative speed ramp effects and zooms — was not achieved. In addition to the missing footage of some players, the changing lighting conditions, lack of full control over the scene, and the background of the gathered crowd, the final product turned out to be more of a reportage, focused on each participant’s skills.
Speed ramps will definitely appear in the future, though I’m not yet sure whether they will be shot with a drone or a GoPro. Either way, I’ll aim for fast motion against a calm background.
With this post, I also want to acknowledge the incredible skill of every competitor. Beyond outstanding ball control, body coordination plays a huge role here. Among the players, we witnessed both the Polish and world freestyle elite. The challenge format makes the tricks spontaneously adapt to the situation and the music, which makes this discipline all the more demanding.
The competition took place in great conditions with an amazing audience. The participants demonstrated not only high-level skills but also great camaraderie. I don’t rule out attending similar events again, perhaps with a camera, or in more accessible conditions using FPV.
My personal thanks go to Robert Guzik for the guidance he gave me, and I congratulate him on the excellent organization.
The entire event was held under the patronage of the Niepołomice Town and Municipality Office as well as the Niepołomice Castle.
https://www.facebook.com/zamekkrolewski
Town and Municipality of Niepołomice
The selected graphics showcase my ability to transform and create visual effects on a given person, object, or landscape, based on the original background. The final result is subjective and reflects a specific time frame. Each of us perceives things differently and has a unique set of skills and time resources. Regularly published posts with specifically themed projects are meant to systematically collect materials that illustrate my graphic capabilities.
Enjoy watching!