Getting great shots takes a lot of patience and hard work, especially while filming in the backcountry or on urban shoots. Building kickers, run-ins and landings takes a long time so be prepared to spend up to a couple of days helping riders build the shot first before coming back to film it (maybe even get a few shots of the build itself?). If you need an example of the blood, sweat and tears that comes with good preparation, look no further than Dan Brisse. Some of the hits in this 2013 Real Snow entry took days to build. Dan even went as far as donning a moustache and builder’s hi-vis jacket to make sure he looked the part of a construction worker and remained uninterrupted during the build. If you spend a lot of time on a shot, it will show in the finished product.

If you’re serious about getting it absolutely right, try not to end the shoot too soon. Keep the cameras rolling for as long as it takes. Most snowboard movies these days (unless it’s a very high consequence trick) will shoot multiple takes and angles of the same trick. This way during editing you can choose the best of the best to include in your final composition.