Ground Zero: Learning to Film in Hong Kong with Provit.hk

May 18

By Paul.D

In a recent post, I shared how Skream invited me to Hong Kong to finalize my review of the Skream Ranger. And with “The Vertical City” being so naturally cinematic, the good folks at Provit.hk, a video production company literally next door to the Skream Bikes office, offered to teach me a bit more about videography after hearing about my recent interest in shooting moving pictures.

Since I’m a total beginner, we kept the setup intentionally simple: an OSMO Pocket 3 rigged to a Velo Orange Neutrino, plus a handycam for the rest of the shots. The goal wasn’t to create the most stunning visuals possible, but to keep things straightforward, something we could pass around freely, film with instantly, and enjoy the process. Think of it as a creator’s meetup, but on the move.

As someone who’s spent most of his life doing photography, holding a video camera feels completely out of my comfort zone. Composition feels awkward, and the idea of shooting a ton of footage just to cut most of it and keep only the best bits is still something I’m getting used to.

But after a few days, and some valuable advice from the Provit team, I began to understand the rhythm. Filming the most random moments and watching the final result slowly piece itself together in your mind might have been the most interesting part of this experience.

You might ask: was it really worth traveling across the world just to pick up a few tips and tricks about handling a video camera or working in a larger crew?
Well it’s more complex than that but to make it short: Absolutely! Shooting on the move with five or more people, all on bikes, all independently navigating the chaos of Hong Kong, requires a level of coordination you probably wouldn’t expect. No car carrying the gear, no extra crew beyond the essentials, and barely any margin for error in the extremely dense city center. It’s a very different way of shooting, and even though I was mostly in front of the camera this time, we made real progress in figuring out how we’ll operate in the future when filming other riders around the world.

Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to make videos about myself. It’s to diversify the ways Slow Spin Society documents alternative cycling cultures around the world.
And as we usually do out here, we’re starting from ground zero.

Finally, here’s a little behind-the-scenes gallery from those few days of shooting. While I’m hoping to make this kind of project a regular thing, I also want to document how our process evolves, so you’ll likely see more short edits like this one in the future.