MTB: Action in glorious detail - Phone-tastic

Clinton Williams rides in the masters' men division at the Skyline Sprint Warrior.

When I was producing big commercials 20 years ago, we shot on something called 35mm film. Some of the budgets were frightening. I'm not sure what one million in 1990 dollars translates to these days. Let's just say a lot.

Even with these sorts of sums to play with, I always felt nervous when shooting slow-motion sequences. Then, 35mm film was expensive and slomo meant running rolls of film at twice the speed through the gate.

You could rattle through a reel quickly. Hearing that death rattle from a big Arriflex 35 camera rig always sounded like money burning to me.

Fast forward to this year. My old iPhone 3GS was still going strong. However, as I started to take more impromptu shots out in the forest, the camera's limitations were exposed.

It was time for an upgrade - with the arrival of the new iPhone 5S.

I'm glad I did, for lots of reasons. It has 4G, even in the parts of forest, and is very light.

It can shoot full HD video but the killer function is the slomo capability - 120 frames per second. That's nearly five times normal speed. It's not the 1000fps super slomo you'll see in sports coverage these days. But those rigs cost a fortune.

How is this relevant to mountain biking? Well, at last week's Rotorua Bike Festival I decided to give the slomo mode a bit of a workout, shooting at the national downhill championships on the Taniwha.

This always happens at such blistering speed that it's hard to convey the stresses and strains on bikes and riders. And how skilful and courageous these MTB gladiators are.

Slomo made all the difference.

Extraordinary, crystal-clear digital video - from a phone that fits in a pocket.

It was a busy week, with long days. However, I always find editing quite relaxing, so I cut a five-minuter, laid in some classical music, called it A Slow Day on Taniwha and uploaded it to Vimeo.

I'd been working with Pink Bike, one of the biggest international MTB websites, to get coverage of the nationals up, so I flicked it to Ty Maine, their online editor.

Whoosh - 10,000 views and climbing.

My career has been a full one, with a few top-10 shows and even a couple of number ones.

But a video on the home page of Pink Bike is a genuine career highlight.

I shot another highlights package on the Yeah Boi Sick fundraiser race for the James Dodds Memorial Fund on Tuesday of festival week. Another quick edit and, boom, viral.

Sam the Breakfast on One weatherman was here on Thursday to preview the OGO Dual Slalom. It meant a 5am start but it was worth it for the sunrise, and videoing Mayor Steve and Deputy Dave being rolled down the hill in the golden dawn light.

Then I shot another video of the Skyline Sprint Warrior on Friday, and captured the final back flip of the week - in slow motion.

Check them all out here: vimeo.com/rotoruabikefestival

I might need to have another crack at this TV directing lark.