A quick glance at Mirko Paoloni’s Instagram or YouTube channel tells you all you need to know. This is not your typical videographer. From zipping down epic mountains at breakneck speeds to carving up the freshest powder with impressive moves, Mirko has carved out quite a niche for himself as one of the world’s best extreme sports videographers.
Recently, he sat down with Artlist to talk through his action videography journey, offering amazing insights, and some very useful advice for those wanting to become the next best extreme sports videographer. If you’re wanting to know which is the best video camera for action sports, or have designs on shooting your own extreme sports film, then this one’s for you.
From passion to career
“I started with action sports when I was 14, surfing in Rome. Before that, I was just your classic Italian kid playing football. But in the summer of 2004, I discovered surfing, and that changed everything”, he reflects. Naturally, “Surfing led to skateboarding, and then in the winter (while on family vacation in the mountains), I told my dad, ‘I don’t want to ski anymore — I want to try snowboarding.’”
“I started organizing parties and festivals in Rome. That’s actually when I first picked up a camera — just to shoot photos and videos of the events and my friends surfing. I was maybe 15 or 16, just a kid with a camera shooting his friends.” From there, Mirko never really looked back.
What started off as a passion and hobby has developed into an impressive career. “In 2008, I met a girl who invited me to Innsbruck (in Austria), and I’ve been based here ever since. A couple of years in, friends asked if I wanted to try longboarding. At first I thought, ‘No way,’ but as soon as I tried it, it just clicked.”
“From the beginning, I had this ambition. Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to be a pro surfer. Then I started doing downhill skating, won a slide jam, and got my first sponsor. That’s when I realized ‘ok I needed to start filming properly.’”
“After years of skating and filming, I realized — I’m a filmmaker now. Around 2019, just before COVID, I decided to focus more on filmmaking full-time. I opened my own agency and started freelancing.”
“I leveraged all those contacts I made from skateboarding…I pitched ideas to the same companies, but now I was the filmmaker. That led to projects in…snowboarding, ski resorts, bike parks, and big sports branding events like Swatch Nines and World Cup comps.”
Gear and technique
After many years of building up his experience and skillset, Mirko is now one of the most impressive action sports videographers around, with a signature style of daring stunts that are beautifully cinematic. “I always wanted a clean, cinematic look. I cared about the angles, getting the shot from the front, understanding the side that looks best on camera…all these things matter.”
When you watch Mirko’s work, as he follows a skateboarder down the mountain at insane speeds, you really feel that speed, as well as the risk and adrenaline that comes with it. “Follow-cam work brings out the emotion and momentum of a moment in a way a static shot never can. It’s more dynamic, more real,” he explains enthusiastically.
For Mirko, there’s no single best camera for sports videography. At the moment, to capture these unbelievable shots, his go-to gear is the “Sony A7S III with a 12-24mm wide lens for cinematic work. For the follow cams, no gimbals — I just use the camera handheld.” While the Sony is more about the precision and cinematic look, he also makes use of GoPros and action cameras — “I go crazy, get in close, shoot fast.”
Of course, to achieve these risky shots, there has to be a high level of communication and understanding between the rider and the filmmaker. “Extreme sports filmmaking is different. You need to know your riders, and they need to know you. It’s all about trust and understanding what looks good and how they’re going to move. Without that, you can’t get the shot.”
Additionally, he adds, it’s about being comfortable with your gear, too. “Sometimes it’s about feeling and intuition. You can teach technique, but the flow of follow-cam work comes from how well you know your board and your camera.”
Preparation matters
It’s clear that the secret to Mirko’s success lies not just in his communication and understanding with his athletes, but in his attention to the details, and the preparation and planning that goes into each sports content shoot. The weather, for example, is something he had to learn about the hard way. “Cold kills batteries, so I always tell people to keep your batteries close to your body, to keep them warm. That one tip is a game changer.”
Another piece of advice is to “always scout your location. Coming from skating, I used to just show up and shoot, always run-and-gun style. But now I know: if you’ve scouted, you save time, avoid confusion, and lead with confidence.”
Given the nature of the job, it doesn’t always go to plan. He references the many times he’s broken DSLRs, and it’s not just the cameras and gear at risk, either. “I’ve also broken myself – road rash, burns, lots of skin gone — because when you crash while filming downhill longboarding, you try to protect the camera by holding up. I’ve lost a lot of skin-saving gear,” he laughs.
Despite the risks, you won’t catch him quitting anytime soon. With a tattoo that reminds you to “go big or go home”, he’s committed to his craft, continuously pushing boundaries. “It’s the people, the adrenaline, the outdoors. Action sports filming gave me so much. It shaped who I am, professionally and personally. I feel like I still have a lot to give back to this world. I’ll keep doing this as long as I can.”
Editing workflow
From location scouting in pre-production to his intuitive understanding of riders during production, Mirko’s attention to detail carries all the way through each project. It’s no surprise to learn that his post-production editing workflow is similarly well organized. “I label everything by camera, athlete, and scene. Then I watch everything again and begin to pick out the best shots — the best of Sony, best of GoPro POV — and build from there. I’ll narrow it down to the very best shots and begin editing them all together in a separate timeline.” Most of this work is carried out with Final Cut Pro, before shifting over to DaVinci Resolve for color grading.
He also makes good use of all his Artlist assets, too. “Artlist has been huge for me. I’ve used it for royalty-free music on probably 95% of my projects, and I use their light leaks, transitions, VFX, and plugins all the time. Sound effects are always very underrated but necessary, too.” In a tight squeeze, he can even make use of stock footage. “I’ve recommended Artlist to a lot of people who ask about stock footage, and they’re always really surprised about the quality of stuff that’s in there compared to what they have just been using.”
Mirko’s top three tips
Before he left, Mirko outlined his top three tips for any aspiring extreme sports filmmaker.
1. Create your own opportunities — and say yes before you feel ready
Don’t wait for brands or clients to call you. Go out, film your friends, make that passion project, and launch the idea you’ve been sitting on. Half of my career came from personal projects that no one asked for — but they got noticed. And when opportunities did come, I said yes, even when I wasn’t 100% ready. Some of the wildest jobs I’ve done started with me figuring it out on the go. Confidence doesn’t come first. You earn it by doing the thing.
2. Start with what you have and where you are
You don’t need the best gear or the perfect location to begin. Just stay focused on what you want, know your vision, and aim for it. I started by filming my friends with a GoPro, and I was called “the filmer.” I honestly like that! Focus on having fun, don’t waste time, and stay consistent. If you put in the hard work and effort and stay driven by passion, it will pay off before you even realize it.
3. Learn to be your own one-man show
Especially at the beginning, you’ll wear all the hats: Director, DOP, editor, drone pilot, maybe even athlete. That’s a blessing in disguise. It forces you to understand every part of the process, and that’s how you learn everything. This was key to becoming who I am today and reaching the level I’m at now.
Mirko’s very own Artlist collection is available to download now. Featuring some of his best work, it includes some crazy snow jump FPV shots, and adrenaline-pumping longboard action.
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