One of the greatest things about enjoying hobby rocketry today is the advancements that have been made in multimedia.  If you so desire, you can surround yourself with a myriad of information about the sport from a wide variety of sources.  If you are eager to learn about a certain subject, there's information about it available in numerous formats to meet your need.

The Internet has certainly expanded the availability of articles, containing the written word and illustrated with thought-provoking pictures, but nothing comes close to putting it all together like video.  Even then, there is a wide variety of sources and destinations, letting viewers zero in on the subject they specifically seek.

ROCKETS Magazine's ARG-3 Click to enlarge

Enter Liberty Launch Systems and ROCKETS Magazine.  Through the lens of their videographers, they have the unique ability to literally transform your viewing experience and make you feel like you are actually on-site with them as they take you along through their DVD video offerings.

ROCKETS DVDs are presented as an extension to the magazine, to expand the launch articles in each publication.  It's a behind-the-scenes look at the event itself and the people that make it happen.  It's as close to being there as you can get without actually leaving your recliner.

ART's 1/16 scale Saturn V.

Houston, we have a...

Got any marshmallows?

The Gila Monster pirates.

Upsy-daisy time.

I had the pleasure of reviewing the ARG-3 DVD, a presentation of the Arizona Rocket Gathering launch that occurred February 25th and 26th, 2006, in Rainbow Valley, Arizona.  Right off the bat, in the opening screens, with the camera leading the viewer into the launch site, you feel as though you were the one looking through the viewfinder.

Rainbow Valley is a wonderful place to launch ROCKETS, or at least it looks like that from the video.  I have never been there, but I certainly feel like I have.  There are gorgeous mountains in the background and short prairie grass all around the launch area, with a sparse placement of essential trees here and there, but the range head was a rocketeer's dream - flat and full of rockets.

One of the highlights for me was the Arizona Rocketry Team's 1/16-scale Saturn V.  In the video, this monster looked wonderful as it was being assembled, well detailed and beautifully built.  The time-lapse sequence of the team putting it all together at the launch tower was really neat.  And the pad cams caught it all when the button was pushed! The Saturn V flew on a central M1315 with four K700s that staged to a central K700 and four J350s, then to a single K700 in the third stage.  Shortly into the first-stage burn, one of the K700s CATOed and set the booster on fire.  Apparently the foam they used to fill dead space within the rocket burns rather nicely.  The subsequent burn-to-the-ground footage was very cool!

Another highlight was the Gila Monster rocket of the Arizona High Power Rocketry Association.  Built by members Ed Wilk and Bob Neniger back in 2000, the Gila Monster has many, many successful flights under its belt.   This flight was on some really neat green motors, and the video utilizes a great picture-in-picture format to show video from the on-board camera in a smaller window overlaying the video of the flight.  Not to be outdone by the Saturn V team, the Gila team promptly set fire to the launch site as well.  The video captures it all, and I found myself stomping my foot trying to help them get the fire out.  It was that realistic!

As I mentioned, this video made me feel as if  I were right on the scene.  These videos really complete the feeling of being there.

All in all, the production has a nice blend of tasteful bumper music perfectly synched with the natural sights and sounds of a rocket launch.  The music used is the right accompaniment, not obnoxious like the music in some videos.  The camera microphone caught the very essence of the event, capturing the sounds of the announcer, the spectators,  everyone around the pads, and of course the rockets themselves.

There is excellent camera motion, without a hint of lens jerkiness.  You can tell they used good equipment to capture the video and audio and that they knew what they were doing when they assembled the resulting output.  The producer uses great titling effects, not overdone self-promotion.  The overall ratio of interviews to launches was very appropriate and the video covers a nice range of impulse ranges, so there is something here for everyone, no matter what you fly. Then to finish the package, the video includes a gallery of over 800 still photos taken during the event. 

This video is a great addition to any hobby rocketry videophile's collection, but it really completes the ROCKETS article.  If you want that you-were-there feeling, get this video.

Liberty Launch System/ROCKETS Magazine Videos:
http://www.libertylaunchsystems.com/Video/