Orienteering/Videos/Route choice

The Presenter’s 4WD approaches an orienteering sign on the road, slows at the sign, and turns down the road/track. This is similar to the opening of Video 1, but the venue is clearly different.

PRESENTER (V/O)

I’m on my way to my second orienteering competition. At my first competition I learned basic map and compass skills and completed a simple orienteering course entirely on my own – well, almost entirely on my own.

The car pulls up by an official who hands the Presenter a flyer, as per Video 1.

PRESENTER (to Official)

Thanks

(to camera, through car window)

Today I’m planning to do an orienteering course with more challenging navigation and hopefully learn a few more advanced orienteering skills.

CUT TO registration tent. The Presenter pays her money for the event entry and for hire of a compass and dibber. Ad-lib dialogue with Registration Official.

Presenter exits the Registration tent with compass, dibber, map and control description.

PRESENTER

I’m an old hand at this now.

CUT TO Presenter drawing up her map.

PRESENTER (to Camera)

Today I’ve chosen to do a course with moderate navigation. This means that not all the controls are on linear features, such as fences and tracks, and I’ll have to rely on my compass to navigate my way through the forest.

CLOSE UP of presenter marking her map, showing controls off tracks.

CUT TO Presenter waiting with a number of other competitors at the start.

PRESENTER (V/O)

My course is also a little bit longer today. I wonder what time it gets dark?

The starter announces the start time. The Presenter dibs last, then follows competitors down a marked route towards the start triangle.

PRESENTER (V/O)

Another difference today is that the official start point – where the triangle is marked on the map – isn’t actually where we started, but a hundred meters away down a marked route.

CUT TO Presenter arriving at the start triangle, where she stops.

PRESENTER (to camera)

During that short jog to the start triangle, everyone else worked out which way they were going to go to their first control. But I’m still not sure.

SCREEN SHOT of GPS tracking, showing three different route choices on a long leg.

PRESENTER (V/O)

Deciding which way you are going to go to a control is one of the most important components of competitive orienteering. It’s called route choice, and the fastest route choice for one competitor may not be the fastest for another.

Back on Presenter, still at the start triangle.

PRESENTER (to camera)

Since this is only my second event, I thought I’d enlist some expert help.

She clicks her fingers and the Elite (from Video 1 & 3) appears (JUMP CUT).

PRESENTER

Hi [name]. I see you’ve brought your own map.

ELITE

Of course.

PRESENTER (to [name])

That’s great, because I thought you might be able to help me out deciding on a route choice to my first control.

ELITE

Sure.

CLOSE UP of her map.

PRESENTER

Which way would you go?

ELITE (ad-lib, along the lines of…)

Well, I’d go this way…

(points to route choice – CLOSE UP)

But if I wasn’t very confident, I’d go this way.

(points to safer route choice – CLOSE UP).

PRESENTER

Why is that?

ELITE (ad-lib…)

When you’re just starting out, it pays to pick the safest route choice, which means the route choice that will make it easiest for you to find the control.

PRESENTER

But not necessarily the fastest?

ELITE (ad-lib…)

No, but you often can’t tell that anyway until you’ve run the leg and compared your time to other people.

PRESENTER

Which you can do because of the electronic timing at each control?

ELITE (ad-lib…)

Right. But since we’re using control cards today, we could set off together, do our own route choice and meet at the control.

PRESENTER

Sounds like a good idea. But I hope you won’t be waiting too long!

ELITE

I’ll take it easy. See you at the control.

He speeds off, leaving the Presenter staring after him for a moment before setting off at a jog on her own route.

PRESENTER (V/O)

That doesn’t look like taking it easy…

INTERCUT Elite running his route choice, the Presenter running hers.

CUT TO Presenter jogging up to the control, where the Elite is waiting.

PRESENTER

You look like you’ve been here for hours.

ELITE

Only three minutes.

PRESENTER

So you your route choice was three minutes quicker than mine?

ELITE (ad-lib…)

Not taking into account running speed, yes. But you found the control without making a navigational mistake, and that’s saves you the most time in the long run.

PRESENTER

And what happens if I do make a navigational mistake?

ELITE

(laughs)

Depends on how lost you get!

PRESENTER

Shall we do the next control?

MID SHOT of Presenter and Elite planning the route choice to the second control (no sound), then running off in separate directions -

Presenter (V/O)

Making a navigational mistake or – worse - getting lost is something I really don’t want to think about. But I have a feeling that it’s that I’m going to have to confront sooner rather than later.