Red Sea Careers
The job
When I started this job I thought it would be easy, perhaps less work or
stress than if I was teaching or guiding. Get up, go on the boat, potter
around fi lming the guests and crew, have two nice dives, dry off , eat
lunch, edit the fi lm, sell some DVDs and be home in time for tea. I guess
for some videographers it can be that easy, but these are the guys who
usually don’t rouse much of a reaction among their viewers and generate
a negative reputation for the work of so many talented underwater
fi lmmakers out there.
When I am fi lming I usually get to the jetty 15 or 20 minutes early to
capture some establishing shots. I will board the boat, prepare my
equipment and start making the fi lm once the guests trot down the ramp.
There is nothing worse than setting up your kit with your camera inside
and missing a pod of dolphins riding the bow wave. A good videographer
always has his camera at the ready. The day is not over when you step off
the boat - the burning of discs carries on well into your night.
The greatest thing is to have creative licence. Having a good dive guide
on board who can play up to the camera creates a nice atmosphere and is
key to having a fi lm that makes people laugh.
Another joy of my job is the interaction with aquatic life. The behaviour
you capture while fi lming forms very personal relationships with undersea
creatures. For example, if you catch the light at just the right angle on a
camera lens whilst fi lming a turtle head-on, the turtle will see its refl ection
in the lens. Thinking it is another turtle, they will try to nibble the lens.
Understanding the behaviour of diff erent animals and anticipating their
reactions to the camera and/or your positioning is a skill that comes with
experience. Once mastered it can be the diff erence between capturing
that perfect shot or fi lming the vanishing backside of a Napoleon’s fl eeing
body.
Underwater videographers also have to fi lm humans who, after all, are
the prospective buyers. This can be an arduous task. While there are
many diff erent ways to fi lm people underwater you need to aim for the
‘money shot’. This would be a diver swimming with something rarely seen,
such as a whale shark or a manta ray. Unfortunately, however, humans
will not always be in the right place at the right time. I have even fi lmed
underwater wedding proposals which never seem to go according to
plan!
Issue 5 March - April ‘10
www.cdws.travel 29
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