How do you plan your shoots?

[marshallkarp]

My plan for shooting wrecks is to get a very wide shot, as far as visibility and light will allow and pan from front to back and back to front. Next, I like to do a complete swim over, front to back or back to front. Next, I like to go to the bottom and look up at the bow and/or stern, these always seem like interesting shots. Next, I try to find interesting features and reef life. And you have about 20 to 25 minutes to get as much of this as you can.

Finally, it's time to edit and I review my shots and look for shots that I think others will find interesting, too. Some of the planned footage is usable, some not. Also, I try to get the backstory on every wreck to tell a story. Here is my Key West Joe's Tug video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6463960296284954241&hl=en

And the underwater sets from two James Bond movies in Nassau

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...l=4&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Hopefully, you have a good buddy who says they will trail along with you or help you find interesting shots. I've always found two sets of eyes are better than one. I get my buddy's email address and reward them with the video location so they can enjoy it and share it with their friends. They seem to appreciate having a visual reminder of the dive, too.

 

[ronscuba]

.......As far as "purpose" goes, I never could see the point of filming underwater just for my own entertainment. There is so much good that can come from showing well crafted underwater stories to the general public, how could I swim around with their video camera and not want to do that? How can I be content with just giving myself pleasure?

I don't have the knowledge, skill or time to make something good enough to distribute to the general public. Then there's the issue of making it appealing to the general public vs. what I like.

This is similar to my decision not to enter amateur UW video contests. Having seen the winning videos, many times they have a style and music score totally different than what I like.

I also give my videos to people I meet on the boat for free. Many have offerred to pay for them, but I won't accept their money. If I accepted their money, I'd feel an obligation to make sure they liked it. I'd rather give it to them for free. I hope they like the video, but if they don't, well, it was free wasn't it ?

Your last sentence ? Ah.......... no comment

 

[LowVizWiz]

Ronscuba... Often times the only reason to enter a contest is to have your work critiqued by your piers. One can learn a ton by hearing what others think and that by no means has to change the way you shoot, edit your videos.

You're creating a video as a hobby and a craft. A way to express your views, and that is often what makes a good video. Your unique view of the world.

BTW, I truly enjoy your videos.

 

[stillhope]

I'm glad my little joke brought some smiles to the divers here.

I realize there are as many thoughts on this topic as there are people, but there seems to be some patterns too. There seems to be quite a few divers who think along the lines of ronscuba:

I don't have the knowledge, skill or time to make something good enough to distribute to the general public.

I'd like to hear a little more about peoples' thoughts on this. For example, if you had the time, you could probably acquire the skill and knowledge, no? Therefore, the implication is that your discretionary time is filled up with diving and/or other things. Boy, I know that one well. I am really motivated to make movies, and as a consequence I spend way too much time in front of the computer and not enough time in the water. Learning to somehow balance that is a whole project unto itself.

But if you did have a little more time, would you use it to work overtime to afford a better camera, or to take filmmaking classes, or to ensure domestic tranquility, or ??? Why do you continue to choose underwater video as something to spend your spare time doing, rather than sketching underwater or writing poetry underwater, or racing underwater or freediving or whatever?

I just picked up a magazine called "LensWork" which apparently has been around for quite a while, but I'd never heard of it before. It features photographs and comments by and interviews with the photographers. It's different from the typical trade journal filled with product reviews and "how to" articles. Some of the articles were more about the creative process and artistic motivation and things like that. I thought that was a really nice change of pace.

I guess maybe that's where I'm going with these questions. I'm interested in hearing more about what drives people to take a camera with them when they dive, and what drives them (or not) to do things with the video they obtain.

 

[ronscuba]

Wysmar, I'm glad you enjoyed watching my vids. It's always nice to hear positive feedback.

Stillhope, for me, trying to make money from a hobby takes away the fun. I live and work in NYC. I'm a warm water diver. I make videos while on vacation. If I lived someplace where I dove regularly, then I might consider doing something to supplement my normal job. But for now, UW video firmly remains just a hobby. It is my UW hobby of choice because it let's me relive the experience and personalize it more so than photography. Something important to me because I can't dive as much as I would like.

 

[DaFireMedic]

But if you did have a little more time, would you use it to work overtime to afford a better camera, or to take filmmaking classes, or to ensure domestic tranquility, or ??? Why do you continue to choose underwater video as something to spend your spare time doing, rather than sketching underwater or writing poetry underwater, or racing underwater or freediving or whatever?

I guess maybe that's where I'm going with these questions. I'm interested in hearing more about what drives people to take a camera with them when they dive, and what drives them (or not) to do things with the video they obtain.

Truthfully, I have no desire whatsoever to make money from diving in any way. Many years ago, I worked as a busboy at a restaurant that had fantastic food. But despite the quality of the food, I soon found that I no longer desired to eat at the restaurant, as it felt like I was at work whenever I was there. I do not want diving nor underwater videography to become a job for me, or I will no longer enjoy it in the same way that I do now. But I also realize that this is just me, and others may be able to enjoy diving recreationally and still make a living at it. Instructors come to mind, as most I know really enjoy diving.

So why do I want to shoot video underwater? More than anything else, I just want to relive my adventures in a creative way. I have been a videography hobbyist topside now for a while, and have a relatively substantial amount invested in equipment and software. I simply decided to combine my two hobbys. As far as video goes, I have very little extra invested in the underwater side of it. My total investment on top of the video and dive equipment that I already had is less than $150. So other than the possibility of flooding my camcorder, I have very little to lose in trying it out.

But I think I will enjoy it.....

 

[Okidiver]

......if you did have a little more time, would you use it to work overtime to afford a better camera, or to take filmmaking classes, or to ensure domestic tranquility, or ??? Why do you continue to choose underwater video as something to spend your spare time doing, rather than sketching underwater or writing poetry underwater, or racing underwater or freediving or whatever?
...I guess maybe that's where I'm going with these questions. I'm interested in hearing more about what drives people to take a camera with them when they dive, and what drives them (or not) to do things with the video they obtain.

My motivations:
Meat: spending time underwater is spiritual and is my diving force.
Potatoes: the more time underwater, the more I can hone my skills and the more interesting stuff happens that I can experience. I've met some cool folks, also.
Gravy: capturing some video and playing it back just makes the meat and potatoes better.:14:

Rick

 

[Annie Crawley]

I just completed two instructor training manuals for SDITDI, The Production Course and How to Shoot Underwater Video. Why Two courses? Because most people want to improve their video and don't understand what goes on in a production. We all have cameras that we should be using on land as well as underwater because we become more proficient.

The first question you must ask before you shoot...
What story do I want to tell.
And the second is who is my audience.

From there your pre-production begins. Perhaps you want to shoot your kids at the beach. You don't want to shoot an hour of them because then you will have to edit it all. You want to think of the story you want to tell. And then think of the shots you need to tell it and get the Wide shot, medium and close-ups. If you do it like this, you can shoot less than fifteen minutes and edit a really nice piece together to put up on a server for your family to see.

The same goes for underwater. Telling a story is so much more interesting than just going down to shoot and shoot. If you have short stories, more people will want to watch your videoos!

As some of the other people suggested you can't plan every shot because some of what you will get are golden nuggets. But if you know the behavior of the animals like damselfish nesting, or frog fish feeding, or moray eels in cleaning stations, then you can plan your dives around them.

Let me know if you want more specific information. I want everyone to understand the importance of visual storytelling because our videos will be much better!!!

 

[stillhope]

OK, so I think I'm starting to get it. Thanks for all the pointers: many of you videotape underwater in the same spirit that you take snapshots of the family at Christmas, camping at Yellowstone, skiing at Telluride, or when little Molly breaks her arm or graduates from college? You show them to some friends, watch them on memorable family anniversaries and mostly just put them on the closet shelf?

OK, I'll buy that -- it just never occurred to me before. That's cool. I've certainly got my share of boxes of memorable snapshots.

Me, I never set out to be a filmmaker. I never entered contests, well a few film festivals, maybe. I never even liked movies much. But I had a life-changing experience that put me on this path. Now, several years later, I was just invited to show my video at an international photo show without even competing -- made me feel good and gave thousands of people a chance they wouldn't have had to see what's underwater up here in the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest. I guess planning some of my shots paid off, and so did dumb luck. As Janis Joplin said, "combination of the two."

 

[ronscuba]

OK, so I think I'm starting to get it. Thanks for all the pointers: many of you videotape underwater in the same spirit that you take snapshots of the family at Christmas, camping at Yellowstone, skiing at Telluride, or when little Molly breaks her arm or graduates from college? You show them to some friends, watch them on memorable family anniversaries and mostly just put them on the closet shelf?.......

No, I don't just put my videos up on the closet shelf.

Stillhope, the internet is both a source of information, but also a means to socialize.

I post my videos on internet boards like this, create webpages, put them on share sites like youtube and divxstage6. Invite people I meet on dive trips to visit my website or sharesite. I get suggestions for improvement and ego stroking positive feedback. I've dove with people I've met on Scubaboard who've seen my videos. Kind of neat if you think about it.

Don't you have hobbies that you do just for the fun of it ? Not everything has to go towards making money or have a big purpose in life.