Career in Underwater Video

[foamer86]

Hello, I am interested in in doing underwater-video as a career. I have been doing topside video for about 3 years now, scuba-diving for about 4, and have done some underwater video shooting. I was wondering if anyone was looking for an underwater video assistant, or something so i can get my fin in the door (yes very cheesy) to do underwater video, or lead me in a direction that I can go in to mix my 2 passions, video and diving. If any one has any advice or would like to find out more about my qualifications please feel free to contact me.

Thank You Very Much In Advance

Craig Grassi

 

[ronrosa]

Hello, I am interested in in doing underwater-video as a career. I have been doing topside video for about 3 years now, scuba-diving for about 4, and have done some underwater video shooting. I was wondering if anyone was looking for an underwater video assistant, or something so i can get my fin in the door (yes very cheesy) to do underwater video, or lead me in a direction that I can go in to mix my 2 passions, video and diving. If any one has any advice or would like to find out more about my qualifications please feel free to contact me.

Thank You Very Much In Advance

Craig Grassi

I am a total amateur with zero professional experience. So my opinion carries very little weight.

But, for what it's worth.... I think you will have a very difficult time making a living doing underwater video as a career.

The guy on the boat filming vacationing divers and selling them a DVD or videotape won't last long if this is his only source of income. Probably better to combine it with some instruction classes and divemastering. Still probably doesn't make much.

The other extreme is established underwater videographers shooting HD for Discovery Channel, National Geographic, etc.. I guess they have assistants who help out, but I would think their assistants are friends or longtime dive companions. Can't imagine the assistants make much money either.

 

[B.Goodwill]

I work part time on a voluntary basis as an underwater videographer (correct spelling??) I go out on the two tank dives and shoot customers getting on the boat, the trip out, the first dive, surface interval, and then the second dive. I really enjoy it because it means my diving now pays for itself, but the key reason i enjoy it, is because i am not doing it from 8.00am to 6.00pm six days a week. If this was the case i would be sick to death of it by now. The pay runs along the same lines as that of a diving instructor, in the Caymans, i would "guestimate" it to be in the US$1650 a month, which is tough going when living on an island like Cayman, especially with the recent rent increases. I made the mistake a while back of turning what i love (diving,) into my job as an instructor, and it became exactly that - a job. I was diving so much at work the last thing i wanted to do on days off is dive, and i lost all my passion for the sport. Now i have gone back to my old job, am on a decent salary once again, and dive on days off, and once more enjoy the sport.

 

[meekal]

sometimes hearing the 'truth' hurts. the passion is certianly there.... i'd hate to lose that because it becomes 'work'. come to think of it... kinda sounds like my first marriage!

 

[nshon]

I think we pretty much agree that UW videographers and DMs and instructors make peanuts. Kinda makes me think, can anybody get rich out of diving or related jobs where you actually have to dive(excludes LDS and resort owners)?

 

[ronrosa]

Timing is everyting.

This looks like a good opportunity to do some underwater videography and get paid for it. SSI has put out an open call for a videographer to shoot in Bonaire for instructional video.

Curious how they will make their decision on professional experience vs. cost.

For example, I have no pro experience, only 130 dives, but I think I shoot good video and would do the work cheap. Unfortunately the dates are not good for me.

http://www.ssiusa.com/media/video/

 

[meekal]

Timing is everyting.

This looks like a good opportunity to do some underwater videography and get paid for it. SSI has put out an open call for a videographer to shoot in Bonaire for instructional video.

Curious how they will make their decision on professional experience vs. cost.

For example, I have no pro experience, only 130 dives, but I think I shoot good video and would do the work cheap. Unfortunately the dates are not good for me.

http://www.ssiusa.com/media/video/

on the SSI SPECS:

ummm... maybe this part should be on the TREAD about editting... but 10 days?
ALL footage (surface and underwater) must be provided to SSI in a digital format within 10 days from the last day of the shoot.

Digital video must be shot using a 520,000-pixel 3-CCD imaging system. WOW! are those specs high or am i just a marooon?

 

[diversteve]

Digital video must be shot using a 520,000-pixel 3-CCD imaging system. WOW! are those specs high or am i just a marooon?

A couple that come to mind are the Panasonic GS200/400, the Sony DCR-HC1000 and TRV-950. Maybe the TRV-900 also.

If I recall right, the GS400 more than doubles this requirement, it has like 12,000,000 pixel effective video resolution or something similar.

I'm surprised they aren't looking for HD only.

 

[MikeC]

I'm surprised they aren't looking for HD only.

Hmm, can you say "bandwidth"??? Sony's DigiBeta, which is a 4x3 serial digital format, is a 270Mbits/sec recording system. I forget what Sony's 1080i 16x9 HD VTR's handle other then "lots of data...."

Regarding the [size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1]PV-GS400, how big are the CCD's???? One review lists them at "[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1]1/4.7 in" each. What do they mean?? In broadcast gear we use 1/2" and 2/3" CCD's.

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Digital video must be shot using a 520,000-pixel 3-CCD imaging system.[size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1]

Sounds a lot like the specs for the Ikegami HL-59 broadcast cameras.

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If I recall right, the GS400 more than doubles this requirement, it has like 12,000,000 pixel effective video resolution or something similar.[size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1][size=-1]

Ikegami's best HD camera uses "[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][font=Arial,Helvetica]2.2 Million pixel 2/3-inch FIT CCDs" so I do not think a $1,000 consumer camcorder will have better specs. If you watch ESPN and other networks, you see the output of these cameras.
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[diversteve]

Regarding the PV-GS400, how big are the CCD's???? One review lists them at "1/4.7 in" each. What do they mean?? In broadcast gear we use 1/2" and 2/3" CCD's.

.7 over 1/4" - not that anybody's checking....

Ikegami's best HD camera uses 2.2 Million pixel 2/3-inch FIT CCDs" so I do not think a $1,000 consumer camcorder will have better specs. If you watch ESPN and other networks, you see the output of these cameras.

Oops, too many zeroes, it's a 1.2mp CCD.