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Underwater Filming: Facts and Fiction

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1- Are your thoughts as deep as your dives?

This old divers saying applies to film production: think

deeply before doing anything.

When it comes to underwater, you are not supposed to be

there in the first place.

So the first rule compared to a dry shoot is “multiply

everything by three: money, people and time”.

2- Underwater Camera Operators are like mermaids, they do not

exist. There are only Underwater Cameramen. It’s lonely down

there and you have to take light readings and judge the light

on your own. Not just operate.

Without considering the years of operating that you do not

want to be reminded of.

3- Don’t be reckless: cutting corners will always result in a

serious accident, bailing out in diving is indeed an option

but often with serious consequences.

If the Underwater Cameraman ask you for a Paramedic on

standby, an Underwater Focus Puller and a Housing

assistant... get them!

He’ll be grateful and he’ll stay longer in the water, as

well as having somebody to blame when things go wrong.

4- I rather not pull focus as I operate, have you ever looked

through the porthole of the viewfinder? Apart that housing and

camera weigh nearly 50kg/110lb, you are breathing gas, fining,

keeping neutral buoyancy and watching out for the skipper

throwing the anchor at you.

Yes, one cannot avoid having a Housing assistant, unless

you want me to get out of the water, dripping everywhere and

shortcutting the camera electronics as I open the housing to

change batteries, reload, change lenses, clean etc.

Unless you want me to go and get dry before I do that. I

won’t be long... have we agreed overtime?

Would you expect a DoP on a normal shoot to reload the

camera or pull focus?

5- Water and electricity mix really well, how often do you

blow dry your hair while having a bath?

An underwater electrician and gaffer must be HSE or properly

qualified, (like the rest of the Underwater unit in the UK and

other parts of the world) meaning they must have a training

ticket equal to a commercial diver’s certification.

Is shocking how many people do not realise how dangerous it

can be when lights are used in or around water, electrifying

really.

6- Equipment for underwater usually weighs three times its dry

equivalent. Do not cut down the number of people needed, you will regret

it heavily. Mind the slippery surface as you chat on your mobile.

7- There’s only one reliable camera for Underwater filming,

the ARRI 3. Doesn’t have much electronics, it’s well built and

takes moisture well...ok, even a splash. Just do tell the

rental company.

Make sure you are insured: most producers indemnity policy do

not cover underwater filming (always read the small print).  

8- The best Underwater housing at the moment is still the

Hydroflex, built like a tank, designed by the best UW

cameraman, Pete Romano. (I doubt anyone can disagree on this)

It’s very safe to shoot with and never lets you down.

Just do not use it as a crash housing.

A “Hydroflex” housing costs around £90,000.00.

A crash housing about £2,300.00.

“Pace” also make some excellent housings.

9- Just because you might have had few diving lessons in the

Red Sea doesn’t mean that you are a diver, it just says that

you got wet few times.

So do babies.

Ask before doing something that you might regret deeply. We

are not watching the coral and looking for stingrays, we are

working.

10- Sharks are not dangerous, bees are.

The most dangerous animal I have ever encountered

underwater was another diver who said he’s done it before.

11- you don’t breath Oxygen underwater, just air.

Then there’s Nitrox, Trimix, Heliair and so on.

You do not want me to get technical do you? Well, I dive a

rebreather, closed circuit. No bubbles, no mistakes allowed.

12- Deeper doesn’t necessarily mean better, nevertheless

remember that you can perforate your eardrum or injure

yourself even in a swimming pool.

13-  Safety divers are not riggers, or camera assistants. They

are safety divers and they are in the water to look after

people performing or working.

If they do something else they get distracted or tired,

not what you want when there’s an emergency (an unconscious

gaffer weighs a ton).

14- Make sure that you have an hydrophone in the water, so the

director can let me know what he/she wants, and especially

when the camera should be rolling.

15- Divers need to pee, among other calls of nature. Allow a

bit more time for a loo break, wetsuits get sticky, drysuits

are a nightmare.

Water, even warm, its one of the best cooling agents (they

use it to cool down nuclear reactors don’t they?) so give

us a break and a coffee every now and again.

Have you ever noticed how your fingers turn funny if you

stay too long in the bath? And you are just relaxing. Imagine

working.

16- Make sure there are plenty of towels for the divers and

drywipes for the camera.

17- Breathing on SCUBA dehydrates you quite a lot, increasing

the risk of blood clotting and other unpleasant effects. I

know we are in the water, but make sure there is plenty of

water available to drink.

18- Do not call cylinders “bottles”.

There’s a lot to Underwater when it comes to props and

set and performing in the drink.

Ask the underwater cameraman well before the shoot, I have

seen sets coming apart after few minutes underwater because

they have used the wrong glue. Or ask Spielberg what he thinks

of animatronics sharks. There’s also the “Waterworld” budget

for you to have a look.

19- Allow plenty of time for taking the camera out of the

housing, reloading or changing lens or speed, sealing the

housing it’s not a quick job, if not done properly can be a

very expensive mistake.

20- Allow for tests, you do not want to discover problems once

few feet down and about to turn over.

21- Do not smoke. High pressure oxygen is highly combustible

(it’s used for welding you know....).

22- The Diving Supervisor supervises and can shut down the

entire operation. He is responsible for the divers lives and he’s your best

ally. If he tells you it cannot be done you should pay attention.

23- Make sure that you check and ask about locations, studios

or pools. Ask the underwater cameraman, not the skipper and

the local diving instructor. You are probably asking the wrong

questions anyway.

Unless we are talking money obviously.

24- Shooting on 16mm will cost you as shooting on 35mm.

Nobody believes it ‘till the bills come.

25- Video works nicely, shame that will cost you as much as

16mm, if done properly. Unless you are after a “wedding feel”.

26- There is only few good studios around for filming

underwater. The others are not for filming.

27-  All underwater cameramen are good, some are better than

others. But they all do it because they love it (they would be

crazy otherwise). “Dry” cameramen who say they can do it or

tech divers who say they have shot with cameras before are the

equivalent of a mine at sea: once in the water they are

dangerous.

You wouldn’t believe how many times I was called to

reshoot someone’s else flop.

28- Filming underwater is bloody hard work. Next time you are

swimming in a pool take few things in with you and see how

difficult it is to move them around or keep them in place.

That’s why NASA trains astronauts in a pool. The problem is

that when you become good you make it look easy.

I love the water but like Groucho Marx said to a couple who

had eleven children “ I like my cigar too, but I take it out

of my mouth once and a while."

In other words, give people in the water plenty of

breaks.

29- Underwater filming is great and you should relax and enjoy

it. Have fun.

30- Most factsheets like this are a complete waste of time: you

still know nothing but now you think you do. Sorry.

And one last piece of wisdom from Navy days: stilt happens.

Franz Pagot, AIC

m +44 (0)7770520757 m Italy +39 34093444107 tel/fax +44 0207 281 8520

http://www.franzpagot.com

www.underwaterfilmproduction.com