FILMING UNDERWATER… (In the Entertainment industry. The Best Way to Film Underwater)

Scouting Angola-Zulu War, Battlefield Islandlwana Zulu Natal, South Africa / Photo Credit: Bruce Bisbey

FILMING UNDERWATER… (In the Entertainment industry. The Best Way to Film Underwater)

Bruce Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com

The Best Way to Film Underwater:

Filming underwater is no ordinary task and insurance companies often shy away from covering it. Compared to filming on dry land working underwater presents several major differences that make even the simplest task more difficult.

A good rule of thumb when it comes to working underwater is to multiply time, people and money by three: a task that normally takes one person 1 minute and costs $100 will take three people 3 minutes and cost $300.

On top of this you have to take into account that filming underwater also brings with it many potential hazards. The equipment is normally heavier because it’s built to withstand pressure and corrosion, surfaces are slippery, and everything needs to be made safe to prevent the risk of electric shock, especially when lights are involved.

In fact, various countries worldwide consider working underwater a hazardous activity for which a commercial diving qualification is required (so make sure to always check beforehand with your local film commission if this is the case).

Aside from the danger to the cameraman, the water also poses a threat to the equipment and tests - for example to check all the housing - are required every time you prepare for a new shoot or move your gear to another location.

There are basically four ways of being u n d e r w a t e r: breath holding, open circuit scuba (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus), rebreather and surface supplied; all four require great care, attention

and serious consideration because humans are not designed to be underwater, let alone work there.

The majority of underwater filming is achieved on scuba using cylinders containing compressed air.

Scuba diving is considered a multitask activity and since operating a camera is also a multitask activity one can well imagine that combining the two is not everyone’s natural activity. A certain predisposition is often desirable, not to mention a good fitness level and appropriate training and technical diving qualifications.

There are several physical forces affecting a diver underwater and this increases his workload. This is the reason why in several countries worldwide working underwater is considered a hazardous activity and a commercial diving qualification is required. Specific safety measures are put in place, such as safety divers and a finite and carefully monitored time in the water, in order to protect everyone involved, in front of as well as behind the camera.

One of the best ways to receive technical feedback is through video analysis. Have you ever wondered what the best angle to film a swimmer from is? How deep you should put your camera? Where should the swimmer be in the frame? There are three types of learners in the world: Visual, Kinesthetic, and Auditory. Some teachers even include an additional type called Readers/Writers. With that being said, swim coaches have a tendency to include kinesthetic, auditory, and readers/writers within their regular workouts—but what about the visual learners?

Did you know that visual learners make up 65% of our population—they are the most common subgroup of learners out there? What do you do to benefit YOUR visual learners at swim practice?

That’s exactly where video analysis comes in!

Within the past decade, underwater cameras have become more and more available to the masses. With prices dropping and camera quality increasing, getting a decent underwater camera won’t break your budget. We owe a special thanks to GoPro for completely revamping the “action sports camera” and pushing other competitors to compete with their quality and prices. Now you can buy a decent underwater camera for about $200.

With that being said, here are eight questions each coach (or swimmer) should ask themselves before purchasing their FIRST underwater camera:

What is your budget?

How much are you willing to spend on a camera? Do you want insurance? Most cameras don’t come with all the attachments needed to film or mount to the pool wall—are you okay with buying those additional accessories?

A $199 price tag sounds great, but when you add in insurance, mounts, attachments, filters, and more—the price can easily triple before you know it.

What is your film setting?

Do you swim indoors? If so, how is the lighting? Do you need an additional light to help brighten the images? If you film outdoors, be sure to pay attention to sun glare and the temperature threshold of your camera!

Also, if you are using a public facility make sure to ask whether they are okay with you filming. There may be a set time outside of lap swim hours that is more preferred by management.

Be sure to take note of your pool walls and gutter system—this can affect what additional attachments and accessories you may need for your camera or the person filming.

How often do you plan on using your camera?

Do you plan on filming every day at work out or every few months? Be sure to look at the camera’s battery life and recharging time before purchase. Also, whether your camera includes an SD card or if you would need a bigger SD card for your team’s filming needs.

Your team and group size should be considered, along with how many strokes you plan on filming during each session. A rotating and consistent schedule with filming will allow you to get all of your swimmer’s strokes without filling up your entire SD card or running out of battery life.

Consider buying a 32 GB or larger SD card. This will allow you to record 3-4 hours of video at a time, as opposed to 1-2 hours with a standard 16 GB SD card.

Do you plan on traveling with your camera or will it stay in your office?

Make sure to look at weight of your camera and all the potential attachments. Some may be easier to travel with than others. Consider size, weight, attachments needed, and ease of portability before purchasing.

How do you plan on playing back your footage?

Do you plan on immediately playing back your video on an Apple TV or Smart TV—if so, make sure to find a camera is Wi-Fi compatible. Some cameras even have their own apps now, for easy connection and playback!

Do you have a preference whether your camera has viewfinder to watch while setting up and filming?

Including a viewfinder (or screen) is totally up to you. It definitely makes for easier set up and change of your cameras location—but this upgrade will definitely add some extra $$$ to your price tag.

Consider getting a camera without a screen and figuring out the depth and angle needed for the proper view of your swimmer. After all, the pool(s) your team trains at daily won’t ever change in size or shape!

Do you care about your camera’s resolution or frame rate capabilities?

Words from the wise—if you plan on slowing down your video for technique analysis. Make sure your camera has a resolution rate equal to or higher than 720p. Also, the camera can shoot in 60 frames per second or more. This will keep the video from being greatly distorted when slowed down to slow-motion.

Is the camera itself waterproof? Or does it need additional housing?

Just like GoPro Models 1-4, most underwater cameras are not waterproof on their own. Underwater camera housing can become costly based on your camera of choice, so make sure you take that into consideration before purchasing it.

Be sure to answer each of these proposed questions before purchasing your first underwater camera. Everybody’s pool is set up differently and your camera must meet the needs of its’ environment, as well as your team’s.

You have my underwater camera, but now what?

Before filming underwater, you want to make sure of a few things:

A. You have all your equipment

Including, your suction cup mount, fully charged camera, camera’s housing (if applicable), SD card, and pin/screw. Also cloth and screen cleaner is helpful, but not required.

B. Your camera settings are ready to go

You’ve set your camera to a resolution of 720 or higher. Also, the camera is set to 60fps or more. Lastly, make sure your camera is set to a medium angle view—especially for GoPro’s (avoid wide or super views).

C. The lighting is appropriate.

When outside, you don’t ever want to shoot with your lens directly facing the sun.

When inside, makes sure the pool is well-lit and all lights in the pool area are turned on and working.

D. The water quality is clear and not cloudy.

This may be completely out of your control, but if you go into the pool to film and realize the pool is very cloudy—come back another day. It will better suit your time than to film and realize you cannot see much about your swimmer’s technique due to the cloudiness of the water.

E. You can snag the lane closest to the wall.

Try to go at a time that this lane is available. Ask a lifeguard if they know of any of their regular lap swimmer’s schedule to avoid conflict.

F. There are no lane lines blocking your camera’s view.

If there is a lane line right by the wall, ask the lifeguard if they can move that lane line for a period of time. Or set up with pool management prior to the filming day if line lane adjustments are needed.

Once you have all check marked all pre-filming factors (A-F), you are ready to shoot! Let’s dive into various camera angles…

TOP 3 favorite camera angles are:

• Side-View, Stationary
• Head On, Stationary
• Below, Stationary 

Each angle has its’ pros and cons. For example, when you shoot a below, stationary clip–you may see a stroke or ½ a stroke depending on size of swimmer, speed, and the camera’s view settings. Although this may seem like a non-beneficial view—it is actually the only angle that allows you to see the pull pattern of both arms simultaneously in the butterfly and breaststroke strokes. So before you nix any of these camera viewpoints—hear me out!

Side-View, Stationary

This angle gives you a solid few recorded strokes and details on your swimmer’s body alignment, head positioning, and kick pattern. Also, you can change the swimmer’s swimming direction (left to right or right to left) to mix up the arm that is being filmed closest to the camera’s lens.

Requirements: When you’re shooting from a side-view, stationary position–have your swimmer start at the end of the pool and swim 15 meters at a 90% effort–focusing on their technique. Be sure to suction cup the camera about 10m or so away from the swimmer–about ~1-1.5 feet below the surface of the water. Remind the swimmer to swim as close to the lane line as possible (away from the wall). Press record when ready.

Here’s an example of when a swimmer is swimming too close to the camera while filming a side view, stationary angle:

Head-On, Stationary

This angle is great because you can really see your swimmer’s point of entry (before the catch) and their type of pulling for each stroke. Also, if the water quality is not good that day, you will notice it significantly during head-on clips.

Requirements: When you’re shooting from a head-on, stationary position–have your swimmer start at the flags on the other side of the pool (~20m from you). Remind them to swim at a 90% effort–focusing on their technique and DIRECTLY over the black line. Be sure to suction cup the camera in the middle of the “T” at the end of the lane—about ~1.5 feet below the surface of the water. Press record when ready.

Word to the Wise: If you are recording clips and the swimmer is not in the middle of the frame (in either the side view, stationary or head on, stationary angle), change the depth of your camera. If the swimmer is too high in the recorded frame, bring the camera towards the surface and if the swimmer is too low in the recorded frame, put the camera deeper.

Be sure to take into account your pool’s gutter system when securing your camera to the wall—it may be the added depth of the gutter that’s moving the swimmer outside the middle of the frame!

Here’s an example of when the camera is too close to the surface of the water:

3. Below, Stationary

As stated earlier, you don’t get multiple strokes recorded—like you do with the other two angles, BUT you can see pulling patterns. This is the main difference between below, stationary and head-on, stationary angle. In the head-on stationary angle, you can see whether a swimmer crosses over, but you can’t see their pull from start to finish (i.e. do they do an “S” pull?)–like you can with a below, stationary angle.

Requirements: When you’re shooting from a below, stationary position–have your swimmer start on the wall and place the camera about 10m away from the swimmer at bottom of the pool, in the middle of the black line. Be sure to face the lens directly up!

If you are using a GoPro Hero Session, you don’t need the suction cup for this angle—just put the camera on the bottom of the pool with the lens facing the surface when you’re ready to record. Remind your swimmer to swim at a 90% effort–focusing on their technique and DIRECTLY over the black line for 20m. Press record when ready.

If you record a swimmer’s strokes at each of these different angles—you will have a VERY good overall picture of their swimming technique. If you have videos of you or one of your own swimmer’s and would like them analyzed—I’d love to do that for you. Be sure to subscribe below and we will get started!

Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Entertainment Careers, Adhere Creative, In Deed, Glass Door, Pay Scale, Merriam-Webster, Job Monkey, Studio Binder, The Collective, Production Hub, The Producer's Business Handbook by John J. Lee Jr., Film Finance Inc., Ritter Sports, A Fish, Franz Pagot, AIC MBKS,

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