Advice for beginners?

[Debbie B]

Hello, all. I'm a 30 year old accountant from SC who spends most of her days daydreaming about being an underwater videographer on an island somewhere. I've been diving for a little over 3 years and have decided that I seriously want to pursue my dream and am in the beginning stages of researching exactly how to go about it. That's where I'm hoping your advice and recommendations will come in to play.

I've always envied those videographers who go out with dive groups, video their dive, and then sell their production to the divers as a momento of their trip. Although, I'm interested in hearing about other means of income with underwater videography.

Unfortunately, I cannot boast having much experience (actually, any experience) in underwater videography. So far I've only experimented with photography and making dvd slideshows using my stills and grainy movie clips produced by my Olympus C-7070. So, I assume the first step is acquiring equipment and practicing every chance I get. Personally, I'm ready to pool all my resources, move to an island (currently looking hard at Roatan), and do just that. Any advice/suggestions for things I should do before taking that step? Also, I'd like to know your opinions on purchasing new versus used equipment. I've been talking to a professional videographer on Roatan who is willing to do a course for me to help me get started. Also, he's got a couple sets of equipment he's trying to sell...a Sony TRV950 with Stingray II housing (no lights) or a Sony VX1000 with Stingray I housing (no lights)...any thoughts on those two setups? Would either of those be good starters for a beginner?

I apologize for this being such a long post, but I really am soliciting any and all comments concerning getting into the business of underwater videography, acquiring equipment, and heck, even moving to an island :)

Thanks :)

db

[Jonathan Bird]

Hi Debbie,
The fundamentals of shooting and editing video are the same underwater as above. The specifics are different, but the "big ideas" are the same. I would start by taking a couple of college courses in video production and get a handle on the terminology, the aesthetics, the styles of shooting, the technical stuff, and learn about the "process." Doing it underwater is taking it another step, but you need to start with a good grasp of the concepts first. This is where 95% of the people who try to get started in this endeavor screw up. They think "Hey, I'm a good diver, I shoot nice pictures, I'm going to go out and make a documentary." Not likely, without some skills first. I mean shooting, editing, camera handling, and most importantly, story telling skills. Skills that have NOTHING to do with diving or shooting underwater in particular.

From there, you need a good, professional underwater system. Fortunately for you, you live in an era where HD cameras are now affordable by mere mortals, and editing gear that used to cost $100K+ only 5 years ago runs on a laptop for $1,000. Simply amazing.

But all the gear in the world will not make you any good. Sorry to be harsh. I had a woman call me once about taking an underwater video course. I asked her what she hoped to learn in the course, and she didn't really have an answer. She told me that she worked for a local TV station and had access to "all kinds of gear" and that somehow made her a seasoned pro. Unfortunately, she had never shot a thing in her life and was not ready for a course underwater.

That is not to say I don't teach a course now and then to a bunch of video newbies, but you will get a lot more out of something like that with some experience.

You can always go out an buy Jim Church's excellent book on underwater video production, read it, buy some gear, and go practice. Not a bad start. Watch a lot of films with a critical eye to shooting and editing, and dissect them. But you will make a lot more forward progress to start if you do a local college course or two in video production. It will REALLY kick start you.

As for gear, if you want to do broadcast or sell footage in the stock field, you pretty much have to shoot in HD now. Nobody is buying squat in standard definition anymore. Nobody will fund anything in SD. I just pitched some stuff to Nat Geo and Discovery and they had fine print in their contracts about everything must be shot in HD and they would no longer consider anything shot in SD. Considering that all the "high end" consumer underwater stuff is now HD anyway, this is no biggie. I personally would not invest another dime in SD gear like a VX-1000, even though I still keep and until recently was still using a VX-1000 system (one of the best cameras ever made for underwater use IMHO.)

A little Sony 1080i HDV camera like the HC-3 in a housing will deliver amazing results in HD that can be downconverted to NTSC very easily to be viewed in SD or put on DVD. If you have no idea what I just said, this is why you need to learn some basics! ;)

I hope that answers some questions.

Jonathan

[Debbie B]

Jonathan, thanks for the advice and suggestions. Ever since I got your reply I've been trying to find some courses that cover some of the basics you mentioned. So far, I haven't had much luck with any of the local institutions here in SC. The University of SC does have a media arts program, but I'd pretty much have to enroll in the full degree program to be eligible to take any of the courses and right now that's not feasible for me. However, the director told me about The Workshops, an institution based in Rockport, Maine. Are you familiar with them? I've contacted them and looked into some of their workshops, but they're pretty pricey and well, in Maine. So, I was wondering, do you have any recommendations for other resources that I could use to "self educate" myself? In your previous post you mentioned Jim Church's book, which I'll certainly check out, but are there any others you'd recommend? I haven't completely given up on finding a course, I'd just like to be doing/learning what I can while I'm still searching.

Thanks :)

Debbie

[Jonathan Bird]

Debbie,
I am very surprised that you can't take a course at a local college without getting into a program. Here in Boston we have a number of small colleges with video production programs. Hmmmm.....interesting.

The Rockport classes are supposedly fantastic, but they are a bit far from you!!

The Art Institutes (one in NC and another in GA) have programs like this. I used to teach at the Art Institute in Boston.

I would to the smaller colleges.

Best,
Jonathan

[Debbie B]

Thanks. I'll contact the Art Institutes in NC and GA. The SC Arts Commission used to offer a video production workshop in the summers, but they no longer run the program. Our local technical college doesn't have any type of video production program, but I'm still checking with other technical colleges in the state. I haven't completely given up hope, but like you, thought it would be a little easier to find something.

[David White]

Hello Debbie,

Apart from Jim Church's excellent book, "Essential Guide to Underwater Video" there are several other sources where you can obtain information. Hammerhead Press published a book by Steven Barsky, Lance Milbrand and Mark Thurlow titled, "Underwater Digital Video Made Easy" that is quite informative and a bit more up to date. There are a couple of informative DVD's available as well, "Underwater Video Basics" by Steve Miller and, "Your Guide to Creating Underwater Video" by Annie Crawley.

I am a self-taught underwater videographer and have evolved through the ranks of shooting with a digital 8 camera, a SONY 3CCD VH-2000 camera, and now shoot with the SONY HVR-Z1U. Over the years there has been a considerable investment made in earlier cameras and housings, all of which I still have, since it is not likely that I could sell them for anywhere near what they are worth to me. So, I second Jonathan's comments about starting out with a HD rig. New HD camera models are coming out from the manufacturers at a furious pace so please ensure that there is a housing available for the camera that you are interested in before purchasing the camera.

And then you will need a computer and NLE software to edit all of your footage with. You can download trial copies of most NLE packages available to test drive them and some even have entry level versions of the software at a significant cost savings. Decide on the NLE package that you prefer and stick with it. It is expensive enough to continue purchasing the upgrades let alone switching to and learning another program.

Since I was not able to find any colleges offering video production programs within a reasonable distance from home I opted for the next best thing. Determined to improve on my filming techniques I elected to join Jonathan on a few of the trips he has arranged for this year. Now my accountant just needs to decide whether to write the expenses off under business travel or education.

[Jonathan Bird]

Now my accountant just needs to decide whether to write the expenses off under business travel or education.

:cool: Now that's thinking!

[Debbie B]

David, thanks so much for the reply. Since my last post I've contacted what seems like every technical/community college in the state of SC and the Art Institutes of NC and GA and still have not found any courses to take that don't require fulltime enrollment or lots of driving. Unfortunately, neither of those options are feasible for me at this time and I was starting to get a little frustrated/disappointed. It's encouraging to hear from someone who is "self taught" and I plan to start down that path while keeping my ears and eyes open for other learning oppurtunities. I've recently ordered the book from Hammerhead Press and am anxious to get it. I'll also check out the others you mentioned. I've also contacted Jonathan about participating in one of his future educational trips, but would like to take his advice of getting a little education, even if it is on my own, before doing that.

Also, thanks for the advice on equipment. I've been doing some research on what's out there and what it will take to upgrade my computer/software to process footage. It is mind boggling how quickly things become obsolete, or at least "out dated" by technological standards, so I'm taking time to learn as much as I can before making any decisions to buy.

Thanks again for the advice. I'll take all I can get :)

Debbie

[LizHanks]

I would start by taking a couple of college courses in video production and get a handle on the terminology, the aesthetics, the styles of shooting, the technical stuff, and learn about the "process.
Jonathan

After doing underwater photography for a long time, I've recently gotten involved in underwater videography. The Jim Church book is excellent, and I've read and watched every other book and DVD I could get my hands on. I really like the idea of going back to basics though, and taking a college course seems like a great idea. The schedules in the local colleges don't fit in well with my work/play life though.

Has anybody run into a solid online/distance learning course for video production?

Ideally, I'd like to find a video equivalent of the NYIP course (http://www.nyip.com/courses/dp/) (good materials, homework, a pro who gives you feedback for each project, etc.), but I can't find anything like that in my searching.

Thanks!

Liz

[Jonathan Bird]

Here's a free tutorial....not sure how good it is.

http://www.cybercollege.com/tvp_ind.htm

[Papa Bear]

Is it Pablo? I would suggest magazines like Video Maker, they have classes on production. The editing is the secrete to this being profitable. You have to be fast people want to see results quickly in those venues. It is a very tough living! Pablo gets by in a third world country because of the exchange rate. Your an accountant do the math of how many you have to sell! Your production costs are high because of the lack of volume! Pablo sells his Fish ID on our site at www.twotankedproductions.com. I would suggest starting by going on as many dive trips as possible and watch it being done. Develop a style. On a lot of Live- aboard's the captain or crew do the concision for the video for extra money. I would not give up your day job until you have it down pat and understand the process and fundamentals. Your time is worth more as an accountant than an editor of vacation videos, that's just a fact of life.

[David White]

Thanks for the link Jonathan. Having gone through the first few modules, this course apears to be quite an intensive treatment of the subject matter.