Introduction

[richstevenson]

Hello!

Just a quick post to introduce myself, my name is Rich Stevenson and I'm a Professional diver living and working on the South Coast of England.

My main interest is UW Video and I hope to learn more by using this site

Cheers

Rich

[Ken Hawk]

Hi Rich I hope you find the help you need.

[sorvju-f]

Hello!

Just a quick post to introduce myself, my name is Rich Stevenson and I'm a Professional diver living and working on the South Coast of England.

My main interest is UW Video and I hope to learn more by using this site

Cheers

Rich

Wellcome Rich...what is your set to do videos?

Jukka

[Andrew]

Hi Rich,

Welcome to the forum! Where abouts are you on the south coast and what kind of professional diving do you do?

Andrew

[Jonathan Bird]

Welcome Rich! Glad to have you here!

Jonathan

[richstevenson]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the welcome messages, as requested a little about myself

I live and work in Plymouth on the South Coast of UK where I run a small diving company called Deep Blue Diving and Marine Services

We are half recreational and half commercial mainly specialising in CCR training, Charters and just recently a few film projects

I have bought and am learning to use a Sony HDV-Z1 in Gates Housing with Fathom lens which I got second hand from a guy last year, you can see some of my few outings here at : www.youtube.com/filmingunderwater

I'm going to college in September this year to study Film and Media part time as I want to get better, I'm happy with my diving skills but my filming has a looong way to go!!

Thanks for the warm welcome, any critique and advice you can give me would be very welcome

Cheers

Rich

[sorvju-f]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the welcome messages, as requested a little about myself

I live and work in Plymouth on the South Coast of UK where I run a small diving company called Deep Blue Diving and Marine Services

We are half recreational and half commercial mainly specialising in CCR training, Charters and just recently a few film projects

I have bought and am learning to use a Sony HDV-Z1 in Gates Housing with Fathom lens which I got second hand from a guy last year, you can see some of my few outings here at : www.youtube.com/filmingunderwater

I'm going to college in September this year to study Film and Media part time as I want to get better, I'm happy with my diving skills but my filming has a looong way to go!!

Thanks for the warm welcome, any critique and advice you can give me would be very welcome

Cheers

Rich

Looks like you want to develop with your skills...we all have learning curves and I have to say that it is never ending story.

When you say that you want to develop, you already know that some parts of you videos are not what you really want and you can make own list of those things.

Your gears are top level and it is not preventing your process. Your examples were from dark waters and this take up the question about your lights...there are halogens, xenons, hids and leds which all are giving little bit different results...also co divers have their own lights which gives noticeable colors in final result. You also see that when you go really close...some parts of video is "burning out". I feel that adjustable light would be nice ones, but they are not really existing. I use 2 pieces of 35W xenons and they are making burning also. I have also 10 watts HID for close ups.

I would start one learning curve in editing by leaving strong transitions away and learn to edit without them...I am myself not good enough to leave them totally away. If you look professional productions they very seldom use these page turning transition ( or the other strong transitions, which are taking the viewer mind away from itself the subject ). Adding clips together is one basic skill and it is worth putting some time to learn them.

For example one adding way is to have clip of diver turning his head somewhere...it is rather easy to add clip of anything to that and it works in viewers eyes.

Rythm of clips is also important... close/far/50%/moving/still/pans/zooms/from left/from right/above up etc...keeps the interest of viewer running.

If you have same cropping of diver 10 x in your video...I loose my interest after 3.

Have you used manual white balance and how often you do it...I feel some points where white balance was not real?

So here was couple of first comments!

Jukka

[tkelly]

Welcom Rich!
Is that Poseiden Rebreather in the video?

I like the subject and what you shot.
One comment on the video, your titles are all over the place. You want to keep them in the "Title safe" area, so that different screens don't clip them. Also, so that if you ever need to show the video on an SD/PAL format you don't have to completely redo the titles.

Try to place titles so that the viewer does not have to shift thier attention away from the area of interest. And don't state in text what the viewer can see. In other words: simply "6 meters" is better than "Water is much clearer at 6 meters" because the viewer can see that. ( This the "Show don't tell" concept that is central to sharing any story.

Video looks great for the depth. What lights were you using?

-Todd

[Sharp]

Hello Rich and welcome.

I have been diving in the same old limestone mine Montola in Finland about two years ago at the same time, when you where having the CCR Cavediving Cource.

I have done also UW videos from there and mainly in lakes of Finland. My video geards need to get upgrade, so I cant give you tip of those, but I hope I can give you some info about techniques of shooting.

Here is video (http://www.youtube.com/user/syvapurppura#p/u/8/zP4aI0Jge7M)where is diving your students Laura, Mika and Jani. You can find more pictures and videos from my website www.pasilensu.com

I got my CCR certification after few months. Here is my course video (http://www.youtube.com/user/syvapurppura#p/u/0/KiarJNYg-mk):)

[Ken Hawk]

Hi Pasi
Have you done a course with Rich, I know he gets about a bit ;)

[richstevenson]

Guys,

Thanks for all the comments, it will be interesting to see how my skills progress as our diving season gets going

Cheers all

Rich

ps Todd I am using Greenforce Squid 250'S with the 100minute run time batteries

[Sharp]

Hi Pasi
Have you done a course with Rich, I know he gets about a bit ;)

No, I did my cave diving certifigation with mexicon instructor and CCR certifivation with finnish instructor.

Four of mine friends have done course with Rich. They told that there where a lot of work and training on his course:)