THE VIDEO ZONE: Top underwater video tips from Bryan Stanislas

Bryan Stanislas is www.sportdiver.co.uk's latest columnist. A qualified commercial diver and diving instructor with over 25 years experience in the film and marine industry, he is here to answer all your questions regarding underwater videography.

Having worked on movies such as Batman Begins, Stardust and Atonement as well as a multitude of television programmes, your queries are in good hands!

So, whether it’s a question about how best to get started or which top-end piece of kit you should buy next, Bryan is your man. Simply post a question in the comments sections below.

As well as answering your questions, Sport Diver’s video expert will also be offering you regular tips and advice.
To kick things off…

Underwater Video Top Tips:

• Try and always shoot video with the sun behind you (unless shooting for a silhouette) as this avoids unnecessary glare and light shafts penetrating shallow waters.
• Leave the zoom button alone - set your focal length before recording as there is nothing more off-putting than a film which is zooming in and out.
• Always white balance before recording - white balance should be used as soon as you descend. If you change depth by a couple of metres, white balance again. If you want really bright colours then white balance a couple of metres deeper than the depth you’re lining up to film at. Use the red filter that comes with the housing at the same time, it makes the colours even stronger and more natural. White balance will take the murky greens away and replace them with vibrant blues and reds, this works well when the water is green, with the result being crystal blue water.
• Hold the camera steady. Nothing looks worse than a shaky video.
• Avoid ‘hosing down’ your subjects. Nobody likes a video which quickly darts from one point to another, giving the impression of a fire-fighter hosing down a fire. The human eye and brain can process images very quickly, but a camera cannot. Try and ensure that shots are at least 10 seconds in length (unless the subjects action is longer) as this gives room for a trim process within the edit.
• Know what your camera system can do! As with all diving you need to know what your equipment can do - read the instruction manuals of your camera system at least two or three times and take the manuals to the dive sites!
• Practice, Practice, Practice… Practice filming on dry land in order to get to know your equipment - wear gloves (if it suites your diving environment) and get the feel of the cameras operation.
• Always use a safety quick release system when retaining video equipment to your body when diving. A camera is not worth more than your life so dump it if you need to.
• Underwater video systems can be heavy and bulky - if needed, alter the video system to ensure neutral or slightly positive buoyancy.

FAQs:

Q. I have problems keeping the camera still when filming close up images in shallow water due to surge and wave action. How can I overcome this?

A. Use a tripod. Most quality underwater camera housings have a thread mount for a tripod on the base of the housing. Purchase a cheap lightweight mini to medium tripod from a reputable camera store - something that will collapse down to a manageable size. You will also need some additional weights to anchor the tripod still. Shot weights are ideal for this as Velcro straps can be used to hold them in place once the tripod is set.
 

Q. My video goes from very sharp images to blurry when recording - how can I stop this?
 

A. Try and avoid using auto focus when filming. Virtually all consumer video cameras have an auto focus setting and it is this that tends to make the focus ‘hunt’ for something to get a fix on. Try and always use the manual setting.

A little about Bryan:

I recall my interest in underwater filming all started when I had, as a young child, been mesmerised while watching Jacques Cousteau’s Underwater World on Saturday morning television one day. It seemed so gentle and serene with the film having a slow floating soundtrack in the background while Mr Cousteau himself narrated his piece about the environment and marine life in his distinctive French accent. I was instantly hooked.
 

I first started scuba diving back in 1985 while still at school, which was a little strange for me as I couldn’t swim! I remember the instructor at the pool saying on my first lesson: “Put that weight belt on lad and jump in and give me 10 lengths.” Needless to say it scared the living daylights out of me but for some strange reason I did as he asked and would have drowned if it wasn’t for an observant lifeguard with a rather long pole. As I grew up I also developed a passion for photography and then when video cameras became more affordable I then crossed over to moving images. In 1993 I became a certified instructor and worked on the south coast of the UK for many years as a dive professional. The rest, as they say, is history. Now some twenty something years on I find myself a little older, a little greyer, and perhaps a little wiser. Wonderfully, I’m doing that exact thing I dreamt about all those years ago as a small boy watching Jacque Cousteau’s Underwater World - underwater filmmaking.

Bryan runs H20 films and offers a variety of courses for budding underwater filmmakers. To check out H20 Films, click here. 
 

Keep up with all the latest diving news and reviews by following Sport Diver on Facebook.