Underwater Photography
Vital Contacts
SCUBA Xcursion (service provider):
Monkeyland KZN (service provider):
Quick Answers
Working hours for course instructors / field specialists
Working days / hours on the program are Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM. One hour for lunch and other coffee breaks as needed throughout the day. Midmonth on the reserve you will be required to work one weekend Whilst on the game reserve, you will also be required to work later and earlier on occasion as requested by students in the case of night shoots, sun rise and sun set time lapses etc. Optional. You can optionally drive and guide weekend trips for additional cash payments. This time and effort is entirely separate from your course instructor / field specialist work
Food and catering for Course Instructors / Field Specialists
Whilst working on the course you will be entitled to eat standard meals provided by Africa Media and the game reserve. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner. If you choose not to eat, no additional compensation will be offered.
Accommodation for Course Instructors / Field Specialists
If required you will be provided with accommodation whilst working on the program. This will be in a shared room with a maximum of one other course instructor or field specialist. On occasion, you may be required to share accommodation with students when on the game reserve. If you choose not to take advantage of accommodation offer, no additional compensation will be paid for your own accommodation.
Can I film whilst on the reserve
During your time on the game reserve, you will only be able to film for the following
- All content collected will belong solely to Africa Media and can be used by course instructor only for personal and marketing purposes.
- Only professional filming with Africa Media cameras and equipment will be permitted. Personal equipment will be limited to cell phone
- Company CEO must give permission to film and will only be granted in situations of very small student groups (<3), and when it does not interfere with your teaching of the program.
What reserve(s) do we visit
Reserve choice will be determined by company CEO prior to month start and dependent on student number, and space availability. The current reserve options are
- Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve (View website)
What dates do we go to reserve?
The precise dates vary from month to month, but typically will be the second Wednesday of a month, between the 11 – 14th. 8 nights will be spent on the reserve.
Payment Terms
Course instructors payment will occur on last working day of month following compleation of program. Bonus payment will occur when (a) student videos are successfully uploaded onto Africa Media Youtube channel / photojournalism playlist and link of proof is sent to company COO amd (b) all expense slips have been submitted to Company CFO. As instructor is freelance postion, no taxes or benefits will be withhold
Program Schedule
Welcome
This set of tabs outlines the daily activities and important notes (goals) that course instructors and field specialists need to adhere to during the teaching of this program.
Please note – the schedule offers some more advanced options for ‘experienced students’ who either arrive with a high degree of skill or partake in the program for two months. But also appriciate the program cannot be ‘rewritten’ for the individual needs and wants of each student.
Morning | Afternoon | |
2nd | (Orientation - Africa Media). Orientation to program, life at Africa Media, weekend activities, covid, how meals and board run, safety etc. (Orientation - Wildlife Film). Orientation to program specifically. Instructor to introduce to team, give plan on month, and hold discussion on who the students are, their ambitions from program and long term, and their current skill level. (Administration). Student gives to sign liability waivers on equipment and dangers etc. | (Lecture 1 - Intro to wildlife filmmaking). Quick spoken recap on wildlife filmmaking and ensure all the students have watched videos online before arrival. Make sure that if they havnt to watch in evenings. (1hr) Workshop 1 - Ethics. Conduct ethics in filmmaking workshop. (2hr) Premier Setup - Ensure all students have premier downloading and working on their computers and ensuring they have access to the editing software for at least one month. Students who are setup, can recap on some of the online lessons. If students need new harddrives then can take them to mall to purchase from Game. (1-2hr) |
3rd | (Gear Issuing). Gear Issue - All individual gear issued (including harddrive), and checked as working with the students. Make notes on any issues with gear. Ensure students put the gear away for themselves in an accessible yet safe place, and then look after it and use the same gear throughout the month. Introduce communal gear and how that will work - issued when needed and shared amongst students. Have students sign checkout sheet. (Workshop 2 - Camera Use). Conduct workshop going through all the functions on the cameras (Hvx200) and DSLR cameras (sitting at desks). Continue with filming outside guesthouse with cameras to learn functions and operations. . | (Workshop 3 Gear Maintainance). Students taken through care and maintainance of all equipment. Specifically, demonstrated weakpoints in all gear and showing how to treat it when using it in the wild and also how to clean and maintain the gear for longivity. This includes 1. Camera, 2. Tripods, 3. Lens, 4. Cards, 5. Batteries, 6. Drones, 7. Effects cameras. etc. (Data Management) - Take students through downloading and storing their footage on harddrives. Recap online lessons about file systems and backups. Hve them use test footage to download, store and organise. Use footag from camera use workshop to transfer it onto premier. . |
4th | (Workshop 4- Farm Production). 2 hours working on filming animals on farm - including Goats, donkeys, birds (weavers), rabbits and chickens. (download footage, clean cameras) (Data management). Download farm footage. During download ensure students take time to clean equipment, put batteries onto charge, ensure everything is ready. | (Workshop 5 - Editing) Have students spend 3 hours putting content onto premier timeline and editing. Use time to go through workshop on editing with your computer plugged into TV screen.
(Crit Session). Students to present timelines to class on projector. Critique on the shots, where they struggle, where they are going good, what they as individuals need to work on. (Prep Session). Recap on shooting sequences in preperation for tomorrow trip to Monkeyland and Birds of Eden |
5th | (Workshop 6) - Monkeyland & Birds of Eden trip). Trip to monkey land and birds of Eden. Conduct Birds of Eden (First) workshop whilst guiding students and assisting them in capturing content. | Workshop 6 - Monkeyland & Birds of Eden). After lunch break, conduct Monkeyland section of workshop whilst guiding students and assisting them in capturing content. REturn to Mossl Bay Data management. Download content and arrange it. Maintain equipment and clean cameras and lens. If time is available they can start reviewing / editing footage |
6th | Lecture 2 - Audio in wildlife film. Do lecture with microphones out Lecture 3 - Working with talent Workshop 7 - Interviews. Recap on audio and take students throuh different audio equipment. Then get equipment together and look for a location to run the intervierws workshop. Run workshop on interviews. | Workshop 5 - Editing). Conduct full editing workshop and spend entire morning editing a two (approx)1 minute long sequences from Monekyland and Birds of Eden with interview content placed into the timelines. Crit Session. Conduct crit session between students. Have them show their films and talk abut challenges. Students review work of the others. What worked, what did not. |
Morning | Afternoon | |
9th | Lecture 5 - Story. Conduct brief lecture on story - recapping online lessons. Workshop 6 - Story Development.. Conduct workshop 6 on story development - issue magazines and have students write and develop their own narratives based on stories that they like. Do crit session on the story. | Personal Time. Students need to pack their equipment and personal items. Personal shopping, and writing story ideas for researve. Instructor to be on hand to assist in equipment prep and story development. |
10th | Travel. Depart from Mossel Bay at 8Am to arrive at reserve at 14h00. Stop for snacks and lunch purchases at either Colcester (Schotia) or Graaif Renuit (Camdeboo). |
Orientation drive. Once at the research, drop of personal gear and unload / setout film equipment. Then conduct an orientation drive (students can carry personal cameras). Instructor and students to build relationship with guide(s). |
11th |
Practial - Story Development. Morning spent writing stories, talking to guides, and pitching final idea to instructors and guides. (instuctor to organise gear during this period). Need to have agreement on story and viability. | Practical - Filmmaking. Lunchtime briefing for filming plan, then afternoon spent filming wildlife. Download (over dinner period) and content management (after dinner) - Evening review on progress to enable plan for next day |
12th |
Practial - Filmmaking. 15 minute morning briefing on morning filming plan then out collecting content for students story. Break for breakfast and then continue filming | Practical - Filmmaking. Lunchtime briefing for filming plan, then afternoon spent filming wildlife. Download (over dinner period) and content management (after dinner) - Evening review on progress to enable plan for next day |
13th | Practial - Filmmaking. 15 minute morning briefing on morning filming plan then out collecting content for students story. Break for breakfast and then continue filming | Practical - Filmmaking. Lunchtime briefing for filming plan, then afternoon spent filming wildlife. Download (over dinner period) and content management (after dinner) - Evening review on progress to enable plan for next day |
14th |
Practial - Filmmaking. 15 minute morning briefing on morning filming plan then out collecting content for students story. Break for breakfast and then continue filming | Practical - Filmmaking. Lunchtime briefing for filming plan, then afternoon spent filming wildlife. Download (over dinner period) and content management (after dinner) - Evening review on progress to enable plan for next day |
15th | Practial - Filmmaking. 15 minute morning briefing on morning filming plan then out collecting content for students story. Break for breakfast and then continue filming | Practical - Filmmaking. Lunchtime briefing for filming plan, then afternoon spent filming wildlife. Download (over dinner period) and content management (after dinner) - Evening review on progress to enable plan for next day |
Morning | Afternoon | |
Day 11 - (Free diving land) - Floater Key Goals of Day
| (Lesson - Free diving) - Lecture on the theory behind free diving and holding your breath
| (Workshop - Freediving Land) - Land based practical on free diving breath holding and testing the ability of students to hold breath on static and dynamic apnea. |
Day 12 - (Shark Diving)
Key Goals of Day
| (Dive - Cage Diving). Students to join WSA cage diving trip. To film with gopro on handle at high frame rates of sharks. Topside to film with personal camera if they want. . (Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of batteries (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, . | (Edit) Start white shark cage diving scene with particular emphasis of shark - and realise limitations without b-roll, other subjects and perspective in shots
(Lesson - perspective) Recap on perspective and b-roll lesson. Will be used over next days |
Day 13 - (Free diving water) - Floater
Key Goals of Day
| (Workshop - Pratical on duckdive). Session at dolosers to practise duck diving and maintaining depth on a free dive at the dolersa. Specifically on techniques, and correctly weighting yourself to be neturally buoyant on free dive. . | (Workshop - Freediving pool). two hour pool session on practising free diving techniques for static (max 3 minutes) and dynamic apnea (max 50m). . . |
Day 14 (Shark Diving)
Key Goals of Day
| (Dive - Cage Dive). Students to join WSA cage diving trip. To film with gopro on handle at high frame rates of sharks. Topside to film b-roll of bait handler, faces, sharks. (Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of batteries (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, | (Edit) - White Shark Cage Diving scene with particular emphasis of using b-roll and perspective shots to fill out the scene. . |
Day 15 - (B-Roll / Perspective)
Key Goals of Day
| (Dive - Perspective) - Boat dive on a reef with a lot of structure (walls, gullies, reefs). Dive to collect footage where you create shots with a subject, foreground and background content. Maximise perspective. Also focus on content that has perspective without major subject - to be used as B-Roll . (Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of batteries (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, | (Edit) - Boat dive on a reef with a lot of structure (walls, gullies, reefs). Dive to collect footage where you create shots with a subject, foreground and background content. Maximise perspective. Use b-roll footage to insert into an existing timeline as effective b-roll |
Morning | Afternoon | |
Day 16 (Talent D1) Key Goals of Day
| (Dive 18 - Raggie shark dive). Dive at Raggie Point to film and locate large raggies. Focus is on positioning low on the reef and allowing the raggies to apprach and find the diver. . (Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, | (Workshop - Talent & Communication). Recap on lesson on working with talent and communications. Students break into pairs and conduct training (using cheat sheet) of underwater signals to get footage of them together with farm animals. |
Day 17 (Talent D2)
Key Goals of Day
| (Dive - Communication Dive). Students to do dive filming talent (each other) and using communication signals to direct talent (Dive - (Talent dive) Dive at Mitches reef or fluffies. Aim to film a sequence of talent cleaning reef by collecting fishing line. . (Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, | (Workshop - Editing). Have students work personally on building and editing sequence from the pervious two days diving with talent. |
Day 18 (Talent D3)
Key Goals of Day
| (Dive - Water Entry Dive). Specialist training dive working on filming water entry to a diver from multiple angles. Namely self filming (gopro), waiting submerged, and boat frame. . | (Workshop Editing). Finish editing a sequence using human talent and fishing line, water entry to cleanup a reef. Include fish and b-roll (Workshop - Soundscapes). Workshop on editing techniques to build multiple audio tracks (voice, narrator, ambinat, music) and mixing them correctly onto a sequence . |
Day 19 (Pitching & Stock) - Floater
Key Goals of Day
| (Workshop Pitching). Recap on pitching lesson. Prepare a personal pitch to present the pitch via (a) a written pitch treatment, and (b) and standup pitch.
(Workshop Stock). Recap on stock footage licencing and exporting . Work with students on choosen stockclips | (Workshop - Stock Footage). Students set up profiles on two libraries and upload content. Namely - Pond5 and Nature Footage. Get best stock clips uploaded. |
Day 20 (Editing & Presentation)
Key Goals of Day
| (Editing). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, . | (Exporting). Students to export sequences, and stock clips from their month of diving. Aim to show some of the sequences that evening. . |
Dive Notes
Dive. Introduction
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is an introduction assessment dive for the instructor to determine the ability and competence of the student. It is also an opportunity for the student to detect any problems with their equipment and weighting.
Briefing – It is important for instructor to let students know theey will be accessing the quality of the students buoyancy and competence. Specifically talk to students about using lungs for buoyancy, not having arms waving about, and trying to relax on the dive. Also if any equipment failures exist, then as we will be shallow we can surface and fix.
Dive. Stability (1)
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is a dive with Gopros. The goal is to take students through boat entries, and then when in the water focus on techniques to shoot stable footag. SPecfically using two hands, flutter kicking, positioning to the current.
Briefing – It is important for instructor to let students knowpurpose isss to get used to not having hands free and to focus on stability through good dive technique and letting subjects do the acting.
Dive. Stability (2)
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is a dive with Gopros. The goal is to take students through boat entries, and then when in the water focus on techniques to shoot stable footage. This will be deeper dive, so students need to recognise this and see how it affects dive duration, opportunity to film and buoyancy.
Briefing – Instructor to brief on deeper dive, focusing on effeciency – still being relaxed, but capturing content in a smaller window. Also to continute to focus on stablity. Instructor to point out individual areas for student to work on based on previous dive.
Snorkel. Large Pool / Rockpool
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is a snorkel with the larger cameras and withut lights. Aim is to allow students to get filming with the camera but to have opportunity to standup and talk to instructor about issues they are having with focus, exposure, record, balancing etc. Also important for students to ensure that camera is working correctly and balanced.
Briefing – Instructor to brief on why snorkel – to allow communication. To work out any issues in buttons and functioning camera.
Dive. Shore Entry
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is a shore entry dive with big camera. Usually doliser or mitches reef. Aim is to introduce students to filming with the big cameras, using the lights, in a safe and secure zone. Whilst remaining to focus on stability. Now students are working with exposure, iso and focus
Briefing – Instructor to brief on why shallow scuba – namely to get used to big camera in sheltered area. Focus on learning buttons and in particular exposure, focus, and recording.
Dive. Boat Intro (1)
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is a boat entry dive with big camera. Take through protocol of getting cameras into and out of water (passing), and protecting them on the boat (bags, towels, dome covers). On dive, students need to start readinh the currents and looking out for ways to film up at subjects and reading the environment – sun, currents, surge, visibility.
Briefing – Instructor to brief on boat protocl wilth cameras. Also on dive that will not move but find a subject and focus on one or two subjects for dive. Thinking of sequences – wide, mediums and if possible closeups. Also reading the environment (sun, surge, current, visibility) to achive goal.
Dive. Boat Intro (2)
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive is:
This is a deeper boat entry dive with big camera. On dive, students need to continue reading the currents and looking out for ways to film up at subjects and reading the environment – sun, currents, surge, visibility.
Briefing – Instructor to person recap on previous dive. Also brief that next dive will be deeper and affect buoyancy (lose it more), and to continue with finding subjects and focus on getting all the shots of that subject. (Wides, mediums, close).
Dive. Raggie SCUBA (1)
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive are
- Collect varied footage of ragged tooth sharks by using professional diving techniques to allow them to move close to camera.
- Train in standard fil;ming techniques to keep footage sharp, stable and exposed correctly.
Key briefing points
- Stay low – Keep part of the reef, either by hiding beside outcrops, staying low on reef, or dipping into crevice.
- Breath hold – Occassionally hold breath if ragged tooth shark is approaching. This iwll stop it getting frightened away by bubbles.
- Don’t chase – Watch the behaviour of the sharks and position yourselft to intercept them. Don’t chase the sharks as they will quikly dissappear. patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier.
Snorkel. Shark Cage Dive (1)
Instructor notes
The two aims of this dive is
- Collect natural history footage of great white sharks
- Get creative in shots to offer more angles and compositions.
- Work with ‘crew’ to wrangle sharks into required position.
Key discussion points
- Communication – Student will need to talk to crew to explain what they are looking for. Shark closer, shark further, no bait in shot, etc.
- Angles – Student to create angles by getting low in the cage and shooting up, using a pole cam for closeups, collecting topside footage, holding camera just above surface (over under).
- Perspective – Have students get perspective by using surface as a ceiling, using bars in foreground, filming along boat hull.
- Static apnea – Advise on breathhold – have students doing recovery and then maximising breath hold underwater to get long continious shots.
Snorkel. Shark Cage Dive (2)
Instructor notes
The aims of this dive expedition are
- To film a ‘promo’ style video either for the company or for tourists (students decision). This includes both ‘topside and ‘underwater’ shots.
Process
- Students to be briefed and issued with gopros.
- Filming starts before the expedition with boat getting ready, tourists arriving.
- Creative B-roll and topside subjects filmed whilst waiting for time in cage
- Topside of great whites filmed whilst waiting to get in cage
- Pole cam of sharks and tourists in cage
- Cage dive with variation of shots including
Key discussion points
- This is a career opportunitiy – as many aspiring underwater videographers get jobs filming tourism expeditions.
- Appaearance releases are essential if you hope to use footage for stock with people in it.
- Dedicate efforts to the ‘two shot’ which is client and shark together in near the same frame.
Snorkel. Freedive Doliser
Instructor notes
The aim of this dive is
- To train in using static apnea, ducking diving and dynamic apnea to collect video footage of sharks at a depth of around 4m.
Process
- Issue cameras – large cameras without lights.
- Issue sorkelling equipment – No SCUBA tanks.
- Chum sharks – drop bait box at dive location
- Practise duck diving – Withouth cameras have students practise duck diving and hovering at bottom. Ensuring weight allows near hovering.
- Practise with cameras – Students to then take cameras and collect footage
Key discussion points
- Free diving techniques – Recap on free diving techniques they have learnt previously.
- – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
- Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
- Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
- Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.
Dive. Perspective
Instructor notes
The two aims of this workshop are
- Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
- Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording
Process
- Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
- Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
- Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
- White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
- Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
- Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
- Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.
Key discussion points
- Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
- Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
- Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
- Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
- Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.
Dive. Raggie (2)
Instructor notes
The aims of this workshop are
- To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
- To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
- To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides
Process
- Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
- Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
- Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
- Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
- Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)
Key discussion points
- Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images.
- Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
- Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited.
- Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier.
Dive. Communications
Instructor notes
The aims of this workshop are
- To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
- To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
- To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides
Process
- Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
- Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
- Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
- Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
- Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)
Key discussion points
- Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images.
- Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
- Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited.
- Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier.
Dive. Talent
Instructor notes
The two aims of this workshop are
- Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
- Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording
Process
- Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
- Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
- Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
- White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
- Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
- Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
- Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.
Key discussion points
- Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
- Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
- Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
- Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
- Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.
Dive. Water Entry
Instructor notes
The aims of this workshop are
- To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
- To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
- To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides
Process
- Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
- Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
- Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
- Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
- Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)
Key discussion points
- Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images.
- Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
- Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited.
- Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier.
Dive. Tripod & Marco
Instructor notes
The aims of this workshop are
- To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
- To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
- To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides
Process
- Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
- Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
- Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
- Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
- Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)
Key discussion points
- Watch how animals are behaving – Individual animals, different species, and different situations all impact an animals behaviour. Students need to watch, learn, ask questions to be able to quickly access and understand behaviour of an individual in a given situation – then they can work out best way to capture video images.
- Make effort in composition – Be better and put in effort in getting onto ground, walking up the hill, getting the sun behind you. This effort will turn a rubbish image into a good image.
- Go through all the shots for a sequence – Wide (establish), medium (action), close (emotion and cutaways) as well as B-roll to enable a sequence to be edited.
- Patience – Animals do not take direction, some can be manipulated slightly be food and fear, but for the most part we need to wait until the animal performs the behaviour we are seeking. Our job is to be in the right position, ready to film, and hit record. Knowledge of behavioral patterns can allow us to predict a little to make it easier.
Dive. Night Dive
Instructor notes
The two aims of this workshop are
- Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
- Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording
Process
- Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
- Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
- Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
- White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
- Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
- Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
- Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.
Key discussion points
- Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
- Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
- Standard layout – Get students to understand that most video camera have a similar setup and you can quickly move from one to another in about 30 minutes.
- Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
- Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.
Course Online Lectures
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Wildlife filmmaking - Introduction
Wildlife Filmmaking - Ethics in wildlife films
Wildlife Film: Lesson 5. Creating time-lapse videos for wildlife film - the setup
Wildlife Filmmaking - Equipment needed
Wildlife Filmmaking - Camera types
Wildlife Filmmaking - Resolution
Wildlife Filmmaking - Framerates
Wildlife Filmmaking - Colour depth
Wildlife Filmmaking - Compression bitrate
Wildlife Filmmaking - Depth of field
Wildlife Filmmaking - Content Management
Wildlife Filmmaking - Utilising local experts
Wildlife Filmmaking - You are part of nature
Wildlife Filmmaking - Image composition
Wildlife Filmmaking - Shot stability
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