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Underwater Videography

Welcome to the online resource section for Africa Media’s Underwater Videography training program. Here you will find all the resources to successfully run the program as the course instructor or a field specialist.

Vital Contacts (Durban)

Monkeyland KZN (service provider): Paula  066 479 6138, info@monkeyland.co.za

Vital Contacts (Mossel Bay)

Reel van der Merwe(Boat Provider): 066 4300354

Elton Polly (boat provider):

Monkeyland (service provider): Vijver Jonck,72 613 2261 info@monkeyland.co.za

Quick Answers

What are my working hours

Working days / hours on the program are Monday to Friday, 7AM (sometimes earlier depending on launch) to 5PM. One hour for lunch and other coffee breaks as needed throughout the day. Due to the unpredictability of the ocean conditions, you may be required to move work days to the weekends and then treat weekday bad weather days as weekend days. Optional. You can optionally drive and guide weekend trips for additional cash payments. This time and effort is entirely separate from your course instructor work

Food and catering for Course Instructors / Field Specialists

Whilst working on the course you will be entitled to eat standard meals provided by Blue Wilderness at the student house. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner. If you choose not to eat these meals, no additional compensation will be offered.

Can I film whilst diving on the program

During your time diving on the course, you will only be able to film only using a course GoPro (or equivalent camera). If you would like to use course cameras or personal cameras, then this is only allowed on any weekend diving you do privately or through the course, by prior agreement with either Fiona Ayerst or Jackie Griffin.

On course, filming using the Gopro is for the following purposes

  1. To allow you to continue to have the easy ability to assist students in the water by releasing the camera and leaving it floating attached to you via a lanyard.
  2. The camera is to be used to film students at work for the purpose of doing critique sessions with them in the afternoons. looking at diving techniques, filming techniques, techniques working with talent.
  3. The camera is to be used to film content that can be used for social media. Short clips to be sent to Africa Media office for marketing.

What are the program locations and expeditions?

Most expeditions are to the sea with Blue Wilderness. However pools sessions will be organised and two trips to nature reserves.

  1. Blue Wilderness (View website)
  2. Monkeyland KZN (View website)
  3. T.C. Robertson Reserve (View website)
  4. Pool sessions with Aliwal Shoal Adventures: View Website

Accommodation

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. If you choose not to take advantage of accommodation offer, no additional compensation will be paid for your own accommodation.

Payment Terms

Basic 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 / UWvideo playlist and link of proof is sent to company CEO 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 (Aliwal Shoal)

Welcome

This set of tabs outlines the daily activities and important notes (goals) that Course directors, instructors and field specialists need to adhere to during the teaching of this program. When teaching, please be cognisant of the following important fact. Days will be lost to weather conditions. In such cases, such lost days will be counted as ‘bad weather days’, and weekend days will be used to make up for lost days. Even though this can happen it is,  vital that the course is taught in the order that it is presented here. Everything has been compiled and set out to flow naturally in the correct order. If you mix it up it will be a mess.


Morning

Afternoon

Day 1 


Key Goals of Day

  • Student Qualifications are received,

  • Liability Waiver Signed

  • Program Operation Understood

  • Gear Issued - Student takes responsibility 

(Lecture 1 - Orientation). Orientation to program, life at Africa Media, weekend activities, covid, how the program runs, how meals and board run, safety etc. 




.


(Administration). Student gives over divers licence for inspection and reads and signs liability waivers for program

(Lecture 2 - Intro to underwater videography) including specific challenges of combining film plus SCUBA plus limited time in the water. The aim is to get them to start thinking about the program. 


(Discussion) Group talk on the experience of students, what they want to focus on, and aspirations that they hope to gain from the program.


(Workshop 1 - SCUBA Setup) gear all issued, fitted, and have the students happy with it (tested). 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.

Day 2

Key Goals of Day

  • Evaluate Students Diving Capabilities

  • Set Standards on gear treatment and cleaning

  • Take through camera componants

  • Introduce STABILITY for underwater shooting

  • Introduce SPECIFICATIONS for underwater shooting

(Dive - Introduction). Shore entry dive at The Dollosse. Go through various buoyancy techniques, check on students, make certain happy with gear. evaluate skills levels. If skills tune-up is required then discuss how and when


.

(Clean up). Wash gear, dry gear, get bottles ready for pumping. Train students to look after and clean so as to be ready, dry, cleaned for the next day diving

(Workshop 2. Data management). Take students through how to download footage and manage content specifically - creating folders, pulling content off cards, formatting cards (in camera) and organising data, etc.  ensure the stability of shots as this was the main aim.

 

(Lesson recap - Stability). Recap on practical techniques on improving stability. Specifically on the three areas 1. Diving techniques (long fins, correct buoyancy, kicking technique reading swells and current) , 2. Camera setup (high res, wide handles, slow motion, balanced housing) and 3. Post production (warp stabiliser) 

.

Day 3

Key Goals of Day

  • Boat based entry and exit

  • Diving techniques to increase stability

  • Data management of content

  • What UW kit is needed, how to look after it

(Workshop 3- Camera use on Farm). Issue of big cameras and take students onto the farm to practise their use on farm animals. Particular focus on buttons and functions. (NB. If already compleated Wildlife Film - then change the focus and in particular focus on handheld stability, comparing and controlling frame rates, and working with a constant F-Stop (F 8) via and adjusting ND, ISO / Gain. Trying to maximise depth of field.  


.

(Lecture 6 - Kit & Maintainance). Lecture on cameras with a focus on extra kit for shooting underwater. Special attention on the challenges of water when looking after electrical equipment

.

(Lesson Recap - Cameras Specifications). Students to recap on camera settings whilst working with cameras. Specifically (a) depth of field, (b) frame rate, (c) zoom, (d) exposure, (f) focus. 

Day 4- Floater (movable if bad weather)

Key Goals of Day

  • Master the buttons of a Camera

  • Maintain / prepare dry camera

  • Basic editing of a timeline

  • Understand shooting sequences

  • Maximising depth of field underwater

(Dive - Stability). Boat Dive - Mitch's Reef. Students to take Gopros on handles to film. Focus on (a) diving techniques for stability, (b) reading currents/swells, (c) looking for crevices (out of current) to ensure the stability of shots

 

(Dive - Stability 2nd). Boat Dive - Fluffies Reef or similar. Students to take Gopros on handles to film. Focus on techniques in different depths. But continue to focus on the above techniques. Instructor to talk about solutions to problems on SIT time, between the dives (following observation). e.g. get best buoyancy to allow reduced kicking and shaking.

 

(Practical - Download & Maintainance). Download footage of day, along with gopro footage from previous day. Clean cameras and place battereies on charge. Ensure cards formated in camera. 

.

.

(Practical - Camera parts). Issue 'big' cameras and take students through the different parts (housing, camera, dome, arms, lights, buttons). Focus on maintenance and best practices (rinse, testing before dive, not opening after checked by the instructor, charging batteries, etc. )

 

(Lesson Recap - Editing). Instructor to take students through workshop on editing techniques, including pointing out tutorials for students to complete in own time. Students to use previous footage (go pro / farm) to produce a couple of short sequences.


Novice Students - Movment onto timeline, adjusting edit points, organising content etc.

 

Experienced Students - Control framerates, applying warp stabilisers, colour correction - adding reds etc.  


(Lec 7 - Sequences). Lecture on how to shoot sequences and the importance of it underwater. Also working through the different kinds of underwater shots required.

 

Day 5 - Floater 

Key Goals of Day

  • Filming stable without tripod

  • Filming shots to make sequence

(Workshop 3 - Monkeyland Workshop). Trip to monkey land and birds of Eden. Filming sequences training and also effecting stable-shooting without the use of a tripod. 


.

(Practical - Monekland Workshop). Trip to monkeyland and birds of Eden. Filming sequences training and also effecting stable shooting without the use of a tripod. 

.

(DataManagement). Download and store content after trip. Prepare cameras (batteries, lens, cards) for nxt trip. 

Morning

Afternoon

Day 6 (Monday)


Key Goals of Day

  • Master use of big camera in water

  • Master use of lights at depth

  • Edits placed to build workable sequence

Dive 4 - Snorkel at Rockpool). First dive with large camera in local rockpool. Focus on wide angle and controlling camera underwater, ensuring lens is clean, knowing buttons. 

.

(Dive 5 - Shore entry). Shore entry SCUBA dive at Dolises. Focus on adding lights into the situation and controlling these lights underwater during the dive. 


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

(Lec 9 - Editing Sequences) - Lecture on building a sequence on a timeline. specfically ordering wides, mids, closeups. choosing in and out points, utilising video channels to allow easy manipulation. 


(Editing workshop) Edit two sequences - one underwater one topside, utilising all shot types collected during practical workshops. (students should include stablility post techniques also). End with export and crit of sequences. 


Day 7 (Tuesday)

Key Goals of Day

  • Master protocols of cameras on boats

  • Familar of deep diving with cameras

  • Master post colour correction of footage

(Dive 6 - Boat Reef Dive ). Big camera reef dive - focus on filming and SCUBA diving techniques with large camera - filming wildlife subjects. Practical training on entry and exit with cameras, and safety of camera on boat. 

.

(Dive 7 - Boat Reef Dive). Big camera reef dive - focus on filming and SCUBA diving techniques with large camera - filming wildlife subjects. 


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

(Lecture 10 - Colour Correction). Lecture on post production colour correction. Specifically correcting for white balance, adjusting colours curves, working shadows, highlights, adjusting saturation, and matching colours throughout 

.

(Editing Workshop - Colour Correction). Students to construct a single sequence using previous skills on (a) stablility, (b) sequencing, and add to it colour correction techniques. Exported and critiqued by class. 

Day 8 (Wednesday) - Week 2 Floater

Key Goals of Day

  • Understand Structure of a Story for TV

  • Theory on working with Talent

  • Master UW Communication signals

.

(Workshop - Story). Boat Dive - Fluffys Reef. Students to take Gopros on handles to film. Focus on techniques in diffreent depth. But continue to focus on same techniques. Instructor to talk about solutions to problems between the dive (following observation). e.g. get best buoyancy to allow reduced kicking and shaking, 

.

.

(Workshop- Underwater Communication). Students break into pairs and conduct training (using cheat sheet) of underwater signals to get footage of them together with farm animals. 

Day 9  (Thursday) 

Key Goals of Day

  • Shoot human talent underwater

  • Shoot human / animal two shots

(Dive 8 - Talent in Rockpool). Snorkel Dive in rockpool practising communicating with talent and filming talent with various subjects doing stuff. 

.

(Dive 9 - Talent at Doluser). Baited Shark dive with talent needing to fulfil mission of placing shark in tonic immobility, and camera person collecting all footage to build a sequence and communicating with talent. 


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

(Lecture 14). Lecture on building sequences with multiple subjects and the ease of working between subjects to edit smooth sequence ending in goodaction two shots. 

.

(Workshop - Editing). Students to edit a sequience of tonic immobility of sharks underwater. In which a short story is made of a human talent SCUBA diving and capturing the shot underwater of putting a shark into tonic immobiliaty. 

.

(Lecture 15 - Ethics). Lecture on how to interact with animals for the best interaction and to also ensure an ethical experience. Namely not chasing animals, staying low on reef, not breaking sillioutes. 

Day 10 (Friday)

Key Goals of Day

  • Master diving with Talent

  • Introduction to filming large sharks

(Dive 10 - Talent on SCUBA). SCUBA dive at Fluffys reef with talent filming each otherat camera operators. Namely studenting taking 10 minute turns as talent, and 10 minutes as camera operator. 

.

(Dive 11 - Raggie SCUBA). SCUBA at point to hunt for Ragged tooth sharks to film. Also focus on staying low, keeping calm to collect content. training from ethics lecture


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

.

(Workshop - Editing). Students to edit a sequence of ragged tooth sharks underwater with option of bringing in human talent.

.

Morning

Afternoon

Day 11 -  (Free diving land) - Floater


Key Goals of Day

  • Master landbased static apnea

  • Master land based dynamic apnea

  • Master safety theory for freedive

(Lesson - Free diving) - Lecture on the theory behind free diving and holding your breath


(Lesson - Free Diving Safety) Lecture on free diving safety


(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

  • Practise static apnea in cage

  • Using small camera in situations

(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

  • Master waterbased static apnea

  • Master waterbased dynamic apnea

  • Master duck dive

(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

  • Master breath hold in cage dive

  • Use cage, surface and people for perspective

(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

  • Building perspective into shots

  • Collecting usable B-Roll

  • Introducing B roll into sequence

(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

  • Film entire sequences

  • Filming diver entry

  • Edit land and sea together

(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

  • Master animal interaction

(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

  • Fiming diver entering water

  • Building a soundscape

(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

  • Personal tutoring of trouble points

(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

  • Presentation of films

  • Final editing of timeline

  • Export at least three good quality films

(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. 

.

Program Schedule (Mossel Bay)

Welcome

This set of tabs outlines the daily activities and important notes (goals) that Course directors, instructors and field specialists need to adhere to during the teaching of this program. When teaching, please be cognisant of the following important fact. Days will be lost to weather conditions. In such cases, such lost days will be counted as ‘bad weather days’, and weekend days will be used to make up for lost days. Even though this can happen it is,  vital that the course is taught in the order that it is presented here. Everything has been compiled and set out to flow naturally in the correct order. If you mix it up it will be a mess.


Morning

Afternoon

Day 1 


Key Goals of Day

  • Student Qualifications are received,

  • Liability Waiver Signed

  • Program Operation Understood

  • Gear Issued - Student takes responsibility 

(Lecture 1 - Orientation). Orientation to program, life at Africa Media, weekend activities, covid, how the program runs, how meals and board run, safety etc. 




.


(Administration). Student gives over divers licence for inspection and reads and signs liability waivers for program

(Lecture 2 - Intro to underwater videography) including specific challenges of combining film plus SCUBA plus limited time in the water. The aim is to get them to start thinking about the program. 


(Discussion) Group talk on the experience of students, what they want to focus on, and aspirations that they hope to gain from the program.


(Workshop 1 - SCUBA Setup) gear all issued, fitted, and have the students happy with it (tested). 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.

Day 2

Key Goals of Day

  • Evaluate Students Diving Capabilities

  • Set Standards on gear treatment and cleaning

  • Take through camera componants

  • Introduce STABILITY for underwater shooting

  • Introduce SPECIFICATIONS for underwater shooting

(Dive - Introduction). Shore entry dive at The Dollosse. Go through various buoyancy techniques, check on students, make certain happy with gear. evaluate skills levels. If skills tune-up is required then discuss how and when


.

(Clean up). Wash gear, dry gear, get bottles ready for pumping. Train students to look after and clean so as to be ready, dry, cleaned for the next day diving

(Workshop 2. Data management). Take students through how to download footage and manage content specifically - creating folders, pulling content off cards, formatting cards (in camera) and organising data, etc.  ensure the stability of shots as this was the main aim.

 

(Lesson recap - Stability). Recap on practical techniques on improving stability. Specifically on the three areas 1. Diving techniques (long fins, correct buoyancy, kicking technique reading swells and current) , 2. Camera setup (high res, wide handles, slow motion, balanced housing) and 3. Post production (warp stabiliser) 

.

Day 3

Key Goals of Day

  • Boat based entry and exit

  • Diving techniques to increase stability

  • Data management of content

  • What UW kit is needed, how to look after it

(Workshop 3- Camera use on Farm). Issue of big cameras and take students onto the farm to practise their use on farm animals. Particular focus on buttons and functions. (NB. If already compleated Wildlife Film - then change the focus and in particular focus on handheld stability, comparing and controlling frame rates, and working with a constant F-Stop (F 8) via and adjusting ND, ISO / Gain. Trying to maximise depth of field.  


.

(Lecture 6 - Kit & Maintainance). Lecture on cameras with a focus on extra kit for shooting underwater. Special attention on the challenges of water when looking after electrical equipment

.

(Lesson Recap - Cameras Specifications). Students to recap on camera settings whilst working with cameras. Specifically (a) depth of field, (b) frame rate, (c) zoom, (d) exposure, (f) focus. 

Day 4- Floater (movable if bad weather)

Key Goals of Day

  • Master the buttons of a Camera

  • Maintain / prepare dry camera

  • Basic editing of a timeline

  • Understand shooting sequences

  • Maximising depth of field underwater

(Dive - Stability). Boat Dive - Mitch's Reef. Students to take Gopros on handles to film. Focus on (a) diving techniques for stability, (b) reading currents/swells, (c) looking for crevices (out of current) to ensure the stability of shots

 

(Dive - Stability 2nd). Boat Dive - Fluffies Reef or similar. Students to take Gopros on handles to film. Focus on techniques in different depths. But continue to focus on the above techniques. Instructor to talk about solutions to problems on SIT time, between the dives (following observation). e.g. get best buoyancy to allow reduced kicking and shaking.

 

(Practical - Download & Maintainance). Download footage of day, along with gopro footage from previous day. Clean cameras and place battereies on charge. Ensure cards formated in camera. 

.

.

(Practical - Camera parts). Issue 'big' cameras and take students through the different parts (housing, camera, dome, arms, lights, buttons). Focus on maintenance and best practices (rinse, testing before dive, not opening after checked by the instructor, charging batteries, etc. )

 

(Lesson Recap - Editing). Instructor to take students through workshop on editing techniques, including pointing out tutorials for students to complete in own time. Students to use previous footage (go pro / farm) to produce a couple of short sequences.


Novice Students - Movment onto timeline, adjusting edit points, organising content etc.

 

Experienced Students - Control framerates, applying warp stabilisers, colour correction - adding reds etc.  


(Lec 7 - Sequences). Lecture on how to shoot sequences and the importance of it underwater. Also working through the different kinds of underwater shots required.

 

Day 5 - Floater 

Key Goals of Day

  • Filming stable without tripod

  • Filming shots to make sequence

(Workshop 3 - Monkeyland Workshop). Trip to monkey land and birds of Eden. Filming sequences training and also effecting stable-shooting without the use of a tripod. 


.

(Practical - Monekland Workshop). Trip to monkeyland and birds of Eden. Filming sequences training and also effecting stable shooting without the use of a tripod. 

.

(DataManagement). Download and store content after trip. Prepare cameras (batteries, lens, cards) for nxt trip. 

Morning

Afternoon

Day 6 (Monday)


Key Goals of Day

  • Master use of big camera in water

  • Master use of lights at depth

  • Edits placed to build workable sequence

Dive 4 - Snorkel at Rockpool). First dive with large camera in local rockpool. Focus on wide angle and controlling camera underwater, ensuring lens is clean, knowing buttons. 

.

(Dive 5 - Shore entry). Shore entry SCUBA dive at Dolises. Focus on adding lights into the situation and controlling these lights underwater during the dive. 


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

(Lec 9 - Editing Sequences) - Lecture on building a sequence on a timeline. specfically ordering wides, mids, closeups. choosing in and out points, utilising video channels to allow easy manipulation. 


(Editing workshop) Edit two sequences - one underwater one topside, utilising all shot types collected during practical workshops. (students should include stablility post techniques also). End with export and crit of sequences. 


Day 7 (Tuesday)

Key Goals of Day

  • Master protocols of cameras on boats

  • Familar of deep diving with cameras

  • Master post colour correction of footage

(Dive 6 - Boat Reef Dive ). Big camera reef dive - focus on filming and SCUBA diving techniques with large camera - filming wildlife subjects. Practical training on entry and exit with cameras, and safety of camera on boat. 

.

(Dive 7 - Boat Reef Dive). Big camera reef dive - focus on filming and SCUBA diving techniques with large camera - filming wildlife subjects. 


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

(Lecture 10 - Colour Correction). Lecture on post production colour correction. Specifically correcting for white balance, adjusting colours curves, working shadows, highlights, adjusting saturation, and matching colours throughout 

.

(Editing Workshop - Colour Correction). Students to construct a single sequence using previous skills on (a) stablility, (b) sequencing, and add to it colour correction techniques. Exported and critiqued by class. 

Day 8 (Wednesday) - Week 2 Floater

Key Goals of Day

  • Understand Structure of a Story for TV

  • Theory on working with Talent

  • Master UW Communication signals

.

(Workshop - Story). Boat Dive - Fluffys Reef. Students to take Gopros on handles to film. Focus on techniques in diffreent depth. But continue to focus on same techniques. Instructor to talk about solutions to problems between the dive (following observation). e.g. get best buoyancy to allow reduced kicking and shaking, 

.

.

(Workshop- Underwater Communication). Students break into pairs and conduct training (using cheat sheet) of underwater signals to get footage of them together with farm animals. 

Day 9  (Thursday) 

Key Goals of Day

  • Shoot human talent underwater

  • Shoot human / animal two shots

(Dive 8 - Talent in Rockpool). Snorkel Dive in rockpool practising communicating with talent and filming talent with various subjects doing stuff. 

.

(Dive 9 - Talent at Doluser). Baited Shark dive with talent needing to fulfil mission of placing shark in tonic immobility, and camera person collecting all footage to build a sequence and communicating with talent. 


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

(Lecture 14). Lecture on building sequences with multiple subjects and the ease of working between subjects to edit smooth sequence ending in goodaction two shots. 

.

(Workshop - Editing). Students to edit a sequience of tonic immobility of sharks underwater. In which a short story is made of a human talent SCUBA diving and capturing the shot underwater of putting a shark into tonic immobiliaty. 

.

(Lecture 15 - Ethics). Lecture on how to interact with animals for the best interaction and to also ensure an ethical experience. Namely not chasing animals, staying low on reef, not breaking sillioutes. 

Day 10 (Friday)

Key Goals of Day

  • Master diving with Talent

  • Introduction to filming large sharks

(Dive 10 - Talent on SCUBA). SCUBA dive at Fluffys reef with talent filming each otherat camera operators. Namely studenting taking 10 minute turns as talent, and 10 minutes as camera operator. 

.

(Dive 11 - Raggie SCUBA). SCUBA at point to hunt for Ragged tooth sharks to film. Also focus on staying low, keeping calm to collect content. training from ethics lecture


(Cleanup). Clean up of cameras, charging of battereis (camera and lights), rinsing and drying of housing, 

.

(Workshop - Editing). Students to edit a sequence of ragged tooth sharks underwater with option of bringing in human talent.

.

Morning

Afternoon

Day 11 -  (Free diving land) - Floater


Key Goals of Day

  • Master landbased static apnea

  • Master land based dynamic apnea

  • Master safety theory for freedive

(Lesson - Free diving) - Lecture on the theory behind free diving and holding your breath


(Lesson - Free Diving Safety) Lecture on free diving safety


(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

  • Practise static apnea in cage

  • Using small camera in situations

(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

  • Master waterbased static apnea

  • Master waterbased dynamic apnea

  • Master duck dive

(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

  • Master breath hold in cage dive

  • Use cage, surface and people for perspective

(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

  • Building perspective into shots

  • Collecting usable B-Roll

  • Introducing B roll into sequence

(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

  • Film entire sequences

  • Filming diver entry

  • Edit land and sea together

(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

  • Master animal interaction

(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

  • Fiming diver entering water

  • Building a soundscape

(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

  • Personal tutoring of trouble points

(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

  • Presentation of films

  • Final editing of timeline

  • Export at least three good quality films

(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. 

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Workshops

Workshop 1. SCUBA Equipment

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 

Workshop 2. Data Management

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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. 

Workshop 3. Camera use with Farm animals

Instructor notes

The two aims of this workshop are

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. 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.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

Workshop 4.

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 

Workshop 5.

Instructor notes

The aims of this workshop are

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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. 

Workshop 6.

Instructor notes

The two aims of this workshop are

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. 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.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

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

  1. Collect varied footage of ragged tooth sharks by using professional diving techniques to allow them to move close to camera.
  2. Train in standard fil;ming techniques to keep footage sharp, stable and exposed correctly.

Key briefing points

  1. Stay low – Keep part of the reef, either by hiding beside outcrops, staying low on reef, or dipping into crevice.
  2. Breath hold – Occassionally hold breath if ragged tooth shark is approaching. This iwll stop it getting frightened away by bubbles.
  3. 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

  1. Collect natural history footage of great white sharks
  2. Get creative in shots to offer more angles and compositions.
  3. Work with ‘crew’ to wrangle sharks into required position.

Key discussion points

  1. Communication – Student will need to talk to crew to explain what they are looking for. Shark closer, shark further, no bait in shot, etc.
  2. 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).
  3. Perspective – Have students get perspective by using surface as a ceiling, using bars in foreground, filming along boat hull.
  4. 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

  1. To film a ‘promo’ style video either for the company or for tourists (students decision). This includes both ‘topside and ‘underwater’ shots.

Process

  1. Students to be briefed and issued with gopros.
  2. Filming starts before the expedition with boat getting ready, tourists arriving.
  3. Creative B-roll and topside subjects filmed whilst waiting for time in cage
  4. Topside of great whites filmed whilst waiting to get in cage
  5. Pole cam of sharks and tourists in cage
  6. Cage dive with variation of shots including

Key discussion points

  1. This is a career opportunitiy – as many aspiring underwater videographers get jobs filming tourism expeditions.
  2. Appaearance releases are essential if you hope to use footage for stock with people in it.
  3. 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

  1.  To train in using static apnea, ducking diving and dynamic apnea to collect video footage of sharks at a depth of around 4m.

Process

  1. Issue cameras – large cameras without lights.
  2. Issue sorkelling equipment – No SCUBA tanks.
  3. Chum sharks – drop bait box at dive location
  4. Practise duck diving – Withouth cameras have students practise duck diving and hovering at bottom. Ensuring weight allows near hovering.
  5. Practise with cameras – Students to then take cameras and collect footage

Key discussion points

  1. Free diving techniques – Recap on free diving techniques they have learnt previously.
  2.  – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. 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.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. 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

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. 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.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. 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

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. 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.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. 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

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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

  1. To get students to understand that they are part of the environment – affect wildlife
  2. To get students to start watching animal behaviour and solve filming issues
  3. To get students to collect all shots for a sequence edit – close, mediums, wides

Process

  1. Connect with farmers (Louis or Derrick) to ensure animals are present
  2. Issue cameras, extenders, batteries, cards, throw-bags, tripods.
  3. Scene 1 – Rabbits (goal – get low to get subjects to look better)
  4. Scene 2 – Weaver birds (goal – patience, long lens, watch behaviour)
  5. Scene 3 – Goats and Sheep (to see who animals react, control with food etc.)

Key discussion points

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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

  1. Evaluate the ability of individual students with camera use (experienced / novice)
  2. Teach the students to use hard buttons and become familiar with recording

Process

  1. Issue cameras, battery’s, P2 Cards, tripods and white balances.
  2. Discuss how to treat cameras (always a hand on camera, careful with lens,
  3. Tripods – Start with people connecting to tripods
  4. White Balance – et students to manually white balance and work the presets
  5. Focus – Get students to practice and film shark focus, using assist, zooms etc.
  6. Exposure – Get students to expose correctly using Iris, ND filters, and Gain (adds noise)
  7. Composure – Get students to start thinking of composure – rule of thirds, getting low, etc.

Key discussion points

  1. Stability – The use of stability is essential if subjects are any distance away from you. Be that a gimbal, tripod, throw-bags etc.
  2. Muscle memory – Try to get used to the button positions, so that you don’t have to look for buttons when filming
  3. 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.
  4. Quality images – Getting focus sharp, exposure correct, image stable and composition is essential for every shot to be usable.
  5. Composition – students to think artfully with rule of thirds and other techniques to compose an image that is interesting.

PowerPoint Lectures

Lecture 1. Orientation

Lecture 2. Introduction

Course Online Lectures