Underwater Video

[Krebs]

Is anyone out the certified for underwater shooting?

I currently freelance in Southern Florida and looking to get into this. Some questions though:
What certifications did you need to get into this?
What is the day rate like?
What companies are hiring underwater shooting and where?

Basically, Is it worth it?
Thanks for your help.

[Nino]

The only certification to do underwater photography is that you have to be a certified diver. Some of the certification schools also offer underwater photography and video training but they are mostly directed toward the serious amateur. I’ve been diving and doing underwater filming for 20 years and stopped offering the service two years ago. I still do some occasional diving and filming but under very limited conditions.

As far a getting work, good luck, there are zillion of very qualified people all waiting for the phone to ring. Some like me are professional cameramen that are also certified divers and some are divers who only do underwater filming and photography.

I never took jobs that required underwater only; most of my diving with the camera was part of production that mostly took place on dry land.

As far as rates goes I charged the same as my day rate with my standard equipment package plus all expenses. Unless the client requests some different equipment my diving package consisted of a Sony PD150 with a Amphibico case and my diving gears of course. Keep in mind that depending on the depth of the dive you can only do two dives and a little more than one productive hour per day. I also must have, and the client will pay for, a DAN certified divers as my diving buddy.

Is it worth it? If you like diving it is, if you think of making money from it, like everything else in this business the supply far exceed the demand.

[BNVN]

Good luck. I have a buddy that got me into diving and dive video in Florida and it is not what you know, it is who you know.

I live in Minneapolis so I have got a few calls about shooting video but still nobody wants to step up and pay the day rate plus gear and buddy diver. Some actually said "Why do I have to pay for air?" when I gave them a quote.

[Jonathan Kirsch]

Contact Steve Douglas here:

http://www.worldfilmsandtravel.com/message.php?to=Steve

He's a pretty established underwater photg and he's written a few books as well. He also writes reviews and stuff over on Ken Stone's Final Cut Pro website: http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/fcp_homepage_index.html

Jonathan

[Douglas]

You beat me to it. I was going to suggest Steve Douglas, as well.
Doug