Carter Coulombe

Hey guys,

I am very interested in entering the world of underwater camera work. I did the whole film school thing and have been working as a camera assistant in LA for 3 years now. I am SCUBA certified and I love the ocean, I actually grew up in Hawaii so I really feel more comfortable in the water than out of it! I have been trying to find a way into the underwater industry for a few months ever since I worked on a shoot that had its own underwater unit. So fascinating! I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on where to start? I am planning on going into Hydroflex this weekend to chat with some people there. I have also been contemplating selling my 7D and buying a 5D with an underwater housing...thoughts? Do 5D housings get rented very often? I figure a good way to get hired might be to own some equipment? I also don't have any marketable underwater footage of my own, and I would like to put a reel together to help gain exposure.

Any help would be great.

Thanks!

Yes but that means there are less jobs available. Most of the meaty underwater jobs are taken by a handful of really experienced divers. These are guys that spend 1000?s of hours underwater working and shooting. Pete Romano is an example http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0738943/

 

If you are interested in perusing underwater camerawork get certified and see if you like the sport. If you get excited and feel like working underwater is a career you might enjoy go out and buy a digital underwater camera and start shooting stills. Still hooked? Take an underwater video class and see if you enjoy working with the gear. Still hooked buy yourself an underwater video camera and start shooting. As you can see this root involves a lot of diving and purchase of some gear.

 

 

 

If you are a fairly competent diver, and 20% of the people in the water aren?t, it isn?t that hard to shoot video underwater and get some nice pictures. Just like it isn?t that tough to buy a home video camera and go to Yellowstone and shoot pretty images. That is drastically different from working underwater in limited visibility and current. Composing shots and trying to communicate with hand signals to actors who got certified last week while the director sits in a boat 40? above your head screaming at a video monitor. And the producer doesn?t understand why a scene which ?should only have taken two hours to shoot? is already on day three. And guess what. You are the guy they are looking at too blame.

 

In short this is sort of a career that picks you not a cleaver loop hole into the industry.

Hey, sorry to hi-jack your thread, but I am also very interested in entering the world of underwater camera work. I did the whole film school thing and have been working as a camera assistant in LA for 3 years now. I am SCUBA certified and I love the ocean, I actually grew up in Hawaii so I really feel more comfortable in the water than out of it! I have been trying to find a way into the underwater industry for a few months ever since I worked on a shoot that had its own underwater unit. So fascinating! I was wondering if anyone (Bob Hayes?) could give me some advice on where to start? I am planning on going into Hydroflex this weekend to chat with some people there. I have also been contemplating selling my 7D and buying a 5D with an underwater housing...thoughts? Do 5D housings get rented very often?

Any help would be great.

I may start a new thread to get more exposure on this topic, fyi.