Making the plunge

Earlier this year I bought a used camera (Sony DCR-TRV9) and housing (Quest Tiburon UDH-1S) with the thought that I would play around with a cheap used setup for a while to determine whether underwater video was something that I wanted to pursue. So far, it's been a long eventfull year and I've only done a fraction of the dives that I normally do in a year. I finally got everything squared away with the camera and housing and got to take it for a dunk last weekend. It was definitely an interesting experience and I'll probably play around with this setup for another year or so before I buy something a little more new.

Here is my first video (Well actually second video. Same footage, but second attempt at editing):



Are there any tips that you guys can provide?

What is the effective range for a red filter? (I wasn't using a red filter for the video that I shot.)

Are there any other odd balls that using something other than Windows or Apple to edit video? I use Linux full time on my personal computer and currently using Kino to do the editing. I've played around with Open Movie Editor, but it doesn't appear to be stable right now. If you're using Linux, what editing software are you using?

Hi James.

I took a look at your video and here are a few things I have learned from my video experiences.

I shoot using a Canon GL2 with am Ikelite housing. I use a red filter practically every time I go out. I'm sure you know that it adds the colors back in that are lost at depth, but I find it also helps with the clarity of the video as well. I also use a wide angle lens and shoot as wide as possible. I never use the zoom unless I have to set the camera down to get a critter to come out and be seen on the video (yellow-head jawfish are good examples of that). I physically move the camera closer to my subject rather than use the zoom which helps reduce the amount of shake in the shot.

As for editing, I'm afraid I;m a Mac addict using Final Cut Pro. I normally remove the 'darth vader' soundtrack and replace it with some music that I have licensed, and use the tools in FCP to create credits.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you may have, just send me a message or you can email me off board at doug@videodudeproductions.com Check out my website Underwater Video Services for your next scuba diving vacation in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Boynton Beach, Hollywood, the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. and I also have some videos on youtube (search for 'dougbarkley')

Hope that helped you out and contact me if you have any more questions!

Doug the 'Video Dude'

Thanks for your comments Doug!

As far as the red filter goes, what about different environments? Such as water that has a green tint from algea, low light, or has a good deal of particulate?

What about auto-focus? Should I keep it on, or manually focus?

Are there any common editing mistakes that I should try to avoid? For the time being I'm probably going to keep my editing simple and focus on smooth scene transitions.

James

I neglected to mention that I also have a pink filter for "green water" situations. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. I usually carry both filters with me in a pocket and since they go over the dome port of the housing, it's easy to switch them out if I don't like to the way the video looks in the viewfinder.

I leave my camera on auto-focus which works great about 99% of the time. Only when I am trying to catch something in the distance that blends into the background water color does the auto-focus kind of 'freak out' and is unable to lock. Otherwise, no issues. Don't get me wrong, manual focus has it's uses, but remember that most of the stuff you shoot underwater can move pretty quickly and unless you're really good with racking your focus on the fly, I'd leave it on auto.

One of the most common editing mistakes I see is someone trying to be too creative with their videos and throwing in every effect or transition they can find in their editing program. You just have to remember that people are wanting to see what you shot, not some fancy wipe or effect between scenes. If that's all they remember from your video, then it was bad editing. I personally use only one transition for my entire video (dissolve) and though it is recognizable as a scene change, it is not overwhelming to the eyes. Most people are 'used" to seeing this transition in documentaries or other TV type shows anyway, so it's not very intrusive.

Hope that answers your questions. If you have any more don't hesitate to ask!

The Video Dude