First set of videos

[Claire]

This is my first set of videos - taken in the Caribbean in Jan/Feb and in Deep Sea World last week.

I have a Sony HC96 Mini DV cam with Ikelite Housing. Currently deciding which video lights to buy - any recommendations? I already have a light cannon dive torch so may attach that to the housing.

Grand Cayman

YouTube - Diving Grand Cayman

Jamaica

YouTube - Diving Jamaica

Chikin-Ha Cenote, Mexico

YouTube - Cavern diving Chikin-Ha, cenote, Mexico

Deep Sea World

YouTube - Diving Deep Sea World

[Cussy]

Claire,
I realy enjoyed watching those. I fancy a go at that site in Mexico.

If you want some feedback, which you are more than welcome to just ignore, here are a couple of points that I think will make already impressive video better.

-Some of the clips are very short, one or two fade out as soon as they have finished fading in
-I think the Gran Cayman one was linear. If I was you I'd say take all the turtle action and lump that together. Same with the wrecks, puffers etc. For your own personal memory you probably want it linear, but as someone that wasn't there I think this may help tell a story
-In the Mexico one I found panning right to left felt slightly uneasy, you rarely see R-L panning on TV. Consider mirroring
-I liked the fact the shark dive started off with top side and led you into the water. This might be something you want to do with future videos.

Please take these as the constructive points I intended them to be, like I said, I enjoyed watching them.
Rob

[Claire]

Hi Rob

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate constructive critiscm - I just got the video set up at Christmas and I've never even used a camcorder before so it's all a learning experience.

When watching the Grand Cayman video again today I realised how short the clips were - that was due to some shaky footage - I thought it would be better to cut the clips short and have them reasonably smoothe than have the camera shaking, as I find that particularly annoying when watching videos. Grand Cayman was my second time using the camera so I'll hopefully improve.

Cheers

Claire

[Helen]

Hi Claire,

Great videos, thanks for sharing.
I particularly like the shots of the ray in the first one.
Music is very subjective, but I really liked all of your choices. I think they seened to reflect the ambience well.
In the sea world one I loved how it ended with the shark swimming away, thought that was a really nice touch.
I agree with Rob about the very short clips in the first video, they do detract a little from the smoothness of the video because they fade in and out so quick.

Thought they were great though. Was also very jealous of how much great diving you seem to have done since christmas!

Look forward to seeing more!
Helen

[Mike W]

Hi there - nice stuff, I liked the Mexican one, seen it on YD I think?

Just to give a different spin on the first vid - I found the shortness of the clips made it seem like viewing a still-picture slideshow but with movement on the individual frames. I rather liked it, though the individual 'pics' were composed and set up as video shots not stills, and I'd have liked to see them more tightly cropped - certainly worth another shoot sometime in the future.

[Cussy]

Actually it wasn't necessarily the shortness of the clip that I found distracting, more the fact that the transition effect was virtually the whole length of the clip.

I don't do underwater video, photography is expensive enough, but for topside video I adopted a technique off of the BBC nature crew. They use hard transitions between shots, but a short fade between subjects or series of clips. They also tend to edit video with a few short clips (mainly of the same length) and then a long sequence. If you watch the Blue Planet or Planet Earth you will see many 4 - 5 minute segments with music between long sections of ducumentary.

I think these were great little video, as with photography, I think your results will get even better with time. I found that my photography improved when I stopped being a diver with a camera to a photographer with a scuba kit. The mental attitude makes a huge difference. The difference though with video is that you may find yourself not only thinking of the capture but also of the editting and cutting pieces together whilst shooting. I never think "this shot is going to be a challenge in RAW processing", but can see that video needs thought.

Rob

[Andy Berk]

Some very nice stuff, you have a flair there Claire (ooops, that rhymes doesn't it). The Malta film you have in YouTube threw me back to when I was there with the Navy in 19-blah-blah,... or was it the year before?

Safe diving,

Berko

[Andy Berk]

Originally Posted by Claire

Hi Rob

I thought it would be better to cut the clips short and have them reasonably smoothe than have the camera shaking, as I find that particularly annoying when watching videos.

That, right there Claire (oops rhymed again) is what its all about... if you're prepared to fight camera movement (something which terrorises me too) you're gonna be a winner. My 2p

Berko