Underwater, even the easiest job becomes a monumental task fraught with difficulty and danger. Any project, from the smallest one-man job to a large production with tens of workers, requires very careful planning, exacting execution and unwavering supervision to guarantee not only the acquisition of images, but more importantly, the safety of all those working underwater. Having managed film projects in the water since 1980, our capabilities in this sector have expanded well beyond that.
We have been the supervising team in 23 freediving world records since 1995. Freediving, called “The Original Extreme Sport”, is the amazing feat where divers plunge hundreds of feet underwater holding their breath in the ultimate quest to become the planet’s deepest diver. Being in charge meant that we had to put together a team of 25 divers to fill all the underwater positions required for these record events. First, a safety team that oversees the freediver at stations along the descent and ascent. The safety divers must first use gear that allows them to dive to great depths, gear which comprises 3-4 times the amount of components of a regular scuba diver and can weigh in excess of 200 lbs. They then must learn and practice very complex rescue procedures in case the freediver needs their help. We also had to select and train a video team to film the record dives at different stages, some of them at the bottom section, requiring the videographers to use the same gear as the safety divers. As supervisors, we were in charge of selecting the most suitable dive gear for every position of each of the 25 divers, and then maintain that gear to perform flawlessly. We were also in charge of training the whole team in the safety and rescue procedures, and then drilling them on a daily basis. In fact, for the 5-6 months prior to the record attempt, we supervise the safety and video teams’ preparation for the event on a daily basis. The result? On each of those 23 world record events, we’ve had a spotless record, guaranteeing the safety of the athletes, the safety and video teams, as well as that of all participating media, TV crews, sponsors and VIP’s. And of course, we achieved important milestones in the imaging area, becoming the first ones to broadcast LIVE from 400 ft below the surface, and then from 500 ft, the first to do in HD, in IMAX and then in 3D.
What this means for customers who are contemplating an underwater production is that once we’re in charge of your project, you can rest assured that the images you need will be acquired, that all the personnel that needs to go underwater will be properly trained and looked after, and that we will choose the equipment, techniques and methodologies to complete the project at the utmost quality and least expense.