In this video, you'll learn eight impressive types of underwater shots that professional filmmakers use to create breathtaking videos. Learn how to effectively use camera movement to capture dynamic and cinematic footage underwater taught in this PADI course- PADI Underwater Videographer (underwater filming courses).
Learn the following types of shots:
- Straight follow shot: The camera moves forward smoothly, creating an impressive illusion of movement.
- Side tracking shot: The camera moves sideways, perfect for filming subjects moving parallel to you.
- Top to bottom shot: The camera pans up from the bottom, revealing the scene from a unique perspective.
- Low Altitude Tracking Shot: The camera moves close to the bottom of the ocean, creating an impressive close-up effect.
- Orbital tracking shot: The camera rotates around the subject, creating a dynamic and professional shot.
- Frame of the crane or boom: The camera moves vertically, up or down, creating a more dramatic exposure of the subject.
- Spinning frame: The camera rotates on its axis, creating a strong sense of movement.
- Tilt frame: The camera tilts to emphasize movement or add an interesting element to the shot.
Tip: Combine different types of footage to create even more impressive and unique underwater videos!
Hello, my name is Valters Preimanis and I am an underwater videographer and filmmaker. In this video, I'm going to share eight of my favorite cinematic underwater shots that I use all the time to make my videos stand out and look better.
I've been wanting to make this video for quite some time as I love sharing ideas with underwater photographers who are looking for inspiration and want to take their footage to the next level!
1. Straight follow shot
This is a shot where the camera moves forward as if it were on rails while keeping it as smooth as possible. Basically, we create the illusion of a shot that requires a lot of equipment to pull off, when in reality all it needs is good technique and buoyancy. To capture this shot, you must first find an object that matches the shot type. We look for objects in front of us where there is a clear, unobstructed line between us and them. Another thing we want to include in the shot is the surroundings or foreground elements to help accentuate the movement, meaning objects closer to our lens will help show that the camera is moving, unlike a similar shot in open water. Once you've found the object and the scene, you have a few options for executing it.
The first option is to simply row forward with as much control and stability as possible. I recommend swimming strokes with flippers as it helps keep a steady pace with less movement reaching the body and camera rig. Another option that can be used in situations where the object is not moving is to make a few hard flippers towards the object and then stop paddling altogether and just glide towards the object. By doing this, you'll reduce camera shake because you're not actually moving your body.
However, there are some limitations here as it is almost impossible to do well if you are swimming against the current. Speaking of streams, you can also use it to your advantage by letting it carry you to a scene if it's in the right direction. This is probably the best and easiest method to get a steady shot, as the current basically does all the work for you and all you have to do is hold your camera rig steady as you slide down the current.
2. Side tracking shot
The principle of movement remains the same, but instead of the camera pointing forward, we can point it to the side. This is great for capturing subjects moving parallel to you, perhaps along a reef or wall. The easiest way to achieve this shot is to lean slightly to the side in the direction you're shooting, giving your hands better access to the camera as you move to the side.
Bonus Tip: Underwater videography is all about motion, so if you have these two shots at your disposal, what's stopping you from switching between them?
You can start with a straight tracking shot and let the camera move with the subject if it decides to swim away. The key here is to experiment and find what works best for you and your shooting style.
3. Top down shot
You may be on top of something interesting, but you may not want to capture it with a static camera. A top-down shot, for lack of a better term, places the camera below you while you hover above the scene or subject. To add movement to your shot, you can simply use your lungs: take a deep breath and you'll rise into the water column and the camera will gradually move away, creating a professional-looking shot without much effort because you're not actually moving your body. When shooting this shot, you can make it more interesting by adding a slight camera spin as you take off, or maybe just shoot it as a top-down spin shot.
Regardless of how you choose to use this type of shot, it's important to note that lunging this way requires pretty good buoyancy control, and the last thing you want to do is lift off too quickly. This can lead to both hyperexpansion injury and decompression sickness, so please practice this type of shot by taking shallow breaths at first and figuring out exactly how much you need to inhale to do it safely.
4. Low altitude tracking shot
The next shot is more difficult because it requires very good buoyancy and spatial awareness. The goal of this shot is to get the camera to move very close to the ocean floor, wall, or reef without touching or endangering the marine life that lives there. Being so close accentuates the camera movement due to its proximity and often gives a very interesting perspective as well. The challenges of taking this shot are many. First, you'll be holding the camera so low or close to objects that you may not be able to see the screen unless you're using an external monitor.
As such, exposure and focus must be set before positioning the camera, and more importantly, composition and framing must be able to be set, possibly without looking through the screen. This can be very difficult and may take some time to achieve; however, with a little practice it is doable.
Another challenge with this shot is spatial awareness: you have to be aware of exactly how close your rig is to the surroundings. You can also swim low or close to objects around you, so you need to have perfect body position and flipper control. I do not recommend attempting this shot until you have reached a comfortable level of personal buoyancy and camera control. Please understand that no shot is worth endangering any form of marine life.
5. Orbital tracking shot
The next shot is a little easier, but still quite challenging. Orbital follow shot allows us to circle the subject while filming it, creating a very professional shot that has been made very popular by drones in recent years. Taking this shot also takes some practice, as it can prove surprisingly difficult to keep the same distance to your subject, stay level in the water column, and hold the camera steady while paddling with your flippers.
I actually screw up this shot myself more often than any other because of its complexity, so don't feel bad if you can't get it right. Swimming to the side and focusing on the distance to the object helps me. Of course, you can swim closer or further away if that's what you want, but I usually try to stay a certain distance away. This shot takes a lot of practice, so get out there and try it.
6. Shot of the crane or boom
The next shot is a little easier, but it's one of my favorite shots to use when diving in a shallow reef or near cliff tops. A crane or boom shot is basically simple: the camera moves vertically, up or down, usually to reveal a subject more dramatically.
I think a lot of cameramen use this shot too rarely because it's really quite easy to achieve. In fact, you already know how to do this because the method used is exactly the same as the third frame we just used - the top-down frame. To turn any of these shots into a landing shot, you simply need to exhale instead of inhale, allowing yourself to sink while keeping the camera steady and taking care of the composition. This is a great shot that opens up a lot of creative possibilities.
7. Turning shot
The panning shot is next on our list and can be used in place of a static or tracking shot if the scene or environment calls for it. It can be used quite effectively without much effort, as panning the camera will create a strong sense of movement. One of my favorite spin shots I've ever taken was with a friend of mine while filming an advertising project, and the resulting transition came out pretty nice.
So while it might be tempting to do a full 360 degree spin (and some shots might look really cool doing it), just turning the camera a little will already create an effect that could benefit your shot. Another creative way to use this movement is to imagine where the camera's pivot point might be: you could rotate the camera around the center of the frame, or you could keep one corner of the frame more or less stationary while the rest of the camera rotates around that point.
8. Tilt shot
Finally, we come to the last frame type, and that is the tilt frame. Tilting the camera can be another way to follow a subject or reveal a scene; again, this can help accentuate movement or add another interesting element of camera movement to the shot.
This shot is completely wrist dependent, and for a smooth tilt I find this technique works best: one hand tilts the camera in the desired direction while the other resists the motion. So one hand pulls and the other holds back. By doing this, you can achieve a very even and smooth bend without much effort, but again, practice is key.
Conclusion and advice
Once you've learned how to use some of these frame types, it's time to learn how to combine them. Underwater, there are no limits to what kind of shots you can take: after all, we are almost weightless and can move in any direction. So learn as much as you can from these shots and start thinking of ways to combine them. You could take a tilted crane shot or an orbital shot with a spin element.
Either way, I'm sure you'll come up with some great shots and I can't wait to see them. That's all from me, I hope you enjoyed this article because I really enjoyed making it.
