Feature Film Shooting Logistics

Underwater

There are a few equipment houses that carry underwater equipment in Thailand. However, if you require a full Hydroflex system, we will need to bring it in from Malaysia. There is housing available in Thailand, however, fitting both Arri IIc's and Arri III's. There is also underwater lighting and grip equipment available.

The cold season from December to February is the most predictable for clear waters... but even then it is day to day. In fact, some days during the rainy season can be amazingly clear.

For IMAX "Sacred Planet" we had an underwater unit on a live-aboard out at the Similan Islands for one week of shooting with the world's heaviest underwater housing (with camera it weighed in at about 110 kilos/ 240 pounds.) For a Chinese beer commercial we shot just South of Phuket Island and had underwater grips place platforms on the bottom of the ocean the day before shooting, this way during the shoot the cameraman didn't unsettle the sand at the bottom.

For Jackie Chan's "The Medallion" we had underwater equipment to shoot the scene in which Jackie Chan drowns in a sinking shipping container. For this scene we lowered the shipping container by crane into an Olympic size diving pool near Bangkok. We had several marine safety officers on hand that day as well. We used the same Olympic pool for the underwater segment of "Illy - Beauty has a Taste" TVC, which won a Golden Lion at Cannes in 2006. For this segment we shot a ballerina dancing under water with an Arri III, thus being able to shoot high speed.

Related links: Marine options , Equipment