In December 2013 Scubaverse published the following brief press release on 360 degree video technology:

Michael Kintner, CEO, Inventor and manufacturer of 360Heros 360-degree video gear has announced the release of “For the Love of Sharks” with Bill Macdonald Productions using the new underwater 360 Video Gear called “H3ScubaH6”.

This stunning 360° interactive video of an epic scuba dive with over 30 sharks swimming around the divers is produced by environmental filmmaker Bill Macdonald for Sea Pulse Films and Macdonald Productions. The footage was shot in the crystal waters off a Micronesian reef giving the viewer the same perspective as the unprotected diver encircled by these magnificent creatures.

The documentary-style 360 virtual tour was shot with the 360Heros H3ScubaH6 Plug-n-Play holder using six GoPro Hero3Black cameras. This footage can be scaled for HD online delivery or displayed at a resolution of over 5K (5,500 x 2,750 pixels.)

I clicked on the web link http://macdonald.360heros.com/360video/2013-YAP-Sharks/index.html to experience this ‘stunning interactive video’ for myself and was very pleasantly surprised. It actually did what it said on the label. Sitting at my desk, I was able, with ease, to move the video camera view using my mouse around the reef top to follow the sharks.

I wanted to know more so contacted Bill Macdonald to ask about this exciting project.

Jeff:  Hi Bill. Love the sense of ‘being there’ the video gives. What is the best way for people to look at and interact with the video?

Bill:  Go to www.macdonaldproductions.com, the shark video is on the home page, it loads fast from there. This is the short version, and a longer 6 minute version will be posted later this month. You can download the promo 1.5 minute iframe here (at the 360Heros site): http://www.360heros.com/2013/11/for-the-love-of-sharks-its-like-google-street-view-but-underwater/. Then watch it whenever.

Jeff:  What were the main challenges in producing this film?

Bill:  You should have at least 8 Go Pros when shooting remote, since the cameras can act up. You must have all 6 cameras rolling or it doesn’t work. Once on the cluster holder, the cameras have to register with subjects (like lines) at a distance of 6ft, and 360 degrees around to synchronize up. So a shallow pool will not do, and you need lines for focus registration, so it took flying to YAP and making a preliminary dive to sync. Keep in mind we were among the first to try this. We also found out you have to hold the system very steady when filming.

Jeff:  How many of you were involved?

Bill:  After seeing the cluster holder on line and one holder at the 2013 Long Beach SCUBA Show, I knew this would be a game changer, so I invested.

My son Dustin researched the set up. Michael Kintner of 360Heros was helpful via the phone and by email, he’s a tech genius and a software developer. There was also input from Snake River Prototyping regarding filter selection.  MantaRayBay Resort was the ideal destination, great staff, clear water, sharks are guaranteed and the owner Bill Acker is a long time friend. Bill Acker is personally familiar with these sharks. He did the best job of getting the cameras up close and personal holding steady. The Yap Divers dive support was superb.

Jeff:  The images from each of the GoPro 6 cameras are top quality. Can you tell us how are they ‘stitched’ together to give the seamless flow from one to the other?

Bill:  The edit is complicated. I had 360Heros edit my segments for a fee. I will get to the editing at a later time; the software is on a continual upgrade. The stitching is a computer edit process with software from Kolor Autopano Video Pro, in France (over $1,000.00). As this process gets going there will be a need for qualified editors. The cameras must be synchronized precisely together to the frame. The sync needed last summer was to audio clank on the pole after the cameras start, and sync the audio tracks before you begin the edit. Now there is a visual sync upgrade.

Jeff:  The GoPro cameras have certainly revolutionised the filming industry in so many ways. What made you decide on using the Gopro instead of any other camera?

Bill:  Go Pro is an excellent company to do business with. The cluster holders are from 3-D printing, and © 360Heros. Nothing else exists in the consumer price range. These cameras are versatile and the Black version purchase isn’t a killer, however you have to get special domes for each camera used underwater, along with filters that are purchased from Snake River Prototyping: www.snakeriverprototyping.com

Jeff:  Would this have been possible before GoPro came onto the market?

Bill:  Not to my knowledge. The holders are specially made to lock in the proper camera angles. When I saw this potential, a light bulb went off, since I knew the best location and subjects for this application. The purchase was within my budget. The premiere presentation at DEMA was very well received at the Manta Ray Bay Resort booth. Constant comment from viewers: “I never saw anything like this before” or just “awesome”. Recently at CES.

Jeff:  How long had the project been in development before the final shooting?

Bill:  I saw the system in mid-May 2013 at the SCUBA Show, made the purchases, and gathered the system within a month, and was off to Yap in July. So it was totally on the fly. My son Dustin finished the prep and flew out a week later with the system. We also were assembling an aqua-copter drone for wet – aerial filming as well; full plate of new technology.

Jeff:  Once started, did everything go to plan or did you have to overcome problems along the way?

Bill:  This was not easy to do. The only underwater reference video available came from a single shoot in Belize that 360Heros filmed.

Communicating to and from Yap with slow Micronesian internet speeds was a challenge. But we were able to get it going. Being among the initial users from a small start up has its benefits and drawbacks. Adventure comes with the territory when you are in on the ground floor or basement in this case. I had to believe it would work, and it did. 360Heros is an enterprise that I suspect will unveil more new developments and develop both hardware and software to apply towards the cutting edge of experience action photography.

Jeff:  From the image above it looks as if the cameras are fixed to a point on the reef. Is it possible for the rig to move, to follow divers or wildlife?

Bill:  The still shot does appear to be a good camera position, surrounded by sharks, after finding a solid anchor for the camera pole. Just after we set it up, one of the cameras stopped (battery issue), so this scene was a washout.

The system is sensitive to movement, shakes are amplified with several camera POV’s. Steady as she goes. Bill Acker could swim in close and he held the system steady.

Why can’t you see the 6-foot camera pole? It is stitched out in the edit, which is a great feature.

There is a horizontal reference need as well, when shooting underwater. Horizons are important when shooting motion.

Jeff:  I’m intrigued about the possible applications of this. Great for consumer use in the tourist and entertainment market but I’m sure you have far greater expectations, perhaps exploration or research. Can you tell us more about where you see this technology being used and how you see it developing in the future?

Bill: In my case, I am a senior citizen, and care giver for my wife, so I don’t get around much. The Yap adventure was my yearly adventure.

The 360Hero rig would be great in a Southern Californian kelp forest, and with Giant Sea Bass mating aggregations (sounds like Catalina this summer). We shall see what we come up with for 2014. I want to improve my relationship with the edit process. That should take a while. I still envision a November dive adventure.

306Heros was at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently and just released an app that allows people to screen “For the Love of Sharks” and an Everest expedition on an iPhone. With mine, I can pan thru the scene by moving the iPhone towards the desired screen direction, almost like a dance. Marvellous development.

Jeff:  What’s the next project for the 360 Gopro?

Bill:  360Heros also released a 12-camera Go Pro 3-D cluster holder. The 3-D is an interesting development, but a bit mindboggling, considering my experience level at this point in time.

Jeff:  Thanks Bill.