WINNER CHOSEN AND REVIEW BY SCUBAVERSE.COM’S EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND RESIDENT UNDERWATER VIDEOGRAPHY EXPERT JEFF GOODMAN

Winner: Jellyfish of the Gulf by Lara Dakers

Winning Video:

Very good selection of videos this month so congratulations to all those who entered. As always, please do read the comments I have made about all the videos just in case they help you with your own projects in the future.

Let’s take a look at July’s videos:

The Tiny Wolf – Richard Stevens

Watch Richard’s video here.

Well done for getting that. I know it’s very difficult to do macro and keep the camera steady while in a delicate environment where you can’t use a tripod. Like the written description to accompany the video. Perhaps a little music rather than the camera noise would have helped.

Greedy Guts Grouper – Richard Stevens

Watch Richard’s video here.

Fascinating to see and thanks for the written description which makes all the difference to the viewing experience.

Big Fat Little Horse – Richard Stevens

Watch Richard’s video here.

Well done again Richard. You are really getting the hang of macro filming. I know it’s always tempting to get as close as possible but don’t forget to go a little wider now and again to give some perspective. Glad you added music this time.

Best Scuba Diving Adventure in Cozumel –  Nicole Hodapp

Watch Nicole’s video here.

Hi Nicole. You have obviously put a lot of work into this and the images are very good. But it is more of a slide show than a video for the first 3-4 minutes. What video footage there is is very good, well shot and quite dramatic in the angles you have chosen. Having done so much work I would urge you to think about what your main audience would be. 15 minutes is a very long time for any video and when there is no story to drive it. It is in danger of becoming just a catalogue of pretty images in which people will just dip in and out of rather than follow it through to the end. I hope you will take this comment as encouragement rather that criticism.

Wreck Weekend – David

Watch David’s video here.

Great looking wreck sites. All well filmed and lit. I would liked to have had a little information on what I was looking at. Perhaps just small amount of narration or on screen wording to explain what the wreck was and what the items you found were. It takes a little more time in editing but can make a huge difference to the viewing enjoyment.

Island Vibes – Rachel Kahn

Watch Rachel’s video here.

Nice happy opening to the film. Excellent music. I did like the brief entrance of the Monk Sea.  The dolphins were well videoed, very sharp and well framed. Good idea with the underwater lights from all the divers, that was quite spectacular.

Jellyfish of the Gulf – Lara Dakers

Watch Lara’s video here.

A very simple video but beautiful to watch. Your music choice was perfect. All well framed, sharp and well exposed.

Steve the Pufferfish – Lara Dakers

Watch Lara’s video here.

Never seen such a friendly Puffer. Love those kind of interactions. Very nicely shot and very well edited with good music choice.

Photography on Chumphon Pinnacle – Lara Dakers

Watch Lara’s video here.

Once again Lara, very good music choice. The video was a good and easy watch and I enjoyed the concept of watching the photographer at work. But I would liked to have seen some of the photographer’s images cut into the video.

Babbacombe at Night – Mark Tidridge

Watch Mark’s video here.

I love night diving and it was good to see your film. One tip, try to get your camera at animal eye level instead of looking down on everything. Well done for removing the fishing line. I’m guessing this was done on a GoPro so could I suggest yo have a look at a close up lens attachment to help you film those smaller animals.

Eastern Kings – Mark Tidridge

Watch Mark’s video here.

We certainly do have some stunning marine life here in the UK. I was,’t sure what was happening with the music. First track stopped and then the second track was really short just to accommodate a few extra shots. It would have been better to just keep the one track and take out any repetitive shots to make them fit.

Babbacombe with the Cuttles – Mark Tidridge

Watch Mark’s video here.

Babbacombe was my home ground as a lad and I used to dive there almost every day. I do remember well the abundance and beauty of huge mating cuttlefish. It’s a great place to dive. Well done for filming so much life. Have a think now about making more of just one animal and doing a little feature on that alone with a bit of a story to it.

Sivri Ada – Peter Salvatore

Watch Peter’s video here.

Lots of good images. It may have been nice for you to put some information with the film just to let your audience know exactly what they were looking at. Perhaps a basic narration or some graphics on screen.

And the Winner is….

This month’s winner is Jellyfish of the Gulf by Lara Dakers. It was quite a simple video but intriguing in its content. Well shot and edited with a good choice of music to enhance the feel of the film. Well done Lara.

I look forward to next month’s entries. Good luck!