Winners - Underwater Videography Contests

June 2017 Video Contest Winner And Review

Published

7 years ago

July 2, 2017

Jeff Goodman

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

Winner: Down here by Klemens Gann

Winning Video:

Yet again a month of wonderful films coming into the Scubaverse Monthly Video Contest. The standard just keeps going up and up. Congratulations to you all on all the hard work you have put into these entries.

Let’s take a look at June’s videos:

Mantas of Costa Rica – Henry Hall

Watch Henry’s video here.

Hi Henry, very nice video and well done for putting up the clear and informative information graphics which made such a difference to the film. Music fitted the images well. All well shot with good sharp and well exposed images.

I am hungry – Nut

Watch Nut’s video here.

Short but sweet. Great shot and not often seen when the camera is set up.

Down here – Klemens Gann

Watch Klemens’ video here.

All round excellent film. Great message with lovely narration. Good camera work with crisp sharp well exposed and well framed images. Very well edited. What more can I say. Oh yes, music was just right. I loved the line ‘a brief encounter lasting for a lifetime’. So true.

Cave Diving Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich – Jonathon Di Cecco

Watch Jonathon’s video here.

Very atmospheric beginning both visually and musically. Excellent yet simple lighting that really gave the feeling of exploration rather than an over produced set up. Beautifully filmed and edited.

Dare yourself to dive into this cave of wonders and challenges ~ Turtle Cave/Turtle Tumb – Joe Starzz

Watch Joe’s video here.

Thanks for the written intro. Makes such a difference. Love your opening graphic. Made me smile. Fascinating place and all well shot but I was left aching for some facts on why, how and when the turtles got in there.

Sipadan Island: The Dive Mecca – Joe Starzz

Watch Joe’s video here.

Nice to have the written introduction to your film. Good set up location images before getting into the water. Wonderful great shoals of fish. Such a rich looking place. All well filmed with nice pacey music and very good ending shot.

A glimpse of Philippines – Vincent E Sousa

Watch Vincent’s video here.

Good to see this use of a written intro is catching on. Excellent stylish opening to this video followed by very nice underwater images which were well framed with good exposure and colour balance. Made me feel I wanted to be there. Music fitted well. Good idea to break up the underwater stuff with another topside sequence.

Philippines bubbles – Laurent Guigue

Watch Laurent’s video here.

Laurent, you are obviously very talented and have put together some truly wonderful images, but without a story or some sort of theme and narrative 13.5 minutes is far too long for a competition entry.

It’s A Moray – Genny Donaldson

Watch Genny’s video here.

Love the choice of music. Made me smile out loud. Really well shot video and I liked the reveal of the moray. Very classy. Isn’t it just the best experience when you are with such a magnificent animal that simply pays you no attention at all and continues on in its daily routine. The end photo was good.

And the Winner is….

There can only be one winner I’m afraid and this month it is Down here by Klemens Gann. Extremely well shot with a wonderful message and sentiment. Technically it was perfect and artistically it was inspiring. I occasionally like to give a special mention to a few other entries but this month they were all good and so once again I say well done to all and look forward to next month.

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Jeff Goodman

Jeff is a multiple award winning, freelance TV cameraman/film maker and author. Having made both terrestrial and marine films, it is the world's oceans and their conservation that hold his passion with over 10.000 dives in his career. Having filmed for international television companies around the world and author of two books on underwater filming, Jeff is Author/Programme Specialist for the 'Underwater Action Camera' course for the RAID training agency. Jeff has experienced the rapid advances in technology for diving as well as camera equipment and has also experienced much of our planet’s marine life, witnessing, first hand, many of the changes that have occurred to the wildlife and environment during that time. Jeff runs bespoke underwater video and editing workshops for the complete beginner up to the budding professional.

Winners - Underwater Videography Contests

December 2022 Video Contest Winner and Review

Published

2 years ago

January 3, 2023

Jeff Goodman

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

Winner:

Winning Video:

Hi everyone. Happy Christmas and New Year. Just four videos this month. I felt the Maria Bereozka film ‘Jingle Fish’ had the edge over the others by way of carefully executed shots and editing, which gave a good steady pace to the video.

Looking forward to more films next year.

If you are keen to advance in your film making skills, don’t forget to look at my book and/or take my RAID Action Camera course.

A love story by Ronald Faber

Synthetic voice – Really!!! Didn’t know there was such software in existence. Should have know better really. Nice video though. I don’t get many entries with David doing the narration. Good story and well shot with great steady camera work and lighting. The editing was spot on as was the music choice. The David voice did give it a certain quality that no matter how good or poor the film actually was, the audience automatically assume it has to be professional and thus top quality. It’s a clever trick but not sure I like it.

Jingle Fish by Maria Bereozka

Nice thoughts and excellent images with great quality. All works really well. The video has a real good feel to it and I love the diver/animal shots.

Fish Dance by Maria Bereozka

Ah Maria, Once again it is your narration that lifts the film by 100%. although your camera work is very good with steady well lit shots.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Dives! by Maria Bereozka

Not sure about this one. Didn’t quite work for me. It seemed to be a collection of loose shots put together to the music.

The January competition is now open for entries. You can enter up to three videos by clicking here.

Winners - Underwater Videography Contests

November 2022 Video Contest Winner and Review

Published

2 years ago

December 1, 2022

Jeff Goodman

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

Winner: Sharkydelity by Fredi

Winning Video:

Such good films this month. It took me a while to decide on the winner. I had to watch them all twice. But in the end my choice was Sharkydelity by Fredi. You can seen my comments on this film as well as all the others below.

If you are keen to advance in your film making skills, don’t forget to look at my book https://www.divedup.com/shop/action-camera-underwater-video-basics-the-essential-guide-to-making-underwater-films/

Time to breath by Maria Bereozka

Yep! Love it. So relaxing to watch and I really feel a bond with Turtle. Good camerawork.

Sharkydelity by Fredi

Lovely written intro thanks. Adds so much to the actual film. It’s a great story and stunning images.

A perfect blend of aerial, land and underwater sequences. Your music choice was perfect as was your camera work and lighting which gave wonderful clear, steady, sharp, well exposed and beautiful framed images. I liked your creativity with the editing, especially where you made the most of the music phrases.

Point of view by Maria Bereozka

The written intro was obviously heart felt and moving. It is so good to set up a video in this way. Once again it is your narration combined with your artistic skills and imagination that make your videos so unique.

Underwater Red Sea paradise by Maria Bereozka

Nice feel to the video which was well complimented by the music. My only suggestion is that for general reef shots you try some way to hold the camera steady. It’s not so important with moving subjects like the ray but when there is just coral and background fish the camera must be as steady as possible.

Banda Sea, Seram Sea and Raja Ampat by Daniel French

Sounds like a fantastic trip from your write-up. The on-screen identification captions work really well. I like the slow motion throughout. The slow steady tracking shots and the slow animal movements. It creates a very peaceful feel and the music is perfect. Great camera work and lighting. I also like your camera angle perspective on subjects where you get below the animals.

Maldives Far North Expedition with MantaTrust by ondrejv

Good written intro thanks. I liked the personal on-screen introduction. Wonderful shots of the mantas. What amazing animals they are. Having gone this far though with the shooting and editing I would have loved to have had some information on what you learned about the Mantas especially as you were with the Manta Trust.

Calm Indian ocean by ondrejv

Stunning opening shot of the Sweetlips. Fabulously sharp and well lit. You have captured some excellent wildlife images and the music fits really well. Loved the turtle turning to look at you.

The December competition is now open for entries. You can enter up to three videos by clicking here.