UWOL #9 “Pipefish” by Markus Nord

[Markus Nord]

Well, I took a dip in the tank but didn’t fancy the sharks…

Film titel: Pipefish
Produced By: Markus Nord

This film is a quick produced film about a fish from my favourite fish family “Pipefish and sea horses”. The Broadnose pipefish is a common fish in the shallow waters around Sweden and it don’t have much problem with the low salinity level in the Baltic Sea. You can find this fish in nearly al coastal water in Europe, including the Mediterranean Sea and half way up on Norway’s coastline.

This round I could spend that much time and time was ticking fast, but I took a few minutes of during the last weekend to shot the last scenes, the over water part. I didn’t push myself in any way this round and I took the easy way out. I really wanted to push the level for me and higher my standard but not this round. In August I have to put more time of for UWOL.

The film was shot with my XL2 and wide angle lens, I didn’t use any extra light ‘cause my light are not working at the moment. I used the wide angle lens so I could get closer t the object and get as much light as possible.

I’m not that pleased with this film, its many thinks that I can improve on. I stress through filming the last part, editing, VO script, recording VO, etc. But I still hope that it can entertain you a bit and that it is informative enough.

Any way… here is the film:
Pipefish by Markus Nord

Edit: this round I think I broke rule #11, I didn’t have much fun… to less time and too much screw ups. Maybe I should not be allowed competing with this film. Next time I will make up for it!

[David Gemmell]

Hi Marcus,

Gee, even when not trying too hard, you still produce these sort of results! I thought this was an excellent film - although I found the music a bit annoying.

Great narration, with a very educational, well paced piece. I always like the different camera angles you use and the way you bring us along for the ride.

Nice piece.

[Mat Thompson]

I have to second Davids comments. I think the ouput was great considering you didn't seem to get into this to much and its great to see another chapter of UWOL web TV :-)

I've seen quite a few pipefish diving in the UK and they are facinating creatures for sure...and hard to spot sometimes! I think I'd have liked a bit more shot variation and a few nice close ups of the pipefish but if you were using only the wide angle I guess this would have been tough. That said the shots that you did get were great and fit very well with the music! I thought your narration was good and you look really comfortable in front of the camera.

You have a beautiful part of the world there fella, I'd love to dive it one day!

[Dale Guthormsen]

Marcus,

I love the underwater stuff!! Even if it wasn't up to your personal standards I enjoyed it very much!! The pipe fish is pretty interesting, floating around like seahorses.

Thanks for taking the time and sharing!!!

[Markus Nord]

David – Thanks David, I hear you on the music, it’s a bit to loud and the VO get smeared out in the sound wave. About the camera angles, most of the time I’m trying to come up with interesting angles to tell my story… thanks for noticing.

Mat – I hope you’re not getting sick of the WebTV… I love the pipefish’s. That’s my favourite animal family. I hade the opportunity to shot some Sea dragons in Australia last year and that is one of my favourite moment in life. Got the photos in my production (From the hills to the Heads) a got together after the trip.
You are always welcome to join me for some diving… it’s always an extra bed ready for visit.

Dale – Thanks Dale, I did what I could this round, next time I make something better…


Thanks for viewing
/Markus

[Catherine Russell]

Markus!

How do you do it? Congratulations. This is wonderful and masterful! Here you had your feet actually in the tank and you come up with this? It was very well done, and I love your web T.V. take on your entries and the subject content was fascinating. Well done friend!

Cat

[Vidar Vedaa]

Hello Markus


Facinating film you make, and again you make a entery of fich I never have
seen before. And it`s nice to see this UW-film.Hope you will make more of
them.



VJV:

_______________

[Bob Thieda]

Markus...another great underwater adventure.

I don't swim, so it makes your videos even more facinating.

I thought your underwater shots were great. And once again I learned something new...
I never saw a Pipefish before, thanks!

Bob

[Rob Evans]

Hi Markus,
Really enjoyed your film, I remember swimming round after pipefish on family holidays to spain - I always remember looking really hard for them in weed, and suddenly they'd just be there - exactly like you've captured here. Don't beat yourself up too much about this film - I think it's a very worthy and well put together piece ;-)

[Per Johan Naesje]

Really nice film Markus! I understand that you was in a real hurry with this one, since you've jumped into the tank, but found a ladder and your way up!
Second much of what the others have said. I could wish some more close-up of the pipfish. Would that have been possible to do with your kind of equipment?

[Markus Nord]

Cat – Thanks Cat… I hade my toe in the Tank. I did plan for two days filming in the last week but I hade to cut it down to one (‘cause of work) and it started to rain so al my over water shot got throw away at that day, I only took the wide angle port with me cause that was what I planed to use for the film I wrote a script too, but then I didn’t get the shots I needed for that one. I ended up with this shots and two days later I hade some time over for shooting the over water part, and Sunday I got some time to edit, write and record VO.

Vidar – I will continue producing UW, that’s my main area, but I try to shot some OL too. A video are not complete with just UW… I think that you got some Pipefish at you place or maybe it’s too northern.

Bob – Glad I could show you something new, Pipefish are really cool when you start learning about them.

Rob – Thanks Rob, I just couldn’t get the shot I wish for at the beginning and when I took the decision under water that I change my film I couldn’t get the close ups and the lack of light made it harder to get good colour in the wide shots.

Per Johan – It’s possible to get close ups with the stock lens but I didn’t use that one ‘cause I didn’t plan for macro/close up filming (that would be so nice if you could change you lens under water, but when your there you are stuck with what you got). Now I got a small tripod that I can use under water to get more stabile macro shot with, I hope I can use it for next challenge.

Thanks everyone for taking you time.
/Markus

[Eric Gulbransen]

Markus you shot that completely alone didn't you? I feel your pain. I guess we all do, but I have to imagine that entering water into the mix kinda raises the bar a bit? I have a few (annoying) questions: How do you focus under water? Do you just run the cam for the whole dive, or can you turn it on and off? And how, with all that water around you - especially AFTER the dive - do you keep your gear dry? For sure I would ruin everything electronic within a hundred feet of myself..

Nice work Markus.

[Peter Damerell]

Hi Markus.

Massive respect for another underwater entry. I know how difficult photography underwater can be but can only imagine the factors you have to consider for moving image.

I think you chose a great subject and nicely presented some useful information to those who have not experienced this species before.

My only criticisms would be that for a film about pipefish we didn't see any until a minute into the piece. I guess this is because you were limited for shots because of your tight schedule which is understandable. The shots that you did get were extremely good.

The second criticism would be the music. For a slow moving cryptic species like the pipe fish I would have chosen something more subtle, music that drifted with the fish.

I am impressed with your entry, your shots and most of all with your resolve not to go for a swim with those blasted sharks.

Cant wait to see what results your underwater tripod give!


Pete

[Markus Nord]

Eric – Yes, I was al alone. But not to worry, I don’t dive deeper that 3-4 meter if I’m alone and I always keep two separate systems with me. The touch part (I think) of being alone is the pre production, coming up with an idea that works and then to bounce the post production, choice of music, etc. Actually I’m pretty alone in Sweden of focusing on the marine life in the Baltic Sea.
It’s no problem to focus with my housing, I got a direct control (a wheel) though the side of the housing that control the focus ring on the lens. I also got the opportunity to choose auto focus, but that not good for marine life, maybe for wrecks.
The housing is sealed with an o-ring that rated for 105 meter, but you need to be careful when you opening the housing so you don’t wet the camera, but my XL2 is a real “work horse”, it’s been with me al over the place and still working flawless.

Peter – I hear you pete, I like to build up an expectation, and then tell about the environment that the creature lives in before I expose my subject. But for this time I didn’t have that many different pictures to choose from. I definitely would have liked some more close ups to cut to in between the wide shots but I only hade I dive one me (and I planed to shot something else).
About the music I would say yes and no, not the best music I chose and I guess I got something better but again, not enough time to look through the library and I needed something to the silent underwater world (maybe something to go with on the next film, a silent film with just some sound effects).
I hope the tripod will work and I can get some steady macro shots next time.

Thanks…
/Markus

[Chris Barcellos]

Markus:

Nice job again ! In one of these challenges, or maybe in just a thread, we should have people demonstrate the technical aspects of their equipment--- the "how to" of what you've produced. I would love to see something on the technical aspects of your underwater shooting.