Underwater Filming

Other than using my GoPro for fun on the weekends, I have never really filmed anything.

So, I did some research...

I will film all day this Sunday and hopefully get enough usable footage to create my film opening!
Hopefully my actors are available, fingers crossed.




"10 Tips For Shooting Underwater Video." UWPhotography, 29 March 2017, http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/10-underwater-video-tips

Time is precious

I want to start filming, but time is the one thing I do not have. This past weekend I had a water polo tournament, next weekend I have water polo regionals. I just can't seem to get down to the keys!

To maximize time in my day, I have made a filming itinerary.

FILMING DAY ITINERARY

who: Alexis Romero, Adriana Gonzalez, David Krohn, Hannah Krohn
supplies: GoPro, waterproof Cannon, mask, fins, snorkel, boat, dive flag, bathing suit
where: Molasses Reef, Islamorada
8:00- Wake up, put on bathing suits
8:15- Eat breakfast
8:30- Load boat with equipment and supplies
9:00- Push off the dock and drive to Molasses Reef
9:40- Arrive at Molasses Reef, get cameras and actors ready
9:50- Splash down, begin filming
12:00- Wrap up filming, eat lunch on the boat
12:30- drive back to dock
1:10- Arrive back at dock, unload boat, shower
2:00- Begin editing. Edit until the end of the day. Add sound if necessary. Add opening credits and after film effects.

If only I had all the time in the world.

Location is everything

Location, location, location! I want to film my intro somewhere my actresses Adriana, Alexis, my father, and myself are all familiar with. It's always easier to be comfortable in waters you are use to, and the three of us have been growing up in the waters of the Florida Keys. A local favorite is Molasses Reef off the south east side of Key Largo and directly south of the John Pennekamp State Park border. So, this is where my intro will be filmed. There are mooring balls to tie up to, so the boat will stay in one spot while filming and the backgrounds will look at least somewhat similar between the time we get in and get out of the water.

Here are some of my own images of Molasses: 

The deepest part of Molasses Reef is about 40 feet, which is deep enough to film free diving without including the bottom. It is also always clear, which is great for filming. 

I never thought I would have a legitimate excuse to go free diving instead of help with chores. 

Up Close and Personal: Audrey Mestre

I recently come to a realization. If I am going to make a film opening for an entire movie, honoring a role model of mine, I should know everything about her in order to properly portray her through film. So, I watched "'No Limits'- The Audrey Mestre Documentary." But I want to make it clear that this is NOT a documentary. There is not much information on her childhood, so my storyboard plan is purely fictional. All scenes in the film opening are fictional scenes. But, I still believe it would be good for me to research more on her life so my actors can be one with Mestre.


No Limits - The Audrey Mestre Documentary:

As a teenager, Audrey Mestre suffered from scoliosis, but in those formative years, she discovered a passion for the ocean. She grew up in a family of diving and snorkeling enthusiasts in France. She moved to Mexico City as a teenager and later studied marine biology at a university in La Paz.  In the final stages of her Ph.D., Mestre was drawn to Cabo San Lucas, where she became infatuated with free diver Pipin Ferreras, a Cuban defector whose dives had put him at the forefront of the sport. The two became a couple, and Mestre followed the often elusive, often raucous Ferreras on his almost spiritual quest to push his limits underwater. Soon enough, Mestre moved from support team member to ardent free diver and then to a world-class competitor who outshone her husband, showing that women can do ANYTHING men can do (if not more). From the looks of the film, they were madly in love. Most people, before watching my film opening, know that she has died. But I still want to honor her. Gary Smith of Deep Magazine described the couple as "carried away by love-for risk and for each other - two of the world's nest free divers went to the limits of their sport, only one came back." Making this film will help the free diving community worship a beautiful, talented, and spirited legend of the sport. I do not want to focus on the tragic loss of her life, but the things she accomplished to inspire young girls everywhere.

“A lot of people get scared about things they don’t know or understand."

Dreaded Storyboarding

I have yet to name my film, but I have been working on the storyboard.

I plan on using existing film in my film opening along with footage I will be filming next weekend. It will be difficult for me to get all the filming in on time because my actress has been in El Salvador, I have water polo tournaments on the weekends and have been training for my Dive Master Cert. But, the show must go on! I also desperately need a title for my movie. I was thinking "Mestre," but that is so unoriginal.

Hopefully by next week I will have a title...

Film Opening Inspiration

Sean McNamara's Soul Surfer was the first thing I thought of when I decided to make a biographical fiction based on Audrey Mestre's life as a free diver. I want to use Soul Surfer's film opening as inspiration for my own film opening.

I plan on using a friend's younger sister Adriana to play 11 year old Mestre and my friend Alexis as adult Mestre. My film will begin with "home-footage" of Mestre as a child, beginning her life as a free diver with a voiceover from her adult self. I will have to add a filter to the film of her childhood to make it look older than the "present day" film and to show an obvious difference between the two. Then, the film will transfer to Mestre (Alexis) on a boat heading out for the day, probably with a medium shot to show the setting and her facial expression of bliss. I plan on using a lot of pan shots tot show the environment in which I will be filming (the Florida Keys) and may even create a jump cut to show the transition of young Mestre "diving" into her present self, just as McNamara uses a jump cut to show the transition from young Bethany's home video to Anna Sophia Robb playing Bethany Hamilton.

All film taken above water will be taken on either a GoPro Hero 3 or a Canon Digital Camera and all underwater footage will be filmed on the GoPro. I will also be using a red lens filter to make the colors underwater more vibrant.

Until next post...

Freediving: Audrey Mestre vs Tanya Streeter

The sport of freediving dates back to as early as 4500 b.c. when people began diving down to collect shells and pearls from the sea floor.  The world of competitive freediving lifted many more divers to prominence in the nineties and continues to do so in the present day. As a female free diver in a predominately male dominated sport, I wanted to make my film about the woman who have inspired me to pursue my dreams. 

Two of the most influential women in the world of free diving are Audrey Mestre and Tanya Streeter. 

So, to honor the woman who have shaped my life, I decided to create a biographical fiction. A biographical fiction is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Usually they show the life of a historical person and the main character's real name is used. I want to make sure people know that my film is based on a true story, so this will definitely be something I want to include in my film intro. 

At the moment, I cannot decide who I want the main character of my film to be...

Audrey Mestre was born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France on August 11th, 1974. She began free diving at the age of 13 and scuba diving at 16. In 1999, she married the renowned free diver,  Francisco "Pipín" Ferreras and moved to Miami. This is convenient for me because I will be filming my film opening in the Florida Keys. So, luckily for me, the underwater setting will be realistic.  In 2000, Mestre broke the female world record for deepest free dive when she descended to 130 meters. On October 12th, 2002, she Mestre attempted to dive to a depth of 171 meters under the supervision of a dive team and her husband. Upon the time of planned accent, a problem arose with her lift bag and Mestre's 3.5 minute planned dive turned into a 8.5 minute dive. By the time her husband got her body to the service, she was pronounced dead. In 2002, Audrey Mestre was honored with entrance to the Woman Diver's Hall of Fame. 

Tanya Streeter, born Tanya Dailey, was born on January 10th, 1973 in Grand Cayman. She began free diving at 25 and almost immediately began breaking records. In 1998 she broke the women's no limits diving record of 370 feet and was entered into the Women Diver's Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2002, she broke the free diving world record of 525 feet, proving that a woman can out-compete a man in the sport of freediving.  In 2003, she broke the world record for deepest variable ballast dive at 400 feet. And, as of 2005, she hold the world record for "no limits apnea."

Although both woman are extremely accomplished, I think I will most likely base my biographical fiction on Audrey Mestre. She died for her passion and I think that will bring a compelling and emotional aspect to my film. I also feel like I am honoring her by basing my film on her life. In addition, he actress I am using looks much more like Mestre than Streeter.  

"Biographical Film." Wikipedia. 12 March 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biographical_film

"Heuer People: Tanya Streeter." Watchuseek. 11 March 2017. http://forums.watchuseek.com/f25/        

        heuer-people-tanya-streeter-91736.html
"History of Freediving." Deeper Blue. 10 March 2017, https://www.deeperblue.com/history-of-                   freediving/

"'No Limits'- The Audrey Mestre Documentary" Vimeo. 10 March 2017. https://vimeo.com/70997378

"Tanya Streeter." Wikipedia. 12 March 2017, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Streeter

Here it goes!

Today is the day! 

Hello, my name is Hannah Krohn and for the next 6 weeks, I will be creating (and constantly blogging about) a film opening I will be creating! I am a little slow with the technology aspect of movie making...so this should be interesting. But, I am very excited to begin working on a film opening on a subject close to my heart: the world of diving.

The ocean has been near and dear to me ever since I was a little girl. I grew up around boats with my father and grandfather and began scuba diving when I was 10 years old. One topic that has always fascinated me is the immense influence women have had on the dive industry. Although I am still unsure which genre I will definitely be tackling (probably historical fiction), I want to highlight the importance of the women in the Women Divers Hall of Fame who are the "pioneers, leaders,innovators, and world record holders throughout the international diving community."

I may choose one or multiple influential women and create main characters based off of them and their stories of how they came to be the powerful role models they are today.

In my film opening, I would like to introduce the main characters while also giving a glimpse of the beauty of the world of diving. My film opening will include a multitude of underwater footage and will be primarily shot in the Florida Keys.

I am especially excited to film this opening because one of my lifelong dreams is to film underwater footage for National Geographic. I am happiest underwater and this project gives me a great excuse to scuba dive!

Until next time...