A huge thank you!

Shooting of my first film, "Behind Blue Glass" is almost totally complete, with only one shot left which we will be doing tomorrow.

The last two weeks have been gruelling to say the least, sleep has been at a premium, there have been no wild parties or nights out, okay, well one night out but it wasn´t really wild, incidentally, the night in question culminated in us meeting the famous Spanish actor Jorge Sanz during which (whilst a bit pissed, like the rest if us) he told us, on camera, how much he likes sharks and that he wants to see more sharks in Mallorca, and also, the rather amusing sight of the Mallorquin police driving around shouting "Tiburones! Tiburones!" ("Sharks! Sharks!") from the loudspeaker of their car!

That aside, it has been a punishing work schedule with early mornings and late nights and I am not ashamed to admit that the crew behind me have been pushed to their limits in the same way I have pushed myself and a lot of what we have is looking pretty damn awesome because of that.

At this stage, instead of giving more detail about the film itself (fear not, that will come in the next few days) I will focus on the people who have helped make this what it is.

I have said from the beginning that all my films will be as much about people as they are sharks and two people who embody everything in which I believe and without whom, none of this would have been possible, will forever be at the top of my list of vital participants in the making of this film and as I move forward. 

Brad Robertson and Bea Esparza have been nothing short of monumentally amazing since I first had this idea. I have lived with them, they have been my sound department, camera operators, local fixers, translators, chauffeurs, chefs and general dog´s bodies at times and without them both, I could never have made this film. Brad and Bea are in the early stages of running their own business, Ondine Escape an environmentally aware wellness and adventure company which has a heavy focus on conservation and environmental sustainability, in particular, that which relates to the ocean and their diving services. They love people and they love nature and their approach to their clients in these tough times is astonishing in its dedication, often to the detriment of their own livelihood. People like Brad and Bea are the reason I am so passionate about everything I do with "From the Office to the Ocean," they believe we, the people, can make things better for future generations and as I write tis, they are fast asleep, exhausted due to the gargantuan effort and energy they have put into this film. If you are coming to Mallorca, do yourself a favor and get in touch with them, you won´t regret it!

Palma Aquarium feature heavily in this film and working alongside them has been a pleasure. Whether you agree with aquaria or not, the simple fact is that they provide an outlet for education of various marine animals and a chance for people to see animals, sharks in particular, they may not normally see. The animals in the aquarium are in tip top health and it is the cleanest I have ever visited.

The main reason for this has to be the staff who have been a joy throughout, giving me unlimited access whenever I want it and in particular Deborah Morrison, the head of education and conservation (who is also tirelessly leading a "Save the Tuna" campaign) and Roman Gradel, the Curator. They have been instrumental throughout the making of this film and again, without the support of Deborah and Roman, I would not be here. They are not only a credit to Palma Aquarium, but a credit to Mallorca.

Liam Wright, a talented film-maker who owns and runs Banter Media has been an enormous help in getting the shots from inside my mind, on to the camera and they look superb! His help and guidance for me, a film-maker starting out in the profession, has been inspirational and enormously useful as I move forward with my career. He also took twelve days out of a busy schedule running his own Production Media House, to help me make this. Top man!

I also want to mention Gabriel Morey, a fisheries minister for the Balearics and, like me, complete shark nut! He has been awesome and on my birthday, took Brad, Bea and I diving at El Toro, a great way to celebrate turning thirt...twenty two ;)

Our twelve participants, Palmi, Johnny, Jaime, Alistair... the list goes on, I just could´t find time to thank them all enough however, the full list of people who have made this grueling and punishing schedule, thoroughly enjoyable will appear on the film of course!

I also want to thank Cameras Underwater for the loan of the underwater housing, Canon, Fourth Element for keeping me warm and making me look good and everyone else who has supported me thus far.

I return on the 28th where work on the edit and sound will begin immediately. It´s been a hell of a ride and I can´t wait to see the finished product, I hope you can´t either!

I´d like to go int more detail but I just don´t have the time, all that will be coming soon though so keep your eyes peeled!

Tiburones!!

www.officetoocean.com

P.S. Please forgive any spelling mistakes, spell check is in Spanish here and my eyes just can´t hack endlessly reading, looking for spelling mistakes!