The life of the lone film-maker. It's hard.

Since I started out on this life altering career change, I have been contacted a lot by people who have offered encouragement and some incredibly kind words, I have also been contacted by people who are also trying to set out on their own path and finally do the things about which they are passionate.

One of those is a guy in South Africa with whom I've become friends, he has big ideas and also the belief that he can pull off what is a monumental challenge which is the biggest part of doing anything like this, you have to believe it is possible, which of course, most things are.

I did the difficult bit in that I actually got to Fiji and did what needed to be done, plus, despite the fact I was working all day, every day, it's hard to look at what I was doing as "work," I was doing what I have always wanted to do, there was always a support system there to bounce ideas off and I was spending every day with sharks!

The reality of film-making though is that the fun part is only the tip of the iceberg, normally after production, most of the crew disband and disappear off to do other things whilst the director and producer take the footage to the post production unit to work on the "back end" of the production, getting it ready for broadcast and that is no different on this production, only I don't have post-production team, I am the post production team.

 

During pre-production, a team of people sit around a table, storyboarding and bouncing ideas of each other, while a line production team do all the running around and planning of logistics so the creative people don't have to worry about all that. The same or at least similar applies to production and in the post-production stage, a team of editors will sit with the director and they will thrash out the best way to tell the story through image, sound and music, several pairs of eyes and ears digesting every nuance and this is how great things happen, talented, creative people, being creative together.

Herein lies the problem, I had and have none of that.

I love the editing process, from cutting things together to choosing music, to colour correction, the whole shebang, I love it and it seems to appeal to my meticulous nature but there comes a time when inspiration dries up or logistics dictate you hit a brick wall.

I currently live (temporarily I hasten to add) in York, if you don't already know, York is a place in England beloved of American tourists, primarily because it adds to the illusion that England is still very much in the 18th century because York hasn't really progressed much since then, to be totally honest, it is an inspirational void, I don't know anyone here and the only people I see on a daily basis are my parents.

This is not good for the post-production of the most important film I will ever make.

My view...every day

I made a specific decision to edit in sequence, that is, to edit the film in the order in which I want it to run, there are a few reasons for this and one of those is the highly stylised and conceptual intro to the film. That intro sets the tone for what follows and it is imperative I get it right. Most of the shots for the intro have been done and have involved repeated trips back to Manchester on the train, lugging a camera, lenses, tripod and slider around all day, hoping I can find the images I need. The shots I still need to get are shots which I simply cannot do on my own, they either feature me in them or require actors and locations. I am awaiting confirmation of two locations but that of course is out of my control and Liam who worked with me on Behind Blue Glass is booked in for April 7th to shoot the stuff with me in, stuff which pretty much has to be done in one day only.

All these shots have had to be conceptualised in my own mind with nobody there to offer alternative ideas, suggestions, criticisms, encouragement or to simply listen to me describing them. Such an internal and insular approach to what is intended to be expressive, thought provoking and fresh is not conducive to the process moving quickly and as such, this process of putting together the intro is going painfully and frustratingly slowly.

Since returning from Fiji in August, I have had sole responsibility for converting every single shot from up to four cameras, logging and editing that footage into manageable Premiere Pro folders and syncing up all the sound from two mics, that took until January to complete. I have put together two short films I was commissioned to make, negotiated my way around a distribution deal for "Behind Blue Glass," started sourcing and recording music, written, re-written, re-re-written and re-re-re-written scripts and structure notes, written a five page magazine article and in amongst all of this, navigated my way around basic survival and getting money in any way I possibly can.

What I will say that is more positive, is that what I have of the intro, looks superb, I mean really, really frickin' good, the music is amazing (done by an incredibly talented musician I stumbled across online) and the concept is getting there, it's incredibly complex and every single shot has to be nothing less than perfect so if my two location requests happen, Liam and the Banter Media crew can help me get these shots done with me in and if I can nail the images to fit three specific narrative points, then I will be in a position to crack on with the actual sharky stuff! It will also mean that the trailers will be forthcoming...

 

If I could, I would get myself back into 21st century civilisation and surround myself with things which inspire me but until then, I'll be burning the candle at both ends to get this intro sorted as soon as possible. One good thing to come of the obstacles and barriers which have been out of my control, is that it has afforded me opportunities to let ideas breathe and develop and for opportunites to arise to shoot some amazing things. I said from the offset that I won't consider this film finished until I am certain I cannot improve upon it, no matter how long it takes, so please be patient, I'm not just obsessing over details for the sake of it, this film is as much for you as it is me, I also owe it to the people of Fiji to do the job properly.

If I could offer any advice to anyone reading this it is to think ahead to when you will be in the lonely part of film-making, can you ensure you will be in a good location with good enthusiastic and supportive people? If so, get that nailed down and build a team around you who you know have the best interests of your film at heart because they will be your most valuable asset. If you can't guarantee that, steel yourself for months and months of long, long days, for challenges, obstacles and for the kind of frustrations that at times, make you want to scream but...stick with it!

And to you, the people who will actually watch this film when it's done, please be patient, it will be worth the wait.

I never said this would be easy...

My profiles:

Making It Happen Part 3

 

Okay, so we left part two after I made the decision to go it alone and stop trying to get a Production Company to help me shoot the film which ultimately, would make the already seemingly insurmountable mountain I had to climb even steeper and higher. Nobody really knew who I was, nobody really cared who I was and I had absolutely nothing to show to anybody that would illustrate where the hell I was coming from with the idea for "Of Shark and Man," so realising this needed rectifying, I did the following...

I shot a "Teaser Trailer."

You can watch it in all it's full HD, fullscreen glory here.

First of all, what problems did I have with this?

• I didn't have an HD camera
• The film is going to be based in Fiji, I have never been to Fiji, nor do I have any footage of Fiji
• I was living in Leeds at the time. There aren't many sharks in Leeds.
• At this stage, I had only ever shot and cut music videos for the band alongside two parody "rockumentaries" used merely as a way to put a load of live footage from different gigs on one tape, I had never had to storyboard anything or construct my own shoot.

The camera was the easy part. In a symbiotic illustration of things to come and something which would become a big part of "From the Office..." Liam at Banter Media and Hamish had, on the same day, told me about the range of Canon DSLR cameras which would also shoot broadcast quality HD 1080p video and it just so happened that Hamish had one, the Canon 550D which he very kindly allowed me to borrow and also volunteered to shoot the scenes with me in them. Result!

The lack of Fiji and the lack of sharks was a big problem, it's a teaser for a film about sharks in Fiji and it won't have either in it so what the hell was I supposed to do?! This is lesson seven, learn to make the most out of the resources you have available and more importantly, be creative with them!

 

I had some video which I had shot in the Bahamas in 2008 but it was only SD footage and would not have been anywhere near the quality required for this introduction to "David Diley the film-maker." It was in a meeting with Dave Glanfield of Ocean Leisure Cameras where I had a pretty cool idea, well, I say I had the idea, it was originally a suggestion made by Dave in regards to still imagery for promo material which inspired the idea but I figured it would be a cool idea to focus on the urban and very "un-sharky" nature of my everyday surroundings. Like I said, I wanted to be original. I would take the footage of sharks and subtly place them in the glass as reflections, they were the embodiment of my dream so I would show that dream following me through the mundanity of my life.

It was only a small project but provided great experience in actually structuring my own shoot and coming up with ideas which not only reflected my idea, but were achievable.

The trailer was edited on an ordinary laptop using Adobe CS4 Master Collection and the music was my own, recorded in my close friend, Mark Burrows' bedroom on a desk top PC where we also did the voice over. This trailer cost in total, £2 to make and that was for the bus tickets to shoot the shot on the bus!

The reception was very encouraging and despite not really knowing what I was doing or how to get to grips with the camera, I don't think it looks too bad. Most important, I had something to show people how I was behind a camera but perhaps even more important, what I looked like in front of one!

 

Crowd funding

First things first, crowd funding is ace.

For those who don't know it's a way for cool people who like your idea to donate towards the cost of whatever it is you're doing and it could be anything. The concept is simple, you advertise your project and people donate whatever they want in return for a variety of "perks" like credits, merchandise, premiere screening tickets etc.

I used Indiegogo and found the whole process simple and effective and I raised $1000 which ultimately went towards the purchase of vital equipment needed to make the film and I cannot stress enough just how appreciative I am to the people who gave their hard earned money, in a time of extreme financial downturn, to help me make this happen. I can't wait to start giving out the perks when the film is complete!

I was always highly dubious of trying to source funding from ordinary people as the concept made me feel uncomfortable, however, it actually became something I considered when people started asking me how they could donate money to help me. It was immensely humbling and also went to show that people really did want to see this film get made.

 

Assemble your crew

I'll admit, my single biggest mistake came at this point and it's one I would urge you not to repeat yourselves. I didn't allow myself anywhere near enough people to actually help me make this film. The point of a crew is that their expertise and energy ultimately make your life easier in your role as director/producer/talent (eurgh, I hate that phrase!). However, in my paranoia about escalating my budget further, I simply employed people to do the things I physically couldn't do due to me operating in another role simultaneously as opposed to thinking about my own workload. 

I was used by now to working stupidly long hours and overloading my plate with too much responsibility and I should have thought that during production, I should give myself less of a workload than I did. I should have taken a co-producer and co-director who could help me with the mountain of responsibility I had in making production run as smooth as possible. The major role my co-producer would have been given would have been to log and back up all footage whilst editing dailies because alongside directing, filming, producing and on-camera responsibilities every day, I would have to do this every single night, all footage and sound from three people and listen to me when I say that it is a huge pain in the arse, by the end of production I was an exhausted gibbering wreck. I won't be making that mistake again.

 

I like to think I'm pretty good behind a camera but if I were to ask someone to hand over their hard earned money I could hardly ask them do it on the basis that I think I'm pretty good and I shot a three minute trailer and nothing else, so I needed a pro cameraman with a proven track record to guarantee the footage would be broadcast standard. On Hamish's recommendation I got Hugh Fairs on board and I'd already promised Hamish he could come to fulfill a variety of roles, many of which he'd have to learn on the spot and that was it, that is literally how I put my team together! Like I said, I didn't really know what I was doing and was making it up as I went along, to go into a production like this with a crew of only three people is ridiculous and not something I will ever do again, however, we pulled it off and that is testament to all involved but I would suggest to you that you save yourself the headache and try to cover all the bases.

Promote yourself

I already mentioned using social media to announce you and your project to the world but the big thing you have to do is get some media attention and this isn't easy! I spent a good while emailing and phoning all the major newspapers and although they thought it was a nice idea, none really thought anything would come of it so decided against committing to speaking to me about the film, which to be fair, I can understand.

A couple of websites had featured little bits about me but it was, bizarrely, the BBC of all places which gave me my first break. In December last year the shark attacks in Egypt made sharks front page news in the UK and it was the usual Daily Mail-esque scaremongering and nonsense for the most part. Hamish called me one day to say he had heard people discussing it on the radio and that I should try to call the radio station and provide a more balanced and informed opinion on what was happening, so I did! I was surprised to be put straight through and the journo seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying, we must have been on the phone for at least forty five minutes and lo and behold, the next day I'm on the front page of the BBC website!

Within a couple of days I had been approached by the local newspaper who wanted to do a feature on me (see above) and since then I have been featured and interviewed by numerous places, a particular favourite being this interview with Beyond Limits. The main point here is that when you get your first bit of coverage, use it cleverly and others will follow if your story is interesting enough.

I often feel uncomfortable putting myself out there as the figurehead of these projects. I'm not some attention seeking primadonna desperate to be a star, in fact, I'm quite the opposite, but I have to appreciate that I am the glue which binds all these films together, therefore I need to be a recognisable element throughout the lifespan of "From the Office..." after all, the films are, to some degree, about me and my passion so it's unavoidable, you gotta bite the bullet and put yourself out there, it gets easier the more you do it, I promise.

 

Find your sponsor

I had my idea, loads of detailed proposals, a buzz, media coverage and was gaining industry support for my project but all the while I was still skint, so much so that by this time, January 2011, I had had to give up my flat as I couldn't afford the rent or the bills anymore, financially, I was on my arse at this point so in the highly likely event I wasn't going to win the lottery, it wasn't going to be me paying for this production.

I had spent a week or so sending emails to an enormous list of companies and corporations along with famous and wealthy individuals like Richard Branson, Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Karen Brady and I even tried to get in touch with Lars Ulrich but all to no avail, I had sent approximately a thousand emails in this week which remains possibly the most tedious and boring exercise I have ever undertaken, with no serious nibbles on my proposal I was starting to worry but I had an ace up my sleeve...

The previous October, I had swapped a couple of emails with Jane at Fiji Me who had responded positively and said she would discuss it with her partner, Martin, and get back to me. That same month, at the Dive Show at Birmingham NEC, I stumbled across the Fiji Me stall and thought I had nothing to lose...

"Hi, is Jane about?"

"I'm afraid not but Martin is, would you like to speak with him?"

It turns out that Jane had spoken excitedly to Martin about my idea and we got on like a house on fire, his energy and enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air for me and he gave positive signs that they might just be interested in helping me out! They were passionate about animals and conservation and even more passionate about the people of Fiji, I knew they were the ones I wanted to work with. The saying goes that you "shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket," I always say it depends how strong the basket is, Fiji Me were the obvious choice for me and I thought if I was already gambling everything, I should back the winner and the winner in this race, was Fiji Me, I was certain of it...

The next few months consisted of hundreds of emails back and forth and a couple of really enjoyable meetings with Jane and it was looking good, they were definitely interested...

Shoot a short film

This was an obvious thing to do and in all fairness, I should have done it sooner. I had had an idea for some time and out of the blue I was contacted by a complete stranger who I didn't realise at the time was going to become a close friend and a big part of "From the Office..." The email was from an Aussie called Brad Robertson who, along with his lovely wife Bea, had set up a conservation focussed eco-business in Mallorca called Ondine Escape and I liked him immediately, he shared my enthusiasm and passion and he was responsive to ideas and advice. Soon we were talking on Skype about my project and during one of these conversations, I mentioned I had always wanted to shoot a film about sharks in Mallorca and his response was typical of the man he is, "why don't we?" 

Brad was running a PADI Shark Awareness course in conjunction with Palma Aquarium and within less than a week Brad and I were discussing my idea with two amazing people, Debora Morrison and Roman Gradel who both held educational and conservational positions within Palma Aquarium;

"I want to take a group of non-divers, train them up to dive then put them in your tank with the sharks and document their reactions, it won't cost much, barely anything and would be a nice short, ten minute, pro-shark piece..."

They thought it was a great idea and it was then I asked a question which popped into my head, remembering the main feature of the idea I had had for a few years, "I don't suppose you know anyone who has any photos or first hand experience of the Great White Sharks caught there do you?"

It turned out that they did and "Behind Blue Glass" was born (full HD trailer here). 

We got out micro budget funding within three weeks and three weeks later I was on a plane to Mallorca for pre-production, returning a week later to put the script and screenplay together before returning with Liam in tow, for the two week production on April 14th, only two months after Brad's first contact.

 

Shooting "Behind Blue Glass" will always be one of the happiest periods of my whole life. Three people who barely had any idea of what they were doing and poor old Liam, trying to make sense of my explanations of what I wanted in garbled, pseudo techno speak but in all honesty, he was brilliant, he knew I was new to this and that Brad and Bea had basically had things thrust into their hands to record sound, operate cameras, translate and be interviewed on camera and instead of getting frustrated or narky, he was immensely positive, gave encouragement and advice when needed and took a lot of the workload off my shoulders. 

Brad and Bea were nothing short of a revelation and I would have them in my film crew again in a heartbeat, professional, enthusiastic and energetic they never moaned once despite being driven way harder than they should have been, we all worked far too long hours and were emotionally and physically drained by the end of shooting but it was a hugely enjoyable two weeks and we managed to get some really, really great stuff. 

The trailer was incredibly well received and off the back of production, a shark conservation initiative is being launched by Palma Aquarium, not only that, shark conservation is now being discussed in Mallorquin media now, not bad considering all we had was an idea a couple of DSLR cameras and a load of enthusiasm! "Behind Blue Glass" will have its premiere screening in Mallorca in October and will then be available for you to buy, shortly afterwards.

Full speed ahead Fiji!!

In keeping with the way I seem to do things, I was about to get the news I wanted at a time when it would challenge me the most.

Having still been unsure as to whether I would source the funding I needed when I committed to doing "Behind Blue Glass," I figured it could be the thing that would be the final piece in the jigsaw that would encourage Fiji Me to take the plunge and finance "Of Shark and Man." It turned out that I didn't need that final piece of the jigsaw after all because on March 27th, two days before I set out to Mallorca for pre-production, I got confirmation that I had secured full funding to go to Fiji and make this dream a reality.

Less than a year previously, I was nothing more than a dreamer sat in an office wishing he was doing something else, now here I am with not one but two films to make! I would return from Mallorca on April 28th and have to start editing "Behind Blue Glass" immediately in order to finish that before I flew to Fiji. On top of all this I had to write the guide screenplay and script for "Of Shark and Man" and stock up on everything I needed for production and make sure that both Hamish and Hugh were ready to go as well, I still can't quite believe I actually managed to do it but it did entail working through to 5am pretty much every single day for a month so here is lesson eight, if you can, put gaps between your projects!

It took me nine months and twenty seven days to go from nothing to actually changing my life forever, endless days work, long sleepless nights, no money, highs and lows but here I was, this stupid gamble had paid off, this naive belief that yes, anything was possible, had actually got me over the finishing line of my single biggest obstacle and I couldn't quite believe it. I felt two distinct feelings, absolute, utter joy and vindication but also the weight of pressure that came with knowing, the hard work was only just beginning, I'd been given the golden ticket, this is my one and only chance, whatever you do, don't blow it...

To be continued...

Films don't just make themselves!

 

Well yeah that's a fairly obvious statement but seeing as the lack of internet put paid to the video diaries about the crew I figured it would be nice to do a little blog about the people who helped me make "Of Shark and Man."

Probably the most important member of my crew was someone who has been with me on this since day one when I first came up with the idea not for this film, but the whole "From the Office to the Ocean" concept when I brought it up over a few beers in his garden a couple of years ago. 

 

He's been mentioned regularly on this blog in the past but Hamish Harper has been invaluable to me for a number of different reasons. From the second I first came up with the idea, Hamish was the only person aside from myself who had the faith and belief that I could make this happen and he immediately got on board and offered his services in whatever capacity I needed. Hamish's greatest strength is his ability to perfectly balance creativity and practicality and has provided me with the most vital element of support before and during filming, which only a tiny handful of people have done, and that is to give a constant stream of encouragement and enthusiasm, when I needed help, advice, encouragement or just a pick-me-up, it was Hamish who would do it.

 

It was Hamish who helped me shoot the teaser trailer, who introduced me to the Cameras Underwater crew, who found me a cameraman (see below) and who in Fiji operated as sound man, photographer, cameraman and general diving guru and provider of musical light relief and entertainment at which he was very, very good. Hamish's involvement won't stop there either as we will be doing some UK based filming and he will be involved with "From the Office..." moving forward as well. A great bloke, a great friend and a huge part of the making of this film.

 

Believe it or not the original plan, way back when, was for me to spend a year writing a book, that's what "From the Office..." was originally intended to be, then after encouragement from Jim Standing at Fourth Element I decided to go down the route I had always wanted to follow and that was film. Originally intending to spend the vast majority of time behind the camera, I was intent on doing the lion's share of the filming myself but when it became clear I would actually need to be in front of the camera most of the time it became apparent that I would need a professional cameraman and a good one at that. 

Having worked with him in the past, Hamish recommended Hugh Fairs so I called him up, he liked the idea and said if I could make it happen to count him in. I like to think I'm pretty good behind a camera but for this film I needed someone much better, with more experience and greater technical awareness and after twenty five years in the industry Hugh has that pretty well covered! Both topside and underwater, I learned a great deal from Hugh during the process of filming and that will stand me in great stead moving forward both behind and in front of the camera. One of the most important things was being able to guarantee that the footage we shot would look great so a very good cameraman was a must and Hugh is most certainly a very good cameraman! During an edit, it becomes much more enjoyable to work with great looking footage and it opens up more possibilities within the film's structure and in this case, I can't wait to start because the footage looks brilliant!

 

Without doubt the most vital component in all this happening in the first place is Fiji Me and in particular, the amazing Jane West and Martin Harlow. When others didn't want to know, Jane and Martin had the cojones to take a big gamble on an unknown quantity and put their money up to make it happen. They immediately saw the idea I had for what it was and were nothing other than incredibly supportive, enthusiastic and passionate not just about the film, but about the conservation message. Without Jane and Martin, this whole thing would not have happened full stop and when times were hard, when I was unsure whether anyone would be interested in what I was doing, Jane and Martin were there to give encouragement and support and because of them one of my life's dreams came true.

For Fiji Me the conservation message isn't just fluff to sell a product, it's something they believe in and support and as further proof, off the back of this film, Fiji Me are sponsoring this year's Bite Back charity fundraising evening for shark conservation. Jane and Martin aren't just amazing people, they are an asset to tourism, to Fiji and passionate lovers of Fijian people.

It's no secret I am a huge fan of the Canon DSLR range of cameras and obviously, to shoot a professional film, you need professional cameras and because of Canon, I am in the privileged position of owning and using the Canon 7D and an assortment of lenses, they even gave me use of the 10-22mm wide angle lens for the making of both "Behind Blue Glass" and "Of Shark and Man" for nothing!

This whole film was shot almost entirely (Go Pro footage aside) on Canon cameras (two 7Ds and a 550D with 10-22, 15-75, 70-300 and 50mm lenses and even the tiny Ixus 100) and the footage speaks for itself. Canon were behind me as soon as  approached them and have been supportive and enthusiastic since the moment they became a firm part of "From the Office to the Ocean" and because of them, I can now get the results I want. A special thank you to David Fidler and the brilliant Alan Harborne, it's a privilege to be a small part of the Canon family.

 

Alex Tattersall, a great bloke, an amazing photographer (see above image) and a man who got me out of a pretty sticky situation regarding housings for our 7Ds. Alex runs www.uwvisions.com/ and is a distributor for Nauticam housings which I can know confirm if they weren't aware already, are Bull Shark proof! (click the link for the video, I haven't decided when more clips will be made available but when I do, I will let you all know!)

 

The Fijian people are some of the greatest individuals on the planet, friendly, always smiling and always happy to talk to a pasty Mancunian with a camera in his hands, they are the real stars of this film. Fiji is a beautiful place, paradise in fact and this is augmented by its wonderful, wonderful people who, when they weren't joking about eating us, were all too happy to help with anything we needed and made us feel enormously welcome throughout the whole month. An extra special thanks to the people of Galoa village who allowed me into their homes and made me feel like a genuine part of the village, something I am hugely humbled by and as of now, I consider Galoa my special Fijian village.

The people of Fiji are undoubtedly behind the protection of their sharks and are refreshingly well informed about shark conservation. This tiny dot on the map is now on the brink of some major positive changes in the shark conservation world and that is down to its strongest, most valuable asset, the people themselves.

 

I have learned more about the process of film-making this last year from Liam Wright at Banter Media than from anyone else. Liam and I have worked together in the past and became friends after he interviewed me for a film he was making and who then worked alongside me on "Behind Blue Glass." Liam is an impressive individual who has built a successful production company from the ground up and is still in his mid-twenties. Always ready to offer advice and support, Liam has been vital in my development both creatively and perhaps more importantly, technically and has offered both his and the services of his team to me regularly this last six months when he was already snowed under with other work and for that I will be forever grateful. In the event I secure the post production budget I need, it will be with Liam and the BM boys and girls that I undertake the entire post production process and I have a feeling Liam will be involved throughout the lifespan of "From the Office..." or at least I hope he will, he's a very busy boy after all!

 

Last but not least is the unsung hero of "From the Office..." and along with the rest of the Nerve Engine boys, my best  mate for well over ten years, Kris Allen. Kris is responsible for my website and is forever providing technical advice to a total computer moron (err...guess who!) who also designs the graphics I use online and in emails. Without Kris, these promo materials would have to be done by me and ergo, would look utterly dreadful so at the expense of his own time, Kris helps me look good! Not only is Kris a thoroughly brilliant fella with tonnes of tech-knowledge, he is also a talented musician who has a new band in Leeds called Shields alongside another of my closest friends, the insanely talented Owen Wilson (not him, the "other" one!)

Big thanks to all the above! As you will have noticed I have been rather prolific on the blogging front of late and there are more to come in the coming days, I actually started this on Saturday so I am still catching up with a ton of work as we speak but there will be more Shark Week reviews coming, hopefully a photo special from Fiji and also, as promised, an in depth blog about how I actually managed to make this absurd concept actually become reality!

Spread the word, join the mailing list and the Facebook group and get in touch, your involvement is both encouraged and welcomed!

david@officetoocean.com