Goodbye Fiji, hello slightly intimidating workload!

 

Roughly 22,000 miles, 40 shark dives, more than 1,500 sharks, 5 different species, hours and hours of footage and an amazing experience and unfortunately it has now all come to an end and I am back in the UK, well, what's left of it anyway after the madness of the last week!

The month in Fiji was a truly amazing experience, a daunting, pressurised, intense and at times stressful one, but still amazing in every way! To be able to do the world's greatest shark dive almost every single day was an enormous privilege and to be able to learn from Mike and his amazing crew was a genuine privilege and because of that, I am now in a strong position moving forward with my career and for that I will be forever grateful.

So, what was I doing over there?!

First and foremost I was out there to achieve one main goal, to get as close to the Bull Sharks as possible and to establish a greater understanding of them and the unspoken communication with large, dangerous predatory sharks and do that I most definitely did. I'm not going to say how close just yet, I don't want to spoil the film after all, but according to Mike I was given the privilege of being the only person ever from a non-industry pro background, to do what I did and that is an enormous honour, to be given the trust that I could handle what was entrusted in me is one of the proudest achievements of my life thus far.

 

First things first, to the endless credit of Beqa Adventure Divers and their understanding of these animals, we must discourage the dolphinisation of these sharks because yes, they are very big and potentially very dangerous, when you come within inches of a half ton, three metre plus Bull Shark, your understanding of just how insignificant we are compared to them increases beyond measure and it is only when you can understand and accept this that you can start trying to understand them more.

I was also given a front row seat in learning all about the Shark Reef Marine Reserve project and it's effect on local Fijians and the economy. What they have in Fiji is the ultimate model of eco-tourism led shark conservation which should serve as a template for the rest of the world to follow. This ultimately depends entirely on the people running it and in Mike and the B.A.D crew they have the best of the bunch in Fiji.

I also got to meet some incredible people, the insanely talented and world renowned photographer, Michael Patrick O'Neill, the absolutely lovely Brenda Adkison who along with her husband Gary was a pioneer of the shark diving industry, Angelo O'Connor Villagomez from the excellent PEW Environment Group and Helen Sykes from Coral Reef Alliance who gave an excellent and articulate interview about her personal feelings on the shark feeding industry and although we may differ on some things, she was an impressive interviewee who will be a huge asset to the conservation of sharks not just in Fiji but worldwide. I was also fortunate enough to meet the Fijian fisheries minister who is responsible for pushing the bill for complete protection of sharks in Fiji through to legislation within the government (fingers crossed!) and an awesome group of college students from America representing Broadreach, an "experiential learning" organisation from the US.

 

 

The greatest privilege of all though was to spend time learning from people right at the top of their game. What the B.A.D Boyz don't know about shark diving and interacting with Bull Sharks really probably isn't worth knowing and their commitment to shark conservation and continuous learning is both refreshing and inspiring, about as far removed from sensationalist facebook ramblings and misinformed scaremongering as you can get, this is conservation how it should be, on the ground, continually moving and constantly looking for the next hurdle to overcome. I can safely say that everything I have learned this month, I have learned from the best.

This film will also feature footage you will have never seen anywhere else in the world...ever...anywhere, something truly remarkable which as far as I am aware is only happening on Shark Reef and which is not only fascinating but really, really cool! We also started using a Go Pro to get some interesting perspectives of the shark dives which provided some great moments and in keeping with the DIY, low budget approach I have become known for, utilised a seven foot piece of drainpipe, some rope, cable ties and a pencil to do something which ultimately proved beyond doubt that the Nauticam housing for the Canon 7D is Bull Shark proof, even when it's inside the mouth of a particularly large and slightly annoyed female!

Stars of the show, alongside the sharks, are the Fijians themselves who can definitely claim to be amongst the world's greatest, kindest, friendliest and all around amazing people so to the people of Galoa and Uprising Beach Resort, Alfie and James in particular, I extend my never ending thanks and gratitude for all you did in the month we were there, it was a total pleasure and honour to spend time with you all.

 

The whole point of this film was to show that if you want something enough, regardless of the sheer number of obstacles in your way, we, ordinary people, can get there in the end through sacrifice and although a great many people never thought I would pull it off, I did, so you can too. I also wanted to do something nobody else has, which still astounds me, tell the complete story of the Shark Reef Marine Reserve. I have wanted to do this for over twelve years and always thought someone else would get there first, that they either didn't try or worse still, didn't bother, is something I am eternally grateful for because I now have it in the can. 

The edit will most likely take around three months, I am also doing most of the music as well so I certainly have my work cut out. I am still looking at the options I have for resources for editing which of course, depend entirely on finance so the duration of the editing process will be reflective of the tools I have at my disposal.

 

Finally I would like to apologise again for the lack of video diaries and updates whilst I was in Fiji. Unfortunately the almost total lack of internet for a fortnight put paid to that so I will endeavour to upload some behind the scenes stuff we shot over the coming weeks as a way to hopefully make up for that.

For up to date news and updates, please sign up to the mailing list, you can find the incredibly simple form to sign up at the bottom of www.officetoocean.com and you will also benefit from special offers on the cost of "Behind Blue Glass" when I release that...More news on that coming soon!

Oh yeah, I was also interviewed by the Fiji Times and not only that, got recognised in the supermarket because of it! Ha! The article is here

As always, comments and questions are welcome as I love hearing from you all.

David

Upping the ante!

So, our time here is running out...FAST! I wanna apologise again for the lack of updates but for the last week or so we have been sans internet which has been very frustrating but hey, I'm in the South Pacific, what did I expect?!

The other thing which hasn't been going according to plan either is the weather, the last week or so has seen pretty miserable skies, tonnes of rain and a fair bit of wind meaning surface conditions aren't great and the viz in the water has been variable to say the least. With visibility in mind, it's a bit of a double edged sword, on one hand, the murkier water makes the Bulls in particular more energetic, more unpredictable and they get closer, very close! However, with all that cool stuff going on, the murky water also makes the capture of these sequences very difficult, more action, less clarity. C'est la vie!

Speaking of getting close, that's what the final stages of production will be all about getting even closer to these animals. Being within touching distance of what may be the biggest Bull Sharks in the world is a pretty awe-inspiring experience, to move away from the confines of the walls and barriers which are expertly patrolled by the safety team ensuring all guests leave fully intact is no small matter.

 

Do I think I'm ready to take those next steps? Yes, of course, is it up to me? Hell no! You can't just go and play around with these sharks if you don't know what you're doing or have an understanding of how to handle both yourself and them. Will I be nervous? Yeah, probably a bit but that's not a bad thing, I have no intention of trying to be a hero and if I get the chance and don't feel comfortable, I will say so, there would be no shame in that because not many people at all get to venture out there, certainly not many like me!

 

This film is about relationships, convictions in one's beliefs and courage and all three relate back to the sharks here, my relationship and growing level of communication with these sharks, my relationship with Mike and everyone I meet here in Fiji, and just as important, my relationship with myself but remember this isn't all about me. The courage and belief these amazing people in Fiji have displayed in establishing, protecting and servicing a one off shark diving site which has now become, in my opinion, THE model for shark conservation for the rest of the world to follow is one hell of an achievement. What we can only hope is that there are more people like Mike and his team in other parts of the world with the courage to use this model and really get stuck into saving sharks. I hope so, but I fear not.

 

Going over "the edge" could be a metaphor for many things but in essence it is what it is, challenging one's self to test his own beliefs and ideals of himself and the sharks he loves so much and trusting that they play along. It's about respect, first and foremost respect for the animals, then respect for people putting you in this situation and then, that these guys with perhaps more experience with what lazy wordsmiths refer to as "The World's Most Dangerous Shark" than anyone else on the planet, trust that I am capable of doing it right and that hopefully they respect the reasons why I am doing it and end up respecting me. It's not for the "buzz," will it be a buzz? Of course it will, is that why I want to do it? No. It is all about the above and hopefully putting out a message that "Shark Week" ain't the bastion of all shark truths, quite the opposite in fact.

Anyway, what else? I went out with Hamish this morning to film Papa and Toombi laying the bait bins at around 6am. Now, different people find enjoyment in different things, watching telly, playing sport, playing music, taking all manner of illegal chemicals, whatever, I don't judge so don't judge me when I say getting up at 5am to dump bins full of fish heads in to the sea was a blast. Going down with the bin in that eerie pre-daylight, pre-humanised world and being circled by five friendly (and totally non-threatening) Grey Reef Sharks and joined briefly by a big Bull and a Whitetip Reef Shark was, well, it was mint! Also great to spend some time with Hamish and the unlucky B.A.D Boys who got rostered with the early morning, watching a beautiful sunrise and smelling of rotting tuna. Seriously, that is my idea of fun and I want to do it again, in fact, a proper early morning dive down there would be even better but I don't see that happening.

 

As for the film itself, I'm getting there but this last week ain't gonna be a holiday. There is still a shed load to do, will we pull it off? I sure hope so but time is running out so there is a lot of sweat and tears to go, no blood though as these sharks are thankfully, pretty well behaved...Usually! There are already a few I have become particularly fond of, the really heavy set, powerful and dominant Bulls, Maite, Grandma and Gill and a Grey Reef Shark called Tootsie, although Mike usually refers to Tootsie as "an arsehole" due to her very forthright, confident and aggressive nature but all that makes her a great performer. I prefer "Tootsie."

The big story is still no Tiger and I am starting to get a horrible sinking feeling we won't get one whilst we are here, the day one did turn up, "Adi," I was not diving, instead I was either throwing up or asleep due to a 24 hour bug or some dodgy Heineken, I wasn't told to give the canned beers a swerve here due to issues before so having one as a treat before bed turned into something rather grisly a few hours later but the less said about that the better!

Due to internet issues we have been unable to upload any more video diaries which is a real shame however, to compensate, if we cannot do so in the remaining week, I'll pop a load of stuff up online when I get back by way of an apology to you all.

Finally, Alex and Lisa, tell Sam and Charlie that Uncle David is bringing them back some shark teeth and they couldn't be fresher, a couple of them popped out of the mouths of some very big sharks right before my very eyes, pretty cool eh?

After having said the weather is finally improving, it's just started raining again...Bugger. Let's hope Dakuwaqa gives me a boost and throws some good fortune my way, I want this Tiger so badly...

Boundaries and Barriers

 

We're almost half way through production of "Of Shark and Man" now and the brevity of what I am actually doing is finally totally sinking in. I'm not only directing, producing and promoting my first feature length film, I am doing it with a crew of only three, on the other side of the world where life is very different to what I am used to back home and you then have the added fact that I am doing it surrounded by up to 100, yep that's ONE HUNDRED huge Bull Sharks. This is a big, big task to pull this off but hey, pull it off we are!

I have managed to see more of Fiji than just the beaches and underwater. Alfie here at Uprising, who has been nothing short of superb, took us to the mountains that lead into the jungle the other day and the scenery was stunning, really stunning. A pterodactyl circling the various huge mounts wouldn't have been out of place!

 

We have also been to Fiji's capital, Suva, twice to film and do some interviews with Alfie (above is a pic of us both looking super cool whilst being filmed by Hugh) and it's a great place, very photogenic and tonnes of atmosphere.

It has become clear to me that this experience is about boundaries and barriers. I am most passionate about integrating myself with the locals and in particular Mike and his amazing staff. I have the utmost respect for them all and I hope that when I leave, they can feel some respect for me also. Today Mike even implied he will be a little sad when I leave so I think he's starting to become quite attached to me being here...eh Mike? ;)

The other connection I want to make is with the sharks. I have begun to enter into the unspoken dialogue with the sharks here on Shark Reef and I am aiming to increase that communication further in the remaining dives. It's a relationship, you respect them, hopefully they have at least a modicum of respect for you, if that isn't there then you can forget them either a) coming close to you and b) seeing you as something other than a vulnerable flapping idiot in the water and I would hope that isn't the case with me! 

Watching Shark Week or just general shark shows on television does not prepare you for the experience of diving with sharks on Shark Reef. I have dived with many different species in many different places but things are very different here. If you're a "shark hugger," forget it, they don't care and will make mincemeat out of you at the drop of a hat. These sharks are enormous, if I didn't know better I would half think Mike had grown these giant Bull Sharks in a lab somewhere to do his bidding as and when he wishes. Speaking of communication with sharks, it's not a generic thing, you can't just open a "dialogue" with sharks and expect them to listen. It;s species and location specific, here on Shark Reef, the level of understanding Mike and the boys have with these animals is astonishing, it really is a two-way street and to watch how Rusi, Manasa and Tumbi control the feeds is a glorious thing to behold, man and shark in a symbiotic relationship where the sharks have learned a specific way to behave during these feeds. Of course this can never be fully controlled but here is possibly the best example in the world of how to do it.

I am learning so much not just about the art of film-making, how to communicate with the sharks here and the general ins and outs of "Shark Heaven" but mostly about myself and of what I am capable in these situations. I am so relaxed around these animals, sometimes I have to pinch myself to appreciate the situation I am in. There is also a heightened sense of awareness and when these two sensations allign, it's a feeling of pure joy and experience. I want to earn the respect of the B.A.D Boys enough to continue to get even closer to these sharks and experience Shark Reef to the fullest of my ability and to earn the respect of the people who see the shark as a God, I feel a kinship with them, I can only hope that can be reciprocated by the time I leave.

Today I did a dive on Shark Reef on a non-feed day for a specific section of the film and wow, what an experience, nine Bull Sharks allowed me into their back yard to watch them behave as they would normally and the point of this? To disprove that these shark feeding areas become more dangerous to ordinary divers, they don't and there's no proof, in fact, today we got the benefit these feed sites can give, guaranteed, chilled out sharks that were all too happy to have us there, no aggression, no threat, just two different animals hanging out. Brilliant!!

The film is really taking shape, I'm slowly getting my tan and Mike is giving me the impression that when I leave, his "little Swiss heart" will actually break...What's not to like?!

Please cross all your crossables for me for a Tiger Shark to turn up as well. One has but it was the day we weren't diving and my new friends from Broadreach got a hell of a show in our absence, gutted for me, delighted for them. I want a Tiger so bad it hurts!

See you soon, sorry for the lack of pics, the internet connection here is painfully slow!

One final thing, Jane West and Martin Harlow at Fiji Me, thank you, you made my dreams come true, I just hope I can repay the faith you have shown in me.

Just hope it stops raining now!

The first video diary!

Just a quick blog to say the first video diary is up. As promised, I wanted to let you know the kind of gear we are shooting with out here and it also includes some nice sharky footage at the end which  shot a few days ago. It's straight outta the camera so no processing on it but hey, check out all those Bull Sharks!!!

I'm gonna do a blog soon about how this is all affecting me and me feelings at actually being here but today, I'm sick unfortunately so will wait until I'm better to hopefully do it justice.

Incidentally, having missed the dives today due to aforementioned sickness, Mike and Chris, a really nice guy out here on a project called Broadreach, informed me they had one of the Tigers turn up not once, but twice! Damn! However, I am hopeful she'll be back to say hello to me soon.

Enjoy.

www.officetoocean.com

What a load of Bulls!

 

We've been in Fiji now for four full days and the reality of everything is now sinking in through a haze of exhaustion, excitement and the realisation of the task in hand, oh and Mike Neumann's endless jealous remarks about my delightful, milky complexion, cultivated over a year of not really going outside at all.

What can I say about this place? It really is amazing for a whole host of reasons, the weather is outstanding, sure there's been a bit of rain but it's still warm when it does, and lovely and hot when it doesn't, what's not to like?! From our four days here there are two stand out reasons why Fiji is an incredible place though, the people and the sharks.

 

I have had numerous encounters with sharks in many different parts of the world but let me say this and I urge you to take it on board...There is nowhere in the world that offers the kind of diving offered here by Beqa Adventure Divers, nowhere. It is breathtaking and nothing can prepare you for the sheer number of Bull Sharks and also their size, they are huge, really huge!

 

When you have upwards of forty big Bull Sharks and they are coming nose to nose with you (literally!) and you feel that connection between you and them, it is the kind of feeling which puts everything into perspective, all those dreams I have had my whole life are coming true every day and to be honest, it's something I am trying not to overstate, the shark diving here in Beqa, at Shark Reef, is without question THE best in the world that I know of. Bulls, Tawny Nurse Sharks, Whitetip and Blacktip Reef and Grey Reef Sharks are everywhere, you can't turn around without seeing a shark and where else in the world can offer you that? It is mind blowing!

We have done four of these dives now with many, many more to come and we are starting to be allowed to get closer to the action which is quite humbling because this is no cowboy operation. Thes things can't be rushed and if they don't think we are ready, then we don't go closer, simple as that. The staff here, from the receptionist Nani to Mike himself are top notch, not only do they have a world beating shark dive, but they have world beating staff. Friendly, passionate, knowledgeable and most important of all, they have an understanding of the sharks and their behaviour which puts them up there amongst the best, probably the best on the planet. For me to watch and learn from them is truly an honour, it is also refreshing to have seen another side to Mike, those of you who read his blogs may be interested to know he is exactly the same in real life but having had the pleasure of sitting with him watching his shark footage today, what is blindingly clear is that he loves sharks with a passion and respect that I can obviously relate to and with an astonishing level of knowledge.

 

The concept of putting divers in such close proximity to huge, dangerous sharks without the use of a cage is of course a controversial one but here is proof it can be done and to the extreme, we had about sixty Bulls alone on our first dive and to control a situation like that takes the best people, with the best training and with an understanding of shark behaviour the anti-shark feeding, armchair pseudo scientists would do well to look at and learn from. This isn't something just anybody can do and that speaks volumes for all of Mike's staff.

 

Filming has begun of course and we have met and spoken with some wonderful people and I can also confirm that this film will feature footage, never seen before in the world by anyone, seriously, animal behaviour which has to be seen to be believed. 

This certainly isn't a holiday let me assure you, only now, at half midnight local time have I found time to do a blog and send an email, the days are long, it's hot and aside from filming I have the arduous task of downloading and logging all footage shot by myself, Hugh and Hamish who also took these photos by the way. However, I'm having a blast and I cannot speak highly enough of Alfie and all the staff at Uprising Beach Resort who have been exceptional, welcoming and warm throughout our stay here and also put us up in two beautiful villas right on the beach!

I visited the village of Galoa the other day and they were kind enough to let me film there and that has been one of the highlights. They live in what many Brits would describe as "poverty" but their warmth was very humbling, plus, they never stopped smiling and you haven't seen the happiest kids in the world til you come here, everyone is always smiling, it makes a lovely change!

 

 

 

OK, it's late, I'm tired and I still have work to do so that's it for now but keep checking back and I'll keep updating you and if Fiji's broadband will let me, I'll put some video up soon too!

Bula Vinaka!

Bula Fiji!! Bula Sharks!!

Just over twelve months ago, at this precise time, I would have been sitting in an office wishing my day away, today at this precise time, I am on the other side of the world, it is almost 10pm, 80 degrees and the South Pacific is a matter of yards away. After the trials, tribulations, sacrifice and difficulty of the last year, I can say without doubt that it was well worth it!!

I have met Mike Neumann for the first time today, what a great, intelligent and passionate guy he is and tomorrow, I have the first of many, many shark dives with upwards of one hundred individual sharks, today they had no less than seventy Bull Sharks alone. his isn't just paradise, it's shark paradise.

 

We have had over thirty six hours of travel, stopped over in Seoul, South Korea and are all absolutely exhausted but I wanted to let you know that you'll soon be getting the lowdown on filming along with some sharky stuff to look at, of course, if you join the Facebook group and the mailing list you will get even more, it's totally free and the place to be for any self respecting sharkphile! ;)

By the way, Uprising Beach Resort in Pacific Harbour, where we are staying is amazing and the Fijian people have already got a brand new fan, they are incredibly warm, friendly and helpful. This is gonna be one hell of a month!!

So, tomorrow, when I would have been on my way to a job I didn't want to do a year ago, I will be in paradise surrounded by sharks...Not too shabby!! 

 

I'm off to bed for some much deserved sleep. Night!!

T-Minus 73 hours! What to expect while I'm in Fiji...

Twelve months and eleven days ago I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock and the sense of dread that another week lay ahead doing something I didn't want to do, purely so I could merely exist and scrape by in the world, that was when I said to myself, "sod this, I've had enough" and decided to go after what I have wanted my entire life. In the doom and gloom, recession laden UK it seemed an absurd thing to do, no experience, no money, no support system, no contacts or links to the film industry and no idea of how to start putting this whole thing together.

Now, I am only three days away from boarding the plane to Fiji, with one film under my belt, to make a film I have wanted to for the last fifteen or so years, if you don't mind me saying, it is a hell of an achievement I have got this far. With that in mind, I hope you take from this that it is possible to change your life for the better, with hard work, dedication, commitment and a never say die attitude, ordinary people like us, from average working class backgrounds, can achieve the things we believe in.

So, what can you expect while I am out there? Firstly, you can be sure you will be with me every step of the way and 'll be updating you with blogs, video blogs, behind the scenes footage and photos, not only from me but also my crew, Hamish Harper and Hugh Fairs. You will get all that here on this blog, my Twitter, the Facebook Group and the Youtube Page and for the extra special, first in the queue updates, scroll to below the trailer on the front page and join the mailing list!

I intend to answer the kind of questions I always wanted the answers for on these types of adventures that people never seem to answer, unlike all the other film shoots that give the fortunate few a chance to chase adventure around the world, this is not a closed house, I'll tell you how we are doing things, what gear we are using, what problems we are facing and give a real insight into what it is like to be doing this, I want to inspire you to follow your dreams, if I can also help by letting you in on the "secrets" behind my adventure, then that will do for me.

 

What about the film itself? "Of Shark and Man" tells two stories, firstly the story of how one man's desperate urge to fulfill his lifelong ambition leads him to take the ultimate risk, gamble everything and actually manage to achieve that dream, secondly, this film will tell the full story of Shark Reef. This will be the most in-depth and detailed film in existence, about this incredible story and will be different to anything else out there that deals with sharky subject matter. You'll meet the people at the core of what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest marine conservation success stories ever, you'll get a totally different insight into why shark conservation and a healthy shark population is a good thing, it will look and sound different to all the other shark films and perhaps most importantly, will give you, the viewer, the credit of being able to think for yourselves. This isn't a pious, chest beating declaration of impending doom or ego driven shark porn, this is for the sharks and for you, the ordinary man on the street who has been, for the most part, neglected as a target audience for intelligent pro-shark media.

Sound good? It will be...

I can't stress enough, this film has been driven by passion, honesty, will and positivity, all of which is geared towards making something artistically creative, cool and informative, not with agenda driven statistics, but with facts, to me, it's all about inspiration, heart and soul.

 

When this is all done, I will be able to look at it and know that I went from nothing to finally having a finished product and I did it my way and I did it on my own, however, there are some things one individual simply cannot do and without a small band of incredible people, this film would not be getting made at all. These are the people and organisations at the core of what I hope to achieve, not just with "Of Shark and Man" but with all my future films, inspirational, enthusiastic, positive people who walk the walk and people who had the courage to get behind someone the vast majority wouldn't even bother responding to emails from. These are people who I admire, respect and for whom I will have enormous gratitude until my dying day.

Martin and Jane at Fiji Me have been nothing less than amazing and they are the reason I am going in the first place as it is they who are the primary sponsor of this film. They haven't just provided sponsorship though, they have worked tirelessly the last six months or so and have given invaluable enthusiasm and support in what has been an exceptionally difficult time. In short, they have been a dream come true.

 

Mike Neumann at Beqa Adventure Divers (here he is stuck on the business end of a local Tiger Shark called Scarface) has been an invaluable source of advice and information, along with positive words and guidance when needed the most. I wanted to tell this story in the best way possible and I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else. Thankfully, he had already heard of me by the time I contacted him when he was passed an article I wrote for DIVER Magazine a couple of years ago and from that and me chancing upon it when googling myself (ahem, yeah...) a beautiful friendship has gone from strength to strength and in a few days we'll be sharing a beer over some nice food and shooting the sharky breeze. I can't wait.

Canon  have been incredibly generous and supportive and both Alan and Dave have been brilliant. I couldn't be happier to be endorsed by these guys for the simple reason that the Canon DSLRs which are revolutionising the film industry are the best things to happen to underwater film-makers for years, they are the dog's dangly bits and I can see myself using them for years. Not only do they look better than many of the six figure price dedicated film cameras, they are also a lot cheaper and give greater artistic flexibility. I am smitten.

Mario Vitalini, Dave Glanfield and Paul Duxfield have been with me since the start of this journey and are an invaluable source of advice, information and support, they're also just about to launch their new venture and their help and the help from their colleagues at Cameras Underwater has been outstanding.

Believe it or not, "From the Office to the Ocean" was originally intended to be a book (and will be one day) but it was during a conversation with Jim Standing of Fourth Element that the concept of making it a series of films came about. I had always wanted it to be that way, however I thought it would be impossible, it seems that thankfully I was wrong and the Fourth Element guys have been with me since day one. They make the best and coolest looking dive gear around and in the Proteus, the most comfortable, warmest and best looking 5mm wetsuit I have ever used.

These companies and people have either provided funding, equipment or advice but all have given encouragement, guidance and support which has got me to where I am today. I would also like to extend the warmest welcome to the newest member of the "from the Office..." family, Alex Tattersall and Underwater Visions, the UK's primary distributor for Nauticam Underwater Housings. My camera is now my livelihood so putting it in water is nerve wracking enough, putting it in water filled with very big sharks is off the scale so confidence in its protection is vital and these housings are pretty much bullet proof. Both myself and Hugh are now proud owners of the NA-7D and not only did Alex get us out of not one, but two potential disasters, he's also a photographic genius, see the pic of the Lionfish above which he actually took whilst I was next to him and remains to this day one of my favourite photos ever.

I contacted hundreds of individuals and companies for support in the making of this film and the guys above were the small handful with the cojones to back me and with the desire to support grassroots, pro-shark media and I couldn't be prouder to be associated with them all.

I just want to point out as well that donations made by a number of generous people, some of whom I have never met in my life have also got me to this position. The Indiegogo campaign raised $1000 alone and that this came from ordinary people who must be going through financially tough times like everyone else, means the world and I cannot wait to start giving you the goodies when I get back. You are all amazing!

In three days my life is going to change for ever and I can't wait. full speed ahead Beqa Lagoon!!

Oh by the way, don't forget, "Behind Blue Glass" is coming soon...

Behind Blue Glass - Finished!

Great news about Behind Blue Glass, after a total of approximately one thousand man hours work, the film is now finished! A master DVD is ready and the full HD 1080p version is exporting as we speak, twenty hours in, only fourteen more hours to go!

From day one, this was a big task, not only was it my first ever attempt at making a film having no experience of doing so before, the opportunity also happened to arise at the sharp end of the major preparations for my first feature film in Fiji, production of which begins in only one week and six days. Behind Blue Glass was also made on what can be described as a "micro budget," a four man crew, three of whom had pretty much zero experience and has been edited solely by myself on a £500 laptop which has made some of the post production process a very slow, laborious experience.



With all that in mind however, I am more than confident in saying that the quality of the end result, far belies the limitations in regards to resources, it looks great!

As for the content, I am more than happy, the film features interviews with Xisco Perez and Sr. M Ferrer, two men with first hand experience of Mallorca's Great White Sharks, Gabriel Morey, Marine Biologist, Fisheries and Conservation Minister and member of the IUCN and Brad Robertson of Ondine Escape. Behind Blue Glass also stars some brilliant members of the pubic, from the ages of 16-62 who get confronted with the opportunity of a lifetime but how do they react? Of course, the film also features underwater footage of the other stars of the show, the sharks themselves!

 

The film clocks in at just over thirty eight minutes and in keeping with the highly independent "DIY" approach, the film's original music comes entirely from unsigned, underground artists and bands, including Lifescreen, Ten, Back Page First and the one and only Rock behemoth that is Nerve Engine.

The film was shot entirely on Canon 7D and 5Dmkii with a little help from a small palmcorder and the quality of footage is outstanding. The premiere will be held in Mallorca at Palma Aqauarium, most likely at the end of August and looks set to be a pretty fancy affair. After the premiere, you will of course, be able to see the film itself. I am looking into the best ways to do this and it looks like the most likely scenario would be to make it available on two formats, a DVD with additional extras like behind the scenes stuff, the trailer and production stills and also as a HD digital download. 

Keep your eyes peeled for updates, the best way to do that is of course, to go here, scroll to below the trailer and join the mailing list. In the event I can make special offers and discounts on this and future films, they will be for the mailing list members only, maybe something worth looking into?

Spread the word, it's a great little film if I do say so myself and some very dedicated people put a hell of a lot of effort into helping me make this, with no gain for themselves, purely because they believe in the message. Because I went over to Mallorca to shoot this film and because of the press coverage I got whilst there, the issue of shark conservation is now being discussed in the national media and in the coming weeks Palma Aquarium will be rolling out an anti-shark finning campaign across Mallorca and hopefully Spain as well. This wasn't achieved by an NGO or expensive marketing campaign, it was achieved by a small handful of people who believed enough that we could make it happen which just goes to show, it is possible for ordinary people to change things for the better.

Coming soon: News on what to expect whilst I am in Fiji!

www.officetoocean.com

Sarah Shark and Great White Life

 

As a film-maker making films about sharks myself, I am always interested to see what others are doing in this medium. For the last twenty-seven years or so, I have greedily digested pretty much every shark doc or film ever made so I know my subject. I'm always excited when new things come along and this week I saw two very different films about sharks and their effect on the individuals making them, one seems to be getting a bit of exposure, the other I had never even heard of and stumbled across by mistake so thought I would give my thoughts on both, if only to serve as a way to let other people who love shark films as much as I do, know that they are out there.

 

The first film is the first in a five part series about Australian sharks by Sarah Richmond or Sarah Shark as she prefers to be known, called "Wobbegong - The Forgotten Shark."

I quite enjoyed this actually, it was well made and the enthusiasm and passion for the subject was apparent from the start. Coming in at just under twenty-four minutes, I'm not sure if it was made specifically with television broadcast in mind as this is the actual time length for "thirty minute" television slots to allow for advertising, or if that was a coincidence.

It reminded me very much of the old Australian series "Shark Gordon" but in this instance, Ian Gordon has been replaced by a young Australian woman. What they both share however, is an obvious love of the subject matter and an ability to take a soft approach and condense some interesting information into an easily watched, sub-half hour, fun "television" show. The footage is pretty good, very nice at times and Sarah articulates her points well and is obviously well researched, it was nice to see footage of the Hales Wobbegong as well as it doesn't get much time in the limelight. Sarah makes an engaging host and the structure is uncomplicated and fluid.

The content is light and upbeat and to my mind would have particular appeal to kids and also girls as well as Sarah seems approachable and very non-threatening, it's also worth pointing out that her graphics guy is very good, that was the real stand out for me, the creative and slick usage of computer graphics to illustrate certain points.

It won't be winning any awards for originality and although connecting with the camera is hugely important (and from experience it really isn't easy) at times, Sarah connects possibly a little too much, veering towards the kind of camera connection more generally found in the kind of films made for, how shall  put it, a more predominantly adult male audience *ahem*. The music also, as is pretty much always the case in nature films not made by the BBC, is pretty cheesy but these slight imperfections aside, I was impressed and most importantly, I will be watching part two when it comes out. Kudos to Sarah and her team for making an enjoyable, well thought out short film and actually making the effort and taking the time to get out there and do something creative and worthwhile.

 

The second film I stumbled across whilst searching for something else, "Great White Life" is the story of Kevin Mcrath, a man battling obesity and depression who has a real passion for sharks, in particular, the Great White.

The premise is simple, Kevin needs to lose weight and overcome bouts of depression in a bid to fulfill his lifelong dream of doing a cage dive with Great White Sharks in Guadalupe. That's pretty much it really.

I'll be totally honest, from the outset, it's blatantly clear that Kevin is no Scorcese, it's clearly done on the cheap, by a man who isn't a seasoned film-maker, it's very much a "get your mate to hold the camera when you need to be in shot" production and the music, although actually not bad, doesn't always work. The real shame is that the film doesn't pick up at all on the battle to lose the weight and the previous, unsuccessful attempt to see White Sharks at the Farrallons, so the real, wide appeal drama and jeopardy is completely missing. "Great White Life" is essentially a collection of home videos edited together to make an amateur film, I can relate to that, I have done that myself!

At this stage it seems like I wasn't overly taken with this film but hang on a second, that wouldn't be accurate. I actually, really enjoyed it. It has a charm of its own, an open honesty and warmth which drew me in. I enjoy watching low budget films by complete unknowns, a lot of the time I find them far more interesting because the "star" is more engaging and what they lack in production values, they can make up for in reality and honesty and to Kevin's credit, he put it all out there and I could relate to him. He's obviously a nice guy, his wife is a nice lady and his friends, who provide regular soundbites, all clearly hold him in high regard. It's like watching a mate's home videos of a special holiday and actually enjoying doing so as opposed to just saying you are. Yes there are deficiencies if you look at it as an exercise in film-making but you'd be doing Mcgrath a disservice if you were to do so, he wants to tell a positive story and reflect sharks in a positive light and he just about manages to do it. I enjoyed it, well done big fella.

If you have some time to kill, you could do worse than checking both these films out and another I watched that wasn't about sharks, "Famous in 31 days" which was very enjoyable, another low budget and pretty funny, "ordinary guy on a crusade" handicam odyssey.

Barry Norman eat your heart out.

The New Mailing List

 

Just a quick note to say that there is now an official From the Office to the Ocean mailing list.

This won't be used to constantly fill your already bulging inbox with pointless nonsense so don't panic, instead, you'll get all the latest news and on location updates from all the films in the series and all other relevant news. Obviously by now, judging by the content of this blog and everything else, you can be assured it will only be highly exciting and informative  literature, video and photography of the highest standard! ;)

Whilst in Fiji I will be making sure you all feel like you're there with me with blogs from not just me, but Hugh and Hamish, along with videos and photographs and unlike everybody else who gets to go gallivanting around the world on sharky adventures, I'm actually going to open the door and tell you how I did it, what I'm using and give you an insight into all the goings on involved in making this year's most awesome shark film.

Aside from all the Fiji news you'll be kept up to date with absolutely everything "From the Office..." related and signing up couldn't be easier, just go to www.officetoocean.com scroll down to the bottom of the front page below the trailer screen and fill in your details, easy peasy.

Hope to hear from you all soon!

David

Der der, der der, der der, der der...Silly season is upon us again!

Every year without fail here in the UK we have the "Jaws off the Cornish coast" story but it's started a little late this year.

These stories always seem to materialise when the weather forecast for the next week looks good, that is, when summer looks like it might actually make its annual two week stopover in the UK because that is precisely the time us limeys don the string vests and tight shorts, inflicting our pasty (later burned to a crisp) skin on the world and head to the British riviera.

For those who can't be arsed to click the link, the long and short of it is that apparently two separate fishermen have been "attacked" by an Oceanic Whitetip Shark off the beaches of the beautiful St Ives in Cornwall. Funny thing is, it's usually a Great White but the Oceanic Whitetip seems to be the shark of the moment after its month in the spotlight in Egypt last year.

 

It's the same every year, fisherman says he's seen big shark, press splash it all over front pages after contacting Richard Peirce of the Shark Trust who quite rightly doesn't dismiss it outright, saying nothing can be confirmed until a picture is taken, a few days later a picture appears of a Basking Shark which is claimed to be the offending "man eater" and that picture is then debuffed as a Basking Shark by someone at a university or aquarium and the whole thing is over and done with.

That's not to say there haven't been some viable eyewitness accounts and evidence to back up the claim that large predatory sharks do visit the UK's coastline. I have been saying for twenty years that Great White Sharks do visit our shores but the Oceanic Whitetip? It's a stretch too far for me I'm afraid so I'm calling shenanigans on this one.

Call me cynical but you would struggle to find anybody in the country these days without a mobile phone and on top of that, a mobile phone without a camera on it. Is anybody seriously trying to say that not one but two fishermen saw an Oceanic Whitetip and didn't think to get a quick snap on their phones to back up their story? Not a chance as far as I'm concerned.

On the upside however, at least it looks like the weather is looking good for the next week or so!

Edit:

15/6/2011

As if to completely prove my point above, British tabloid newspaper, The Daily Express, are running this abomination of an article today and not only is it nothing more than a load of non-facts thrown together, the grammar is appalling, "a oceanic whitetip" I mean, seriously, come on!

My point above was these fabricated stories serve only one purpose and that can be proven with these passages in the article, "...Fishermen have booked out hotels in St Ives..." and "Hotel owners yesterday told of a “last-minute flurry” of customers desperate to hunt down the shark."

Crappy weather means less people booking UK breaks so in order to get the punters down there they make up a story of a once in a lifetime opportunity to see a "killer shark."

Yep, they really do think we're that stupid.

"Behind Blue Glass" Post Production Update

 

The production of a film is hard work, very hard work. It's not just going somewhere, pointing a camera at some scenery then reading a script. A good film looks great, sounds great and has interesting, engaging content that people actually want to watch, but for all the blood, sweat and tears (thankfully we avoided the blood and tears) the real hard work comes in during post production.

Post production is like building a house, the footage, story and sound are your foundations and upon those foundations, you build your film using the tools at your disposal, building layer after layer to hopefully have the kind of end result your efforts and the content deserve.

Using the house building analogy, "Behind Blue Glass" is currently in the stages of having its interior done. The edit is done, voice overs done, primary colour correction done, lapel and external mic sound done and colour grading will be completed tonight. Left to complete is the final audio mix, subtitling, music, intro and and outro credits, the final, brutal axing of any superfluous footage which isn't totally necessary regardless of how good it looks and a lovely, delicious final master of the whole thing.

The trailer gives an idea of the quality of footage. The whole thing was shot in full HD 1080p and it looks great (honestly, I'm actually looking at it now on a 32" LG television...) and I must say I am very happy with it all. The overall "look" of the film is unlike anything you will have likely seen in regards to shark documentaries, far more cinematic and stylistic, also, shooting these films on the Canon 7D, with the inclusion on this film of the Canon 5D MKii, gives them a look of their own, naturally more cinematic than most HD video cameras and with a glorious, full depth of field. In the coming weeks, I will give a full introduction to the shooting rig I will be using for my films, all of which is affordable and easily accessible to the average consumer.

Speaking of the trailer, since being uploaded six days ago, it has been viewed over 3000 times and shared by over three hundred different people on Facebook alone! Not bad considering the only promotional links I have are social networking media.

I would like to think that the film will be completed in full, in the next two weeks, in fact, I would say that is highly likely, the sooner I can subtitle it and settle on the final music, the sooner it will be done.

Please keep sharing the trailer, I want as many people to see this film as possible, it tells a story you don't know and one which has a message to which most people could easily relate, plus it's not too shabby at all in my honest opinion ;)

Trailer - Youtube
Trailer - Vimeo

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