Bob Cranston
HD Video
& Film
Production
 

Your deal memo guarantees the cost, scheduling, and equipment needed will be available for your production.  

Cost for production services, personnel, and equipment vary greatly with each job. We do our best to be flexible and negotiate in good faith to meet the needs of our customer.

  We are available to help develop a realistic budget that meets the needs of your production. This often includes help with budgeting logistical support, boats, best time of year, and the anticipated results. We have a lot of experience which we want to share with our customers so they will achieve the best opportunity for success.

Bob Cranston with 20 years experience as camera operator and director of photography.
 

Services provided by Bob Cranston:

Underwater cameraman, topside cameraman, on-camera presenter, consultant for diving or equipment operations, consultant for marine animal behavior 

25 years experience film + video production

Now specializing in High Definition Video HDCAM 

Equipment provided by Bob Cranston :

• Complete HDCAM underwater and topside video kit built around the Sony HDW-F900 camera.

• A second underwater housing for HDW-F900 camera is available.  This housing works with a rental camera, to support a 2-camera shoot, or is available to rent with or without Bob Cranston

• Closed circuit rebreather and tri-mix kit.  Allows diving and HDCAM to depth of 350 feet. HDCAM housing has been tested to 450 feet.

• Underwater lighting kit, battery powered and cabled to surface

• Underwater OTS communications kit, diver-to-diver, diver-to-boat, diver-and-boat-to-camera sync sound

• Underwater presenter Movie Mask, with full-face view,and sync narration, records directly to HDCAM.  No umbilical to surface is required.

• Shark cage and chain mail shark suits

• Timelapse and highspeed video capability

 Qualifications and certifications:

• Rebreather dive log as of Sept 2005, shows total number of closed circuit dives at 1,219.  Represents total hours in water on CCR 1,997 Includes 18 tri-mix dives to 350 feet.  Cranston started diving CCR in 1990, became certified by IANTD #50400 for rebreather and Tri-Mix diving Sept 17 2000.

• Tested and qualified as scientific diver by University of Hawaii, NOAA, NASA, MBARI and other AAUS institutions.

• US Merchant Marine Officer, certified #1005339 by US Coast Guard as Master Of Steam and Motor Vessels not more than 100 Gross Tons.

• TDI Rebreather Diver Certification #14 Feb 20 1998

• TDI Nitrox Diver Certification #1050 Feb 1998

• NAUI Scuba Diver #442527  June 1976

• PADI Advanced Diver #1125 Oct 1974

• Skin Diving Unlimited Scuba Certification #0978 Aug 1967

• PADI Medic First Aid #9602038970 Feb 1996

• PADI Rescue Diver #9303376374  Dec 1992

• Current diving Medical Fitness Evaluation including chest x-ray and USCG Drug Test, every February of every year.

• DAN Divers Alert Network Diver’s Emergency Insurance #079948 Master Member Current, member since Oct 1989

Bob Cranston History Diver/Camerman

• 1968, certified diver, with NAUI.

• 1968, hired at Skindiving Unlimited divestore, at age 13

• 1968, acquired first underwater camera, Nikonos

• 1969-1973, high school photography education, and work as photographer for high school yearbook.

• 1970-74, active in sportdiving clubs, and spearfishing competitions then popular in California.

• 1974-79, worked in commercial oilfield in the North Sea for 5 years as Life Support Technician for deep divers.

• 1980-1982,Owner & operator of commercial fishing boat, along California coast, earned US Coast Guard Master captain's license.

• Lived on boat on the ocean, acquiring deep knowledge of the Pacific and its creatures.

• 1982-1987, consultant to US Military Special Forces, trained military divers and developed dive equipment, working for Diving Unlimited International.

• 1985 Owner and operator of San Diego Shark Diving Expeditions, customers in ocean, viewing photographing and feeding sharks from cage.

• 1984- present, underwater cinematographer for television and Imax movie companies filming marine life for broadcast and theatre.

Peter Kragh qualified diver with rebreather and 5 year's experience working on film crews underwater. Does lightning, topside sound, general AC. Click here to read Kragh's resume. Bob's long time camera assistant, Peter Kragh prepares the camera for 350 foot tri-mix dive during the shooting of Coral Reef Adventures.
 

IMAX: cameraman/DP available with MK-2 underwater housing, rental kit includes lens, tripod + lights.

Rebreather, Mark 155 mixed-gas (totally closed, meaning no bubbles). Ten years experience w/this rebreather rig, 950+ dives and 1400+hours logged diving this rebreather. Add cost of expendables. Using closed circuit rebreather allows Bob and film crew to stay longer, be silent, and get closer to their subjects.


 

Stainless Steel Mesh Shark Suit, Shark Cage also available.

VX1000 Digital Video Camera and u/w housing available with operator for budget sensitive projects.

Underwater Communication System, For 4 divers + surface unit included in rates.

35mm Stills we will support producers with a selection of photographs both topside and underwater for promotional purposes.
 
 
 

References

Kathryn Pasternak and Chris Sondreal at National Geographic Television

Howard Hall, California.

Soames Summerhays, California.

Pierre deLespinois, Evergreen Films Hollywood.

Alastair Fothergill, BBC, England

Bob or Barbara Ballard, USA East Coast.