News
EXCLUSIVE: An interview with environmental filmmaker and creator of 360Heros interactive video ‘For the Love of Sharks’ Bill Macdonald by Jeff Goodman
In December 2013 Scubaverse published the following brief press release on 360 degree video technology:
Michael Kintner, CEO, Inventor and manufacturer of 360Heros 360-degree video gear has announced the release of “For the Love of Sharks” with Bill Macdonald Productions using the new underwater 360 Video Gear called “H3ScubaH6”.
This stunning 360° interactive video of an epic scuba dive with over 30 sharks swimming around the divers is produced by environmental filmmaker Bill Macdonald for Sea Pulse Films and Macdonald Productions. The footage was shot in the crystal waters off a Micronesian reef giving the viewer the same perspective as the unprotected diver encircled by these magnificent creatures.
The documentary-style 360 virtual tour was shot with the 360Heros H3ScubaH6 Plug-n-Play holder using six GoPro Hero3Black cameras. This footage can be scaled for HD online delivery or displayed at a resolution of over 5K (5,500 x 2,750 pixels.)
I clicked on the web link http://macdonald.360heros.com/360video/2013-YAP-Sharks/index.html to experience this ‘stunning interactive video’ for myself and was very pleasantly surprised. It actually did what it said on the label. Sitting at my desk, I was able, with ease, to move the video camera view using my mouse around the reef top to follow the sharks.
I wanted to know more so contacted Bill Macdonald to ask about this exciting project.
Jeff: Hi Bill. Love the sense of ‘being there’ the video gives. What is the best way for people to look at and interact with the video?
Bill: Go to www.macdonaldproductions.com, the shark video is on the home page, it loads fast from there. This is the short version, and a longer 6 minute version will be posted later this month. You can download the promo 1.5 minute iframe here (at the 360Heros site): http://www.360heros.com/2013/11/for-the-love-of-sharks-its-like-google-street-view-but-underwater/. Then watch it whenever.
Jeff: What were the main challenges in producing this film?
Bill: You should have at least 8 Go Pros when shooting remote, since the cameras can act up. You must have all 6 cameras rolling or it doesn’t work. Once on the cluster holder, the cameras have to register with subjects (like lines) at a distance of 6ft, and 360 degrees around to synchronize up. So a shallow pool will not do, and you need lines for focus registration, so it took flying to YAP and making a preliminary dive to sync. Keep in mind we were among the first to try this. We also found out you have to hold the system very steady when filming.
Jeff: How many of you were involved?
Bill: After seeing the cluster holder on line and one holder at the 2013 Long Beach SCUBA Show, I knew this would be a game changer, so I invested.
My son Dustin researched the set up. Michael Kintner of 360Heros was helpful via the phone and by email, he’s a tech genius and a software developer. There was also input from Snake River Prototyping regarding filter selection. MantaRayBay Resort was the ideal destination, great staff, clear water, sharks are guaranteed and the owner Bill Acker is a long time friend. Bill Acker is personally familiar with these sharks. He did the best job of getting the cameras up close and personal holding steady. The Yap Divers dive support was superb.
Jeff: The images from each of the GoPro 6 cameras are top quality. Can you tell us how are they ‘stitched’ together to give the seamless flow from one to the other?
Bill: The edit is complicated. I had 360Heros edit my segments for a fee. I will get to the editing at a later time; the software is on a continual upgrade. The stitching is a computer edit process with software from Kolor Autopano Video Pro, in France (over $1,000.00). As this process gets going there will be a need for qualified editors. The cameras must be synchronized precisely together to the frame. The sync needed last summer was to audio clank on the pole after the cameras start, and sync the audio tracks before you begin the edit. Now there is a visual sync upgrade.
Jeff: The GoPro cameras have certainly revolutionised the filming industry in so many ways. What made you decide on using the Gopro instead of any other camera?
Bill: Go Pro is an excellent company to do business with. The cluster holders are from 3-D printing, and © 360Heros. Nothing else exists in the consumer price range. These cameras are versatile and the Black version purchase isn’t a killer, however you have to get special domes for each camera used underwater, along with filters that are purchased from Snake River Prototyping: www.snakeriverprototyping.com
Jeff: Would this have been possible before GoPro came onto the market?
Bill: Not to my knowledge. The holders are specially made to lock in the proper camera angles. When I saw this potential, a light bulb went off, since I knew the best location and subjects for this application. The purchase was within my budget. The premiere presentation at DEMA was very well received at the Manta Ray Bay Resort booth. Constant comment from viewers: “I never saw anything like this before” or just “awesome”. Recently at CES.
Jeff: How long had the project been in development before the final shooting?
Bill: I saw the system in mid-May 2013 at the SCUBA Show, made the purchases, and gathered the system within a month, and was off to Yap in July. So it was totally on the fly. My son Dustin finished the prep and flew out a week later with the system. We also were assembling an aqua-copter drone for wet – aerial filming as well; full plate of new technology.
Jeff: Once started, did everything go to plan or did you have to overcome problems along the way?
Bill: This was not easy to do. The only underwater reference video available came from a single shoot in Belize that 360Heros filmed.
Communicating to and from Yap with slow Micronesian internet speeds was a challenge. But we were able to get it going. Being among the initial users from a small start up has its benefits and drawbacks. Adventure comes with the territory when you are in on the ground floor or basement in this case. I had to believe it would work, and it did. 360Heros is an enterprise that I suspect will unveil more new developments and develop both hardware and software to apply towards the cutting edge of experience action photography.
Jeff: From the image above it looks as if the cameras are fixed to a point on the reef. Is it possible for the rig to move, to follow divers or wildlife?
Bill: The still shot does appear to be a good camera position, surrounded by sharks, after finding a solid anchor for the camera pole. Just after we set it up, one of the cameras stopped (battery issue), so this scene was a washout.
The system is sensitive to movement, shakes are amplified with several camera POV’s. Steady as she goes. Bill Acker could swim in close and he held the system steady.
Why can’t you see the 6-foot camera pole? It is stitched out in the edit, which is a great feature.
There is a horizontal reference need as well, when shooting underwater. Horizons are important when shooting motion.
Jeff: I’m intrigued about the possible applications of this. Great for consumer use in the tourist and entertainment market but I’m sure you have far greater expectations, perhaps exploration or research. Can you tell us more about where you see this technology being used and how you see it developing in the future?
Bill: In my case, I am a senior citizen, and care giver for my wife, so I don’t get around much. The Yap adventure was my yearly adventure.
The 360Hero rig would be great in a Southern Californian kelp forest, and with Giant Sea Bass mating aggregations (sounds like Catalina this summer). We shall see what we come up with for 2014. I want to improve my relationship with the edit process. That should take a while. I still envision a November dive adventure.
306Heros was at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas recently and just released an app that allows people to screen “For the Love of Sharks” and an Everest expedition on an iPhone. With mine, I can pan thru the scene by moving the iPhone towards the desired screen direction, almost like a dance. Marvellous development.
Jeff: What’s the next project for the 360 Gopro?
Bill: 360Heros also released a 12-camera Go Pro 3-D cluster holder. The 3-D is an interesting development, but a bit mindboggling, considering my experience level at this point in time.
Jeff: Thanks Bill.
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re taking a look at the Dusky Shark, a highly migratory species with a particularly slow growth rate and late age at maturity.
Dusky sharks are one of the largest species within the Carcharhinus genus, generally measuring 3 metres total length but able to reach up to 4.2 metres. They are grey to grey-brown on their dorsal side and their fins usually have dusky margins, with the darkest tips on the caudal fin.
Dusky Sharks can often be confused with other species of the Carcharhinus genus, particularly the Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis). They have very similar external morphology, so it can be easier to ID to species level by taking location into account as the two species occupy very different ecological niches – Galapagos Sharks prefer offshore seamounts and islets, whilst duskies prefer continental margins.
Hybridisation:
A 2019 study found that Dusky Sharks are hybridising with Galapagos Sharks on the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Pazmiño et al., 2019). Hybridisation is when an animal breeds with an individual of another species to produce offspring (a hybrid). Hybrids are often infertile, but this study found that the hybrids were able to produce second generation hybrids!
Long distance swimmers:
Dusky sharks are highly mobile species, undertaking long migrations to stay in warm waters throughout the winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, they head towards the poles in the summer and return southwards towards the equator in winter. The longest distance recorded was 2000 nautical miles!
Very slow to mature and reproduce:
The Dusky Shark are both targeted and caught as bycatch globally. We already know that elasmobranchs are inherently slow reproducers which means that they are heavily impacted by overfishing; it takes them so long to recover that they cannot keep up with the rate at which they are being fished. Dusky Sharks are particularly slow to reproduce – females are only ready to start breeding at roughly 20 years old, their gestation periods can last up to 22 months, and they only give birth every two to three years. This makes duskies one of the most vulnerable of all shark species.
The Dusky Shark is now listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), but further action is required to protect this important species.
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus obscurus
Family: Carcharhinidae
Maximum Size: 420cm (Total Length)
Diet: Bony fishes, cephalopods, can also eat crustaceans, and small sharks, skates and rays
Distribution: Patchy distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas; Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean.
Habitat: Ranges from inshore waters out to the edge of the continental shelf.
Conservation status: Endangered.
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Images: Andy Murch
Diana A. Pazmiño, Lynne van Herderden, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Claudia Junge, Stephen C. Donnellan, E. Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Clinton A.J. Duffy, Charlie Huveneers, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Paul A. Butcher, Gregory E. Maes. (2019). Introgressive hybridisation between two widespread sharks in the east Pacific region, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136(119-127), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.013.
3rd AUGUST 2024 – 1 or 2 WEEK PROGRAMMES
Daily water programme with Snorkelling & Scuba Diving.
Beginners or qualified, something for all.
Leave the kids with the Splash Team for days of Excitement, Fun & Adventure!
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
There are various options for accommodation with options for 2, 3, 4 or 5 guests.
Eco Huts provide accommodation for families of up to 4. The best option to enhance the adventure and closest to camping with basic facilities. For August we will provide central air cooling for all the Eco Huts.
Deluxe Chalets are only suitable for 2 guests. Fully air conditioned rooms with private bathroom and other facilities.
Boutique Rooms are available for families of up to 5.
Individual bespoke rooms fully air conditioned with private bathroom and other facilities.
Eco Huts: £675 per adult / £425 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Deluxe Chalet: £830 per adult / £505 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Boutique Room: £925 per adult / £550 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
This is a truly unique opportunity to have a Family Desert Adventure totally away from it all! You will be based at the remote Roots Red Sea on the coast of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, 140km south of Hurghada city.
Red Sea Splash main focus is Snorkelling & Scuba Diving but that’s not all, we provide a rounded week of activities in support.
Pool& Field Games – Arts & Crafts
Marine Biology Workshops
Cultural Activities – Orienteering Adventures
Roots Red Sea have established strong links with the local communities of Hamerwain & El Quseir affording our guests to have a true taste of the local culture, SPLASH CAMP embraces this opportunity and bring in the local children to join in the fun with our adventure seekers.
During the day, families are welcome to take part in all activities together or the kids can be left with the SPLASH CAMP team while the parents enjoy the facilities or go diving themselves!
At the end of the day, its family time while the SPLASH CAMP team take a break. For those with the energy, there are family evening activities planned a few evenings.
Open Air Movie Night – Desert Star Gazing Walk & Talk
El Quseir Evening City Tour
The second week is very special, we head off on the Big Blue for a liveaboard safari around Fury Shoals.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
U-8 Splash Club
Sadly we can’t offer Scuba Diving to the Splash Club but we can have lots of fun Snorkelling & Free Diving!
Splash Club includes:
Certified Snorkel Course – Marine ID Games – Intro to Free Diving
Arts & Craft Sessions – Adventure trails – Cultural Playtime – Pool Games
U-12 Explorer Club
In addition to an exciting snorkelling and Free Diving Programme in the Splash Club we can take you under the water on SCUBA to a whole new world of fun and wonder. If you are under 10 your first breath under water will be as a Bubblemaker and continue with daily Seal Team Missions. From 10 we will complete a Discover Scuba Diving experience in the amazing Red Sea. Alternatively we offer a full junior certification programme to become an international qualified Scuba Diver.
U-16 Adventurer Club
For qualified Scuba Divers regardless of age it’s the Adventurer Club and exploration of the local reefs and marine life. There will be 2 dives every day with the Open Ocean marine field station team who will introduce you to Red Sea marine life and workshops on marine research. Alternatively there are opportunities to continue your scuba diving certifications with our instructional team.
Parents are welcome to join the club activities and join the courses.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Big Blue might seem like the new kid on the block, but the team behind the highly acclaimed liveaboard is far from that. They have been running Red Sea safaris since the late 1980’s and were in fact part of the early pioneers who ventured out to the unknown on vessels that in today’s world, really shouldn’t have left the harbour! It’s that experience and the years of operating the award-winning Roots Red Sea resort which truly set Big Blue apart from the crowd!
Large lounge area, spacious sun deck and terrace deck.
Airy restaurant with five tables with up to six chairs per table, serving a varied and delicious menu with special dietary requirements catered for.
The spacious cabins have side by side beds and a large walk in wet bathroom.
Ample dive deck for divers & snorkelers.
Safety is everyone’s priority, whether you are relaxing on board, swimming, snorkelling or diving.
On board Big Blue is fitted with smoke alarms, emergency lighting and a fire alarm system. The lower corridor has a full-size door fire exit at the bow and open stairs to the stern. There are evacuation plans in each room along with life jackets, glass breaker tool and a fire extinguisher.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Red Sea Splash at Fury Shoals is a very rare opportunity to get involved with marine biology expedition for children and adults. Open Ocean biologists are on board to provide fascinating and entertaining facts about the marine life you will see. The team will provide workshops on marine life identification and survey methods both of which, should you wish, you will have the chance to put into practice during your safari.
The week is open to snorkelers, scuba divers and non divers too!
Fury shoals is perfect for first time mariners as it offers plenty of protection from the weather.
We board at Port Ghaleb on Saturday evening and prepare to set sail early on Sunday morning.
Heading south, our first day will be diving the reefs of Abu Dabbab before sailing overnight to reach our ultimate destination the Fury Shoals.
Here we will spend four days swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving amazing reefs. This includes guaranteed DOLPHIN encounters at Sataya Reef! After the last dive we haul anchor and head back to Abu Dabbab for our final two dives before disembarking our boat BIG BLUE.
Camp Extension Cost*
Adult £650 per adult
Under 16 £350 per child
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
FURTHER INFORMATION – INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM
TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
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