2 week videography training and internship

Train to become a BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer on Koh Tao, Thailand

Underwater videography course Thailand

2 Week BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video Training

Become an underwater videographer in one of Asia's top dive destinations! While you are living on the beautiful island of Koh Tao, you will be trained to capture the stunning underwater world. Oceans Below will provide you with all of the skills and equipment needed to produce professional HD underwater videos. Your training will include the use of high-quality HD video cameras, Gates and Aquatica Underwater Housings, and Adobe software. Join our highly experienced team of professionals for the 2-week BSAC Pro HD Underwater Video Training program.

You must be a certified PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent) with 50+ logged dives It is possible to add on the scuba training courses before the start of the Pro HD Underwater Videographer Training if you have no prior dive experience. Oceans Below can organize your dive training and accommodation through Koh Tao’s Premiere 5-Star IDC Center.

2 week video training

Get hands-on experience in the making of top-quality underwater movies. Learn to shoot everything from the biggest fish in the world, to the smallest shrimp, using full manual camera controls for that perfect image(white balance, focus, exposure, lighting, and zoom) edit your movies on Adobe Premiere Pro.

Instructor and student with the HD cameras

Available Dates

The Pro HD Underwater videographer Training Course is available year-round. We only take 2 people per course to ensure that each trainee gets lots of personalized attention throughout the course. We begin a course at the start and at the middle of each month. These courses usually are booked at least a few months in advance, so make sure you check in with us prior to traveling to check the availability.

The best time of year for a chance to see Whalesharks is close to the monsoon period, so April/May and September/October/November are the best months. However, they can turn up anytime. May to February are the best months to get close encounters with the Bull Sharks. April, May and June are the easiest months to spot Green and Hawksbill turtles. Throughout the year you’ll see Moray Eels, Stingrays, Scorpion Fish, Octopus, Sea Snakes, Boxfish, Jacks, Groupers, etc...

Health Requirements for underwater videographers

If you are looking to participate in this program you need to ensure that you are reasonably fit and free from any conditions that may prevent from or be a danger to you while diving. Before coming to Thailand, it is best to consult your doctor and get a signed Medical Statement.

Underwater videographer training Thailand

2 Week Underwater Video Internship (only available after the 2 week BSAC Pro course)

Once you have completed your training, you will have the option to follow one, or both of the following:

-learning to produce souvenir videos for divers. Film and edit a movie to music telling the story of the diver's day trip. By the end of this internship you'll have gained all the skills and knowledge to be successfully employed in the field.

-continued Education and skill development. Quite simply, diving and filming to produce your own short documentary. Diving away from the main student dive sites and so avoiding the crowds, spending 45 minutes filming a seahorse to get that perfect shot. Or head out to the dive sites that the big student boats can't reach, Sam Ran pinnacle, Sail Rock, Hot spots to shoot the big stuff.For this course we will be using the Goodtime Adventures speedboat so we have no time restrictions and can get to any dive site in a matter of minutes.

Goodtime Adventures speedboat

You must be a certified BSAC Sports diver or PADI Rescue Diver (or equivalent) with 50+ logged dives. Being a competent scuba diver is critical as you will be filming PADI Instructors with students in training and you will be expected to look after yourself underwater. It is possible to add on the BSAC Dive Leader or PADI Divemaster Training Course or even the BSAC Open Water Instructor Course or PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) before or after the Underwater Videographer Internship.

Available Dates

The Video Internship is available year-round. You may begin any time after your 2-week Video Training Course. The length of the internship is 2 weeks. Oceans Below will give you as many opportunities as possible to gain experience.

Koh Tao Pro HD Videography Trainees Film Turtles!

Written by Elisabeth

Friday, 07 May 2010 07:56

The last few weeks on Koh Tao have been exceptionally good for diving with lots of amazing things to film for the new BSAC Professional HD Underwater Video trainees! Our newest, Cedric and Dominique, were lucky enough to film Eagle Rays on their first dive with a video camera in hand and a Hawksbill Turtle on their second.

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One of koh Tao's resident Hawksbill turtles...

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New Pro Video Trainees Cedric and Dominique

Today they are sorting through a massive amount of footage to determine which will make their showreels. Cedric, who is doing his Divemaster course with Asia Divers on Koh Tao, told me that he saw my HD movie 'From Dawn til Dusk" on the Seatran ferry last year as he left Koh Tao and decided there and then that he wanted to be a marine videographer. Now he's back on the island with us at Oceans Below to realize that dream!

Dominique has returned to the island after completing her DM course with Crystal Divers, Koh Tao to join us for her Professional Video training and internship. The two of them are having a great time together and are well on their way to becoming great videographers. They each have big plans for the future. Cedric already has experience in documentary filmmaking, having produced a film about his mother's escape from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the '70's, and is now focusing on the underwater aspect of video. Dominique wants to stay awhile and get work on Koh Tao filming for one of the dive centers. A feat that she will undoubtedly succeed in. The 2 of them both have big video plans for the future!

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Declan filming an Eagle Ray

Steph left us a couple of days ago. She's returning to school in the UK, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing her again in the future. Steph made some great movies during her internship and has developed a fantastic underwater video showreel. Declan will be with us for another 2 weeks while he completes his internship. He has also been impressive with his movies and he keeps us entertained, as well.

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Steph, on the job...

Oceans Below has submitted the new BSAC Professional HD Underwater Videographer manual to the editor and it will be complete in a matter of days. Then it's off to the printers. We are happy to be wrapping up this project so that the translators can start their work on it. BSAC Japan is anxious to have the manual and send Instructors Koh Tao to be trained in video by the crew of Oceans Below. We all look forward to the next step...