In this email interview, we quiz Nathalie Holman on her time as an underwater videographer with Oceans Below on Koh Tao. 

What University (College) course are (or were) you studying? I studied for 3 years at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. I studied Performance and Scenography with a speciality in film art. I graduated in 2007 and worked in London for two years.

How long have you been working and what was your job before coming to Koh Tao? I worked for two years in TV production in the roles of Post production assistant and Production Co-coordinator before wanting to take a break from the fast paced life of London to escape to the calmer waters of Thailand.



How does the content of the Oceans Below videographer training compare with what you learn at University or with what you do for a living? Alongside my training at University I also did a Director's course for Motion Pictures Production at Brighton film school, this was a 3 month course and was good at teaching you the theory behind film production but in comparison I learnt a hell of a lot more during my time at Oceans Below. Elisabeth was fantastic at teaching you the specifics involved in the production of Underwater Videos. Everything from setting up the kit, taking you out and teaching you to be a responsible diver in charge of a camera, teaching some new and different camera movements, teaching you about the underwater world and how to edit together a fast paced and interesting video in a matter of hours. Adrian was always on hand to give advice along the way and was a pro at producing some first class promo videos. It was a fun filled course that taught you practically how to make good videos quickly.

What have you done since you have finished your training and Internship with Oceans Below? Since leaving Koh Tao I have come back to Brighton, UK and have got stuck into work in film production. I have produced a low budget feature film that is currently in post production and soon to be entered into international festivals and I am producing a sitcom pilot that is currently in pre-production. I have also continued my work as a wedding videographer and have taken on board my new skills to make my videos more interesting. I am also trying to build up my underwater videography skills by immersing myself into the dive world over here. I have teamed up with a local videographer and am off to Birmingham in October to help him film the Dive Show for Dive Magazine.

Do you think training with Oceans Below helped your future prospects? If so how? My time at Oceans Below has almost definitely helped me get to my position now and will help me progress in the future. After my couple of years in TV production I began to doubt that this was the route I wanted to take as I could see how hard the journey was going to be however my time at Oceans Below reignited my passion for film production. It gave me the skills to work as an Underwater Videographer, new skills to help my work as a camera woman and experience working with different cameras and editing software.

Did you show any of your underwater video footage to people back at home - colleagues, professors...? What did they think? I showed my footage to many friends and family as well as my work colleagues. They all loved the work I had done and I have been able to use the footage on my show reel ever since to get future work.

What would you say to someone thinking about taking an underwater videography internship with Oceans Below? I would recommend anyone to do an internship with Oceans Below; it was such a fantastic experience. I would most definitely recommend you also do it alongside some dive training - I did my divemaster training on the island at the same time. Oceans Below are able to help organize this with you as they did for me. It was a fantastic way to earn a bit of money whilst traveling and meeting new people. I gained some invaluable skills and expertise alongside making some memories I will treasure forever. Thank you to Elisabeth and Adrian for making this one of the best adventures of my life so far!

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