A loud slap resonated throughout the set, the noise that water makes when met with a flat surface. Think of the sound of a proper belly-flop. “Cut, alright get him back up on the lift for another take.” Captain America had just fallen from the sky. I was on set of the sequel to Captain America for the final scenes of the movie, learning from Pete Romano about the process of underwater cinematography.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Pete Romano’s work, he has been doing underwater cinematography on an impressive list of popular films over the past 30+ years. He also founded a company called Hydroflex that builds and rents underwater camera and lighting equipment for a wide array of projects. From Jaws 3-D and The Abyss to Inception and 300, he has seen the evolution of the industry. Pete began his career behind the camera in the Navy when he was accepted into their photo school program. He later became a U.S. Navy Underwater Cameraman. He recounted to me his first dive where they threw a diving helmet on him with blacked out ports and tossed him over the side of the boat for an hour. This was to ensure that he wasn’t claustrophobic and wouldn’t panic. A stark contrast to my introduction to diving!
Once out of the service, Pete was determined to continue a career in the field of underwater cinematography. Learning that he would be better prepared to do so if he developed the skills necessary to work on the mechanics of the equipment, he enrolled in machining school and later developed a housing that improved the status quo for a Cinema Products 16mm Gizmo. He decided to call the product, Hydroflex.
During my time with Pete, he taught me about some of the ins-and-outs behind the movie-making business. I also garnered a lot of information about the equipment needed for such endeavors. What lenses are optimal for which shots, how different ports distort an image and the different types of cameras used for underwater filmmaking. He has an incredible depth of knowledge and I feel fortunate to have been able to learn a tiny sliver of it, minuscule as it may be. I hope to return at some point during the year to broaden my understanding of the subject. My West Coast road trip has started off with a bang! Er, splash.
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An informative post about your time on set! It was cool to hear about the other movies Peter Romano has worked on like…Free Willy, a family fav!!
Very interesting to read about all the different occupations one can undertake with scuba training. Any chance Jeff Hester aka SCUBA BOY will appear in the next Captain America film?