Listed below are the breakdowns for what Shane Hurlbut, ASC deployed on the Navy Swimmer project.
The breakdown for the Mountain Rescue portion of Navy Swimmer.
- 1-camera in deep water housing which captures underwater and split level shots
- 1-camera mounted on the Navy Swimmers helmet to capture him exiting the helicopter and being lowered down in between the rocks, and then lifting back off of the rocks and back into the helicopter
- 1- camera mounted on a Cine flex gyro mount on an A-star helicopter giving us helicopter-to-helicopter shots; our scope. The Navy swimmer helicopter leaving the tarmac, heading to mountain rescue location, hovering at a scene, and then heading back to base. Mission accomplished
- 1- camera in the Navy Swimmer helicopter capturing pilots communications, Navy Swimmer & Corpsman getting ready, jumping out of helicopter and retrieving climber
- 4- cameras on the mountain terrain with 4 different focal lengths lensing the action from a distance. 1-300mm Canon, 1-600mm Canon, 1-70-200mm Canon Zoom, and 1-100-400mm Canon Zoom
- 3-cameras handheld underneath the choppers prop washing getting more intimate coverage, seeing the Corpsman lower down, then Navy Swimmer comes down with the backboard, handheld as they help climber, and then document him getting pulled up to the helicopter
- 1-camera on tarmac in a mini-van as Navy Swimmers get the call
- 1- camera handheld following the swimmers to the helicopter and preparing before lift-off
- 1-camera on wide shot as helicopter lifts off

The breakdown for the Sea Rescue portion of Navy Swimmer.
- 1-camera in deep water housing which captures underwater and split level shots
- 1-camera mounted on the Navy Swimmers helmet in a surf housing so that it can take on water
- 1- camera mounted on a Cine flex gyro mount on an A-star helicopter giving us helicopter-to-helicopter shots, our scope
- 1- camera in the Navy Swimmer helicopter capturing pilots communications, Navy Swimmer & Corpsman getting ready, jumping out of Helicopter and retrieving pilot
- 4- cameras on a boat back away from the prop wash and with 4 different focal lengths. 1-300mm Canon, 1-600mm Canon, 1-70-200mm Canon Zoom, and 1-100-400mm Canon Zoom
- 1-camera on the tarmac in a mini-van as Navy Swimmers get the call
- 1- camera handheld following the swimmers to the helicopter and preparing before lift-off
- 1-camera on a wide shot as the helicopter lifts off
My Elite Team makes me shine every day and the visuals that you see are a collaborative effort!
By Shane Hurlbut, ASC
Director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC works at the forefront of cinema as a storyteller, innovator and discerning collaborator, who brings more than three decades of experience to his art. He is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers, the International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600, and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Tags: Canon, HDSLR Cameras, lens choice