Navy Swimmer: Pool Training Sequence With Real-Time Workflow

The Bandito Brothers Production Company has a very unique workflow. I have adopted the Bandito Brothers “Real-Time” shooting module and combined it with “traditional” filming. Here is how we made it work for the Navy Swimmer commercial.

Imagine prepping, shot listing, and then letting the action play out in real-time like a play. We put the cameras in and around the Navy SEALS action to document it without interruption. So, we captured amazing moments of serendipity that would not have happened if they were broken down into individual shots.  We shot in real-time.

First, we set up  “cover sets,” a concept coined by director Michael “Mouse “ McCoy. We then discuss the operation and where to best set up our cameras to cover it.  The Elite Team is put in place and we run the image capture live as it happens.  No stopping the action and breaking it down into pieces. We run the whole thing again until we get all of the necessary coverage.

Here is the breakdown of the Pool Training Sequence for Navy Swimmer.

• 1-camera in deep water housing which captures underwater and split level shots
• 1- camera on a dolly tracking profile with swimmers that moves at water level. Then submerges to see them swim underwater
• 1 camera on 300mm Canon lensing medium shots of the recruits as they pop out of the water and sit at the edge of the pool
• 1-camera on 600mm Canon lensing extreme close-up shots of the recruits as they pop out of the water and sit at the edge of the pool
• 1-camera on a high overhead shot as the swimmers head at the camera to take in the scope.
• 1-camera high speed on a dolly tracking at water level with the swimmers
• 1- camera handheld on 70-200mm Canon Zoom going rogue and capturing little bits

Navy Swimmer 720p & 1080p

The serendipity moments are real; you feel like you are experiencing it as if you are the Navy Swimmer, Diver, or SEAL.  We are able to lens these 3-minute spots for the Navy in 3-4 hours with our small footprint shooting module. Now, there are moments while we are shooting that have Blue on Blue filming, which is a military term that means you are shooting yourself.

For the few seconds where the other cameras are seen, we then go to Brett the magician in the After Effects room at Bandito Brothers to deliver his artistry.  He painted me out of several shots, the most obvious one was on the swim deck of the yacht on the “Where’s the 5D MIO SEAL operation.”

This is groundbreaking filming which is unique in its style and execution and has only been possible since the invention of the Canon 5D, 7D, and 1D cameras.