Surf cinematography
Surf cinematography, from the line-up
Cinematic surf filming for brands, films and commercials, shot from the water by a crew who have surfed their whole adult lives. Based in Cornwall, working wherever the waves are.
From £650 a day
The Endless Winter II: Surfing Europe (trailer)
Desert.Ash: a surf film by Tim Boydell and Reubyn Ash
Aston Martin DBX: Adventure
Jaguar F-PACE: Surf’s Pup
Surf filming in Cornwall
Light Colour Sound is a Newquay-based surf filming crew led by Tim Boydell, a surfer and cinematographer who films from the water. Tim has surfed since 2006 and filmed in the water since 2011, shooting surf for brands, films, TV and commercials. We cover Cornwall and Devon, the rest of the UK, and surf trips abroad, with RED and Sony cameras in surf housings, plus drones and camera boats.
A surfer behind the camera
Light Colour Sound started out making surf films. Tim has surfed since 2006, sailed since he was six and filmed in the water since 2011. Knowing where to sit, when the set is coming and where the surfer will perform on the wave is what gets the shot. That only comes from time in the line-up, along with trust from your athlete and clear thinking under pressure.
In the line-up
Housing and fins, from the shore break out to the peak.
Cinema cameras
RED in a Salty Surf housing built for the surf zone, and the Sony A7S III in a SeaFrogs housing.
Water and air
Pair water angles with our drones and camera boats for the full story of a session.
Surf films to campaigns
From brand content to TV and film surf scenes, and help casting talent and stunt doubles.
Safety in the surf
Planned around the swell
Every surf shoot is planned around the break, the swell, the wind and the tide, with safety cover to match the conditions.
- Go / no-go limits agreed on swell, wind and tide before the shoot. As with our drone jobs, we send a weekly run-down of the forecast
- Water safety scaled to the conditions, up to jet ski cover
- A risk assessment, and a swell, tide and weather plan for every shoot
Need a camera boat too? See our RIB and jet ski page, and how we plan every job.
Good to know
Are you a surf filmer in Cornwall? Yes. Tim Boydell is a surf cinematographer based in Newquay, Cornwall. He films surfing from the water, from a boat or with a drone, for brands, surf films, TV and commercials.
Do you surf? Yes. Tim has surfed since 2006 and was once a sponsored surfer competing in the UK. The camera work comes from that time in the water, chasing swells with friends.
How big a swell can you film in? Beaches, reefs and points all have their own limits, and a production's risk limits will usually kick in well before ours. Expect to find limits at around 6–8 ft on beach breaks and 8–10 ft on reefs.
Can you film from a jet ski or a drone too? Yes. We run drones, a RIB and a jet ski, so water, boat and aerial angles can come from one crew. For BBC Two's series on big wave surfing in the UK, Tim filmed from a boat with a drone at one location, then jumped in to film from the water at another.
Where do you work? We're based in Newquay, Cornwall, and travel for surf. We've filmed in over 30 countries, from the Galapagos to Norway and Nazaré to Indonesia.
How much does it cost? Surf filming starts from £650 a day. Every shoot is quoted on enquiry: tell us the concept, the dates and the riders, and we'll come back with a plan and a quote. We can also help cast talent and stunt doubles.
Can we just hire the housings? Yes. See our water housing hire page for housings, cameras and rates.
Tell us about the swell
Send us the break, the dates and the riders, and we'll get back to you.
Talk to us about your shoot