Water cinematography
Water cinematography, from the surface to 10 m
Cinematic in-water filming for commercials, brands and film. Swimmers, athletes, models and talent, from the surface to 10 m, in the sea or the pool.
From £650 a day
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Robinson Club Soma Bay
Water and underwater filming in Cornwall
Light Colour Sound is a Newquay-based film crew for water and underwater filming, led by Tim Boydell, a cinematographer who has sailed since he was six and filmed in the water since 2011. Tim films swimmers, athletes, models and actors in the sea and in the pool, from the surface down to 10 m on a breath-hold, for commercials, brand films, TV and film. We cover Cornwall and Devon, the rest of the UK, and shoots abroad.
A life at sea, behind the camera
Tim has sailed since he was six, surfed since 2006 and filmed in the water since 2011. That time at sea is what keeps the camera steady, the talent safe and the shot on schedule when conditions change.
Surface to 10 m
Split-level, surface and breath-hold underwater shots. No scuba.
Fashion and talent
Swimwear, beauty and lifestyle shoots with models and actors, and a briefing for talent new to the water.
Action sports
Swimming, SUP, kayaking and bodyboarding, filmed from in the water. (Surf has its own page.)
Cinema cameras
RED and the Sony A7S III in hard water housings, not splash bags.
Safety in the water
Planned before we get wet
Every water shoot is planned around the location, the tide and the conditions on the day, with safety cover to suit the job.
- Water safety scaled to the job, from a poolside lookout to a lifeguard team or jet ski cover
- A risk assessment, tide plan and go / no-go limits for every shoot
- A briefing for talent who aren't used to the water
Need a camera boat too? See our RIB and jet ski page, and how we plan every job.
Cameras in the water
Our housings and cameras
RED in a Salty Surf housing
RED DSMC2, with the Gemini 5K or Dragon-X 6K, built for the surf zone.
Sony A7S III in a SeaFrogs housing
Compact and quick, with a dome port for split-level shots.
RED in a Del Mar housing
Three ports: 16-35mm, 24-70mm and dome.
DJI Osmo Action and GoPro
POV, board and body mounts, alongside the main camera.
Just need the kit? See our water housing hire page.
Good to know
Do you do underwater filming in Cornwall? Yes. Tim films underwater and at the surface across Cornwall and Devon, in the sea and in pools, down to 10 m on a breath-hold. We also travel for water shoots across the UK and abroad.
Do you film with scuba? No. Tim films from the surface down to 10 m on a breath-hold, which suits action sports, swimwear and talent.
What kind of shoots do you do? Commercials, brand films, fashion and sports content, and water scenes for TV and film.
Can you provide water safety? Yes. We scale water safety to the job, from a shore lookout to a lifeguard team or jet ski cover. All highly experienced professionals working regularly across TV and film.
Where do you work? We're based in Newquay, Cornwall, and work across the UK and abroad. We've filmed in over 30 countries, from the Galapagos to Norway and Nazaré to Indonesia.
How much does it cost? Water filming starts from £650 a day. Every shoot is quoted on enquiry: tell us the location, the dates and the shot, and we'll plan the water safety and quote for the crew.
Can we just hire the housings? Yes. See our water housing hire page for housings, cameras and rates.
Tell us the shot
Send us the location, the dates and what you need from the water, and we'll get back to you.
Talk to us about your shoot