A TimeBandit Tidbit & Underwater Film Footage - Finally!

Merry Christmas Fishies!

I ran across this information and was quite certain that you would enjoy it. From the sounds of this, the Discovery Channel has listened to your pleas regarding underwater footage. That's a GOOD thing!

Dennis Scro of Boothbay, Maine has been hired by a Burbank, California production company; (Original Productions?) to head to Dutch Harbor, Alaska this winter to film undersea sequences for the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" TV series.

Scro, who has been in the undersea industry for 30 years, is leading a team of American and Canadian undersea experts who will spend seven days off St. Paul Island, in the Bering Sea on board the 115-foot F/V TimeBandit.

"We will be traveling 30 hours offshore from Dutch Harbor to film a fishing vessel lost during a past episode, film Ophelia crab pots (spelling as found) on bottom and perhaps film a concentration of king crabs in their habitat. The producers will incorporate undersea footage into the series.”

According to Scro, the team will be equipped with “The DeepWorker 2000, a state-of the-art submersible that has a shooting schedule working in 300-1000-foot ocean depths. HDTV cameras and special HMI lighting will provide stunning sub sea imaging.”

In addition, a Sub-Atlantic remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with multiple cameras and manipulators will be readied for weather days when the sub may not be able to be deployed. The ROV is capable of operating in ocean depths to 5000 feet.

"This is a relatively shallow water project for the seasoned team of undersea experts. Our challenges will be hatched on the Bering Sea, where weather conditions can easily whip up 30-40-foot seas and cause ice havoc aboard the vessel. Our team will need to be extra vigilant, hope for the best shooting conditions, and be prepared for the worst," Scro said.

He has been involved in commercial projects for National Geographic, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. He was involved in the analysis of lost WWII warship vessels in several oceans where the undersea teams deployed real time video feeds from the deep ocean depths which were transmitted by satellite live into Washington, D.C. He has also worked with undersea specialists under government contract to the Navy.

Mike Rowe, host of The Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" will be in Dutch Harbor for part of the mobilization as will the Deadliest Catch production company president. The second season of "Deadliest Catch" was a big success for Discovery, emerging as one of the network's highest-rated series and scoring a pair of Primetime Emmy Award nominations plus a Creative Emmy Nomination. Season three begins production this fall and is scheduled to air in spring 2007.

From an article by Joe Orchulli Ii in The Boothbay Register

Stay tuned - a bundle of "just too juicy" items will be coming your way!

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