Tuesday, December 19, 2000

WILMINGTON, NC – Evan Vetter, a rising senior from Matthews, N.C., enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, said he wanted hands-on experience in the film industry. He never anticipated that he’d spend two weeks in the Gulf of Mexico filming footage aboard Atlantis, a research vessel operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).



“Being given the opportunity to go was amazing,” said Vetter, a communication studies major who is also working on a minor in film studies. “I was able to use equipment that I had only seen. It was all practical experience. We had problems to solve, and I learned by making mistakes.”



Vetter worked for Ecology Communications, a Maryland-based production company that films documentaries about environmental topics. The company was shooting a documentary about the NOAA-sponsored research expedition in the Gulf of Mexico in October. Researchers employing the diving sphere Alvin, used to film Titanic, traveled deeper in the gulf than anyone previously and to places no one had ever seen. Alvin is also operated by WHOI.



As a camera operator intern, Vetter stayed aboard Atlantis, where he filmed footage of the voyage and interviews with scientists for documentary producer Tom Cole.



“Tom told me from the beginning that he would allow me to shoot with the camera equipment, but we had to feel our way into that. By the end of the trip I was operating a 50-bit Sony camera, carrying it around the ship. This was a little nerve-racking considering it cost more than the car I drive,” said Vetter.



Vetter, who is vice president of the UNCW Film Group, a student association that produces independent short films, is primarily interested in narrative filmmaking. However, he learned how demanding it was to make a documentary.



“You have so many variables. Any kind of control is very limited. That was the hardest thing to deal with.”



He also discovered why camera operators are so particular.



“They have to be. I could be laid back, but as soon as we were working I had to be on the ball. I learned the value of preparation and to operate in a run-and-gun style – setting the focus beforehand is a good thing,” said Vetter. “What I grew to appreciate the most is what a cameraman really has to go through. Lots of people think you just point the camera and punch a button. In fact, you have to do a lot of thinking before flipping any switches.”



Evan also learned about the relationship between producers and camera operators.



“It was a great challenge to try to replicate what Tom said he wanted in the frame. I learned where a close-up would be needed and how close you should be based on the situation,” said Vetter. “I actually had one day where I was completely on my own because Tom went down in Alvin. It was awesome; I was making the decisions and setting up different shots and interviews.”



Coursework from UNCW’s Film Studies Program prepared Vetter for this challenge.



“Framing a shot comes with practice, but it’s also an organic process. Going to classes and talking about films and the way they are framed rubs off on you. It has a tendency to show up in your work. It was a pleasure to go into a situation where I had not used such sophisticated equipment and still feel confident. I think that stems from finding confidence in class. It was such a thrill to go to a place that you’ve never been but feel that you’ve been prepared with the tools and knowledge to do the job,” Vetter said.



Eric McLamb ‘78, executive vice president of Ecology Communications, provided Vetter’s opportunity aboard Atlantis. He knew his alma mater had started a Film Studies Program since his graduation and offered the program the chance to send an intern on the Gulf expedition.



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Note to the media: Vetter is the son of Randy and Denise Vetter, 842 Stanhope Lane, Matthews, N.C. 28105. He is available for media interviews during the holidays at 704/845-5520, and he has pictures from his trip that can be used for illustration.

Background on the NOAA mission available on the World Wide Web at http://www.uncwil.edu/uniadv/relations/releases/october2000/alvinresearch.html