Could you tell us a bit about yourself?  
My name is Mark Broadbent, I’m a cinematographer who also runs Orange Submarine. As a cinematographer over the last few years I’ve primarily worked in long form documentary, commercials, drama and underwater.  I joke that Orange Submarine is my aquatic identity. Essentially it’s a small business that focuses on water cinematography, both on the surface and below. With the business I’m focussing on filling the gap for productions wanting water elements but don’t have experienced crew or equipment to do the job. I’m primarily focusing on more “controlled” shooting environments so more for commercials, drama and clips rather than natural history. That said I’m always up for a paddle in the surf to grab a sequence.On the kit front the Orange Submarine fleet is slowly growing however my pride and joy is the new Universal Housing - a heavy duty underwater housing that can fit most camera and lens combinations. I’ve done recent shoots with a Sony Venice and Vista primes, and an Alexa Mini with Cooke Anamorphics. Depending on the setup most functions are controlled from the surface.  Other than that I’ve got additional housings for Canon C500ii, Canon C70 and Alexa Mini. All have their different features and strengths that make them suitable for different types of projects. There are also a pair of Astera Titan tubes with housings and cable remote control to adjust from the surface.

How did you get involved in the film industry?
Like many I’ve always had an interest in movies but more so about how they were made. After high school where I’d made little shorts and clips, I began studying film at QCA while working part time in a petrol station to pay the bills.  After uni I was still working part time and doing little freebie shoots and assisting around the place. One day while working a late shift I got a call asking me if I’d be interested in doing work experience for 2 weeks in the camera department on the feature film, Scooby Doo, starting the following day. That night I quit my job, turned up the next day on the film…those 2 weeks turned into a 3 month job which then turned into 4 years as an assistant and now over 15 full time as a DOP.The water side of things has been ticking along next to regular shooting. In my spare time I used to do a lot of surf photography, submitting to magazines and private sales.  From there I started doing a little bit of motion water work on jobs I was shooting. I then began being asked by fellow DOP’s to come along and do water shots for them. As the requests grew they became the inspiration to start Orange Submarine.

What's your proudest moment so far supporting this industry in your current capacity?
I don’t really have a single moment. It’s been more an ongoing process of being open to give advice and chatting with other crew. Of course there are a few “trade secrets” that I advise others to discover themselves but I’m more than happy to work with and help those that come across as being keen. This has ranged from a simple phone call to coming out and doing a few shots on their project or lending a bit of kit.

What's a novel fact about yourself that not many people may know?
While its not secret that I love all aspects of the water, I’ve also grown to love cold water surfing. What started as a quick little holiday to Iceland in 2018 turned into 3 repeat winter trips spent surfing, photographing and filming.  Nothing clears the head like like freediving 2 degree glacial water or walking 4km in deep snow after a surf.  The short documentary I shot on a trio of local Icelandic surfers is in its final stages of post and hopefully let out to the world in coming weeks.

As apart of our on going mission to promote and inspire newcomers ACS Queensland has been involved with universities and other educational institutions. With this mission in mind we have been a proud sponsor of JMC's Annual Martini Awards, offering a free one-year associate membership to the winner of 'Best Cinematography'.

This year's winner for Best Cinematography at the JMC Martini Awards goes to Jadon Patterson for his work on STRAWMAN short film.