Jules (Helioxfilm)
Forum username: jules helioxfilm
Real name: Gyula Somogyi (Jules)
Posts: 380
Active years: 2006—2015
Role: Underwater filmmaker, video post-production specialist
Company: Helioxfilm.com
Location: Geneva, Switzerland (originally Hungary)
Biography
Gyula Somogyi, known as “Jules” and operating under the Helioxfilm brand, was an underwater filmmaker and post-production specialist based in Geneva, Switzerland. Originally from Hungary, Jules became a prominent voice in the Wetpixel video community, focusing on professional-grade tools like Apple’s Final Cut Studio, Shake, and specialized underwater video equipment. He specialized in deep wreck documentary filmmaking in European lakes and contributed significantly to the community’s understanding of video stabilization, color grading, and lighting for underwater film production.
Community Role
Jules was a technically sophisticated contributor who brought professional film production knowledge to the Wetpixel underwater videography community. His posts covered advanced topics including video stabilization algorithms, lighting design for deep wrecks, and editing software workflows. He also played an important role in the underwater imaging event circuit, facilitating the Wetpixel/DivePhotoGuide booth at the 2007 Antibes Festival.
Notable Contributions
Final Cut Studio 2 Discussion (84 replies)
Jules started the definitive community thread on Apple’s Final Cut Studio 2 release in April 2007, coinciding with its NAB announcement. He highlighted key features relevant to underwater videographers: Shake’s SmoothCam integration into Motion 3, the new Color grading application, RED camera support, and ProRes 422 codec. The 84-reply thread became a central community discussion about professional video editing workflows, with enthusiastic responses about Color’s potential for underwater color correction ([1]).
Video Stabilization with Apple Shake
Jules was an early proponent of using Apple’s Shake compositing software ($499) for underwater video stabilization. In September 2006, he posted before/after examples of stabilizing footage of a turtle on the Thistlegorm wreck using Shake’s SmoothCam node. Eric Cheng featured the work in a Wetpixel article, noting that while “there is no replacement for smooth camera work, the example is really compelling.” Drew Wong jokingly asked him not to reveal their secret technique ([2], [3]).
Wreck Lighting Design
Jules started the “Light Squadron” thread (25 replies) proposing an innovative approach to lighting deep wrecks in European lakes. He wanted to create a diver-operated platform with 4-6 HID lights to achieve “feature-film look lighting” for a documentary on the Hirondelle, a 19th-century steamer wreck at 60 meters in Lake Leman (Lake Geneva). He planned to create a wreck panorama by stitching together video sequences in Shake. The thread attracted detailed advice from Drew Wong and PCDiver about HMI systems and multi-light configurations ([4]).
XD Amphibicam X3 Housing
Jules shared his acquisition of the XD Amphibicam X3, an underwater video housing he described as “an awesome masterpiece.” The 27-reply thread included his first-impression review and demonstrated his continued use of cutting-edge tools including Final Cut Pro 7’s new speed tools ([5]).
Antibes Festival Organizing
At the 2007 Antibes Festival, Jules facilitated the exhibition booth presence for DivePhotoGuide and Wetpixel, including organizing popular evening happy hour gatherings. The coverage article specifically thanked him for his efforts ([6]).
Ships of Darkness DVD
Jules announced and produced a DVD called “Ships of Darkness,” featured in a Wetpixel article in December 2008 ([7]).
Timeline
- 2006: Joined Wetpixel forums
- 2006-09: Posted Shake stabilization samples; featured in Wetpixel article ([8])
- 2007-02: Started Light Squadron thread for deep wreck filming project ([9])
- 2007-04: Started Final Cut Studio 2 discussion thread ([10])
- 2007-10: Facilitated Wetpixel/DPG booth at Antibes Festival ([11])
- 2008-12: Announced “Ships of Darkness” DVD ([12])
- 2009-09: Acquired XD Amphibicam X3 housing ([13])
- 2015: Last active year on Wetpixel forums
Activity Profile
- Peak years: 2007—2012
- Gear: XD Amphibicam X3, various HID lighting systems
- Software: Apple Final Cut Pro, Shake (SmoothCam), Motion, Color
- Focus areas: Professional video editing/post-production, video stabilization, deep wreck filming, underwater lighting design
- 380 posts across Shooting Technique and Video Gear forums
Sources
- Forum thread: Final Cut Studio 2 ↩
- Forum thread: Shake Sample ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 27, 2006: Smoothing Video With Apples Shake ↩
- Forum thread: Light Squadron ↩
- Forum thread: Xd Amphibicam X3 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 31, 2007: Antibes Festival With World Appeal ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 17, 2008: Wetpixel Member Gyula Somogyi Announces Ships Of Darkness Dvd ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 27, 2006: Smoothing Video With Apples Shake ↩
- Forum thread: Light Squadron ↩
- Forum thread: Final Cut Studio 2 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 31, 2007: Antibes Festival With World Appeal ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 17, 2008: Wetpixel Member Gyula Somogyi Announces Ships Of Darkness Dvd ↩
- Forum thread: Xd Amphibicam X3 ↩
- Final Cut Studio 2 (forum) ↩
- Shake sample (forum) ↩
- Smoothing video with Apple’s Shake (article) ↩
- XD Amphibicam X3 (forum) ↩
- Light Squadron (forum) ↩
- Antibes Festival with World Appeal (article) ↩
- Ships of Darkness DVD (article) ↩