RWBrooks

Forum username: rwbrooks
Real name: Richard Brooks
Posts: 324
Active years: 2008—2017
Role: Underwater filmmaker
Company: Lightning Strike Productions
Location: Palau (based on forum posts)

Biography

Richard Brooks (“RWBrooks”) was a Palau-based underwater filmmaker who operated Lightning Strike Productions. Known for his marine wildlife documentary work, Brooks produced short films and educational content from one of the world’s premier diving destinations. His most notable work was “Perceptions,” a time-lapse film shot in Jellyfish Lake, Palau, which was featured in a Wetpixel article by Adam Hanlon.

Community Role

Brooks was an active Wetpixel community member from 2008 to 2017, contributing 324 posts primarily in video production discussions. His threads often explored the practical and legal aspects of independent underwater filmmaking, from copyright law to commercial distribution. He was known for capturing remarkable marine behavior footage, particularly commensal hunting sequences that drew praise from Drew Wong.

Notable Contributions

”Perceptions” — Jellyfish Lake Time-Lapse

Brooks’s signature work was “Perceptions,” a short film featuring time-lapse footage shot in Jellyfish Lake, Palau over the course of a year. The film documented the migration and light-seeking behavior of golden jellyfish. The production involved four attempts to configure a working underwater time-lapse rig, dealing with incredibly soft sediment on the lake floor. He initially attempted the project with an Aquatica-housed Nikon D200 on a Gates UW tripod, but battery life issues led him to switch to a Gates-housed Sony FX7 with a Fathom external monitor. All work was done while freediving due to the lake’s no-scuba policy, adding the psychological pressure of saltwater crocodiles previously spotted in the lake. Post-production used Adobe After Effects and Final Cut Pro (^[1]).

Copyright Music Discussion (90 replies)

Brooks started one of the forum’s most important legal discussions — “Copyright music” — asking about the legality of using 18 seconds of a Sting song in a short film. The 90-reply thread became a comprehensive community resource on music licensing for underwater filmmakers, covering fair dealing/fair use, the Harry Fox Agency, royalty-free music sources, and practical advice about risk tolerance for different distribution channels (^[2]).

Film Showcase and Feedback

Brooks regularly shared new work for community feedback. His “New short films” thread (35 replies) showcased footage featuring stunning marine life behavior, including commensal hunting sequences. Drew Wong provided detailed feedback on composition, color correction, and maintaining orientation in underwater shots (^[3]).

Other Notable Threads

• “Considerations for commercial educational video” (23 replies) — Explored the legal and business aspects of creating a fish ID DVD for Palau’s tourist market, drawing advice from Drew Wong and Nick Hope on music licensing, retail distribution, and consignment sales strategies (^[4])
• “Hero 3” (28 replies) — GoPro discussion (^[5])
• “126 dead sharks confiscated in Palau” (20 replies) — Conservation discussion reflecting his Palau base (^[6])

Timeline

• 2008: Joined Wetpixel forums
• 2009-01: Started thread on creating commercial educational video for Palau market (^[7])
• 2010-09: Started the copyright music thread (^[8])
• 2012-12: Shared new short films from Palau (^[9])
• 2013-07: “Perceptions” Jellyfish Lake time-lapse featured on Wetpixel (^[10])
• 2017: Last active year on Wetpixel forums

Activity Profile

• Peak years: 2010—2014
• Gear: Gates-housed Sony FX7, Aquatica-housed Nikon D200, GoPro, Gates UW tripod
• Focus areas: Underwater filmmaking, music licensing, marine behavior documentary, time-lapse, Palau marine life
• 324 posts across Shooting Technique, Copyright Issues, and Video forums