Problem
Three vendors, three call sheets
Camera boat, drone team, underwater crew — each with a separate coordinator, a separate day rate, and their own idea of on-time.
Introducing the Chameleon 3 — Code Name "Basilisk"
Cinema-Grade
Marine Production Vessel.
The most versatile and advanced production vessel in film, television and digital media — engineered for precision, executed in excellence. Based in Miami. Available nationwide.
One vessel. Peak season (Nov–Apr) books months out.
USCG-licensed captainFAA Part 107 pilotsCommercial marine and production liability insured — COIs on requestEN · ES · PT crew
The Problem: Filming on the Water Can Present Major Challenges
Marine environments are constantly changing, making it difficult to execute complex shots. In such an unpredictable environment, it is hard to support a director’s technical requirements, including maintaining precise camera positioning, controlling lighting, and obtaining the appropriate aerial and underwater footage.
Problem
DIT roulette in direct sun
Color decisions get made squinting at a laptop under a pop-up canopy. Numbers land in the grade that never should have left set.
Problem
Vision vs. Environment
A dynamic environment, unpredictable conditions and limited working space can affect a director's creative freedom to execute intricate camera movements and unconventional shooting angles.
The Solution: Why We Built the Basilisk
One Vessel. Multiple Configurations. Redefining Production on Water.
Known as the Basilisk, our Protector Targa 28 is a versatile vessel that can be customized for the audiovisual needs of directors while adapting to multiple configurations. Unlike standard boats, this vessel functions as a multipurpose production vehicle, serving as a drone base, supporting camera mounting systems for major camera brands, and adapting to TV, film, advertising, and live event productions. It is ideal for filming above, at, or below the water surface.
Unique Strengths · Three Configurations
Reconfigure on the water.
The Only One on the Water
An air-conditioned DIT dark room. On the boat.
Most marine productions put your colorist in the sun. We put ours in a fully climate-controlled blackout suite with Cyanview live grading and LH Video VTR — the same environment you’d have in a post house, moving at 30 knots.
See the Dark Room- Climate-controlled
- Blackout interior
The Basilisk
Every Water Shoot, Handled
One vessel. One team. Everything you need to shoot on water, engineered into a single multipurpose production vessel — the Basilisk.
What We Offer
- High-performance watercraft with twin 250 hp Yamaha outboard engines
- Latest Motocrane arms and camera heads
- Air-conditioned dark room with engineering, DIT, and VTR systems
- Remote real-time communications and live multichannel video and audio transmissions
- Capacity for 6 passengers, including the captain
- Interconnects with the Chameleon MPV fleet — film command vans, multi-track mobile recording studios, and digital film multicamera trucks — for specialty camera, engineering, DIT, live grading, shading, coloring, VTR, and video assist solutions. Visit www.cmgshows.com.
- Deployable to any water-accessible location in the U.S. from our South Florida base
The Flat Water Guarantee
If our captain determines your scheduled shoot window is unsafe or unshootable due to weather or sea state, we reschedule at no additional day rate. You do not eat a wasted water day because the ocean did not cooperate.
There is one Basilisk. Booking windows close months out during Miami’s peak commercial season (November through April). Lock your dates early.
Tell us about your shootField Notes — The Blog
What we know from running water days.
Production trends, vessel tips, permits, budgets and weather calls — written by the crew that runs the Basilisk.
Equipment Partners
The gear we run.
Equipment partners. The rigs and systems the Basilisk is built around.
Ultraarm / Extreme Jibs
Crane & Jib Arms
Motocrane
Stabilized Camera Heads
Wave Central
Wireless Video RF
Cyanview
Live Coloring & Grading
LH Video Services
VTR Services
Behind the Scenes
Real shoots, real rigs, real water.
FAQ
What people ask us most
What is a Multipurpose Production Vessel (MPV)?+
A Multipurpose Production Vessel is a purpose-engineered marine platform that reconfigures between filmmaking roles — camera arm boat, drone control, underwater command — on a single hull. The Basilisk is the first MPV built for film and television, replacing three separate boat rentals with one integrated system.
Where is Terrific Watercraft Films based, and where can you shoot?+
We are based in Miami, Florida. The Basilisk operates out of Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Government Cut, Port of Miami, and the Florida Keys. We can deploy to any water-accessible location in the U.S.
How is the Basilisk different from a standard camera boat rental?+
A standard camera boat gives you a hull and an operator. The Basilisk arrives with a stabilized Ultraarm crane, a Motocrane remote head, Wave Central wireless video, a Cyanview live-grading station, an LH Video VTR rack, and a climate-controlled DIT Dark Room built into the vessel. It is a floating production department, not a boat with a camera on it.
How do I book the Basilisk for a shoot?+
Send us your shoot dates, location, and creative brief through our contact form, or call +1 (786) 286-5894. Our production team responds within 24 hours with availability, a tailored package, and a captain-led scout if the shoot is in South Florida.
Explore the Site
Every page a production department needs.
Book the Basilisk
Tell us about your shoot.
Send dates, location, and a brief. Our production team responds within 24 hours with availability, a tailored package, and a captain-led scout if you’re shooting in South Florida.