Send the marine team the brief, not just the dates
The boat operator needs the same brief the DP has: shot list, the vessel or talent being filmed, locations, and whether you need aerial or underwater coverage. That decides which configuration the vessel runs, how many crew ride and whether a second unit is needed at all.
If you are not sure how to write it, the brief builder on our contact page drafts one from a few sentences about your vessel, event and goals.
Build the call sheet around light and water
On the water, golden hour and calm sea rarely line up by accident. Plan the hero shots for the calmest, best-lit window and put coverage, B-roll and resets around them.
Count the transit. Running from the dock to the location and between setups is part of the day; the captain can tell you how long each leg takes on the water you have chosen.
Agree the weather call before the day
Decide in advance who makes the go or no-go call and when. On the Basilisk the captain makes it, and under the Flat Water Guarantee an unshootable sea state reschedules at no additional day rate.
Ask every vendor the same question: what happens to my money if the captain calls it? The answer matters more than the difference between day rates.
Plan monitoring and color on the boat
Decide where the director and client will watch. Wireless video to a shore base, or a seat in an on-board video village, both work — as long as it is planned. The Basilisk's air-conditioned DIT dark room lets color decisions be made in the shade instead of on a laptop in the sun.