PETE ROMANO: INNOVATOR IN UNDERWATER CINEMATOGRAPHY AND HYDROFLEX CREATOR

Pete Romano, ASC, a former U.S. Navy Diver, revolutionized underwater cinematography with his inventions at HydroFlex, Inc.

His designs, like the HMI underwater lights and RAC MK5 housing, have been pivotal in shaping the industry. Known for his work on iconic films such as Titanic and Inception, Romano's technical expertise and creative vision have earned him two Academy Technical Achievement Awards. As a leading underwater Director of Photography, he continues to push boundaries in both cinematography and equipment innovation, ensuring a lasting legacy in film production.

Pete Romano, ASC, is a former U.S. Navy Diver and member of the Pacific Fleet Underwater Combat Camera Group.

After his Navy service, Pete was determined to find work in the motion picture industry, eventually landing employment as an Assistant Cameraman at ILM, the renowned visual effects facility, where he built his first underwater housing for the GSMO 16 mm camera. In 1985, while working as a Camera Operator at Boss Film in LA, he was contracted by the Cousteau Society to design and build their state-of-the art underwater camera housings. That same year, he built his first underwater housing for the Arri 35-3 film camera after recognizing the industry need for standardized equipment to simplify and enhance the underwater shooting process. Soon after, camera rental houses were representing his product and HydroFlex, Inc became a viable business.

In 1988, HydroFlex was the first to design high power HMI underwater lights that were developed specifically for James Cameron and his film The Abyss. Since then HydroFlex has continued to design camera and lighting equipment for the evolving needs of the motion picture industry, including their most popular housing the RAC MK5, which accommodates over 30 camera bodies plus a wide variety of lenses; our splash bags for wet set work; and our Hydrohead, which can be mounted on a variety of cranes, especially useful for sequences where the camera must move in and out of the water.