Deep Sea Productions is currently working on a film series that will be shown on IMAX and Giant Screen theatres worldwide. The film work has required many long flights and taken the team along dangerous roads to remote locations. Packing for such an expedition must be meticulously checked; absolutely everything must be included from the outset. Far out at sea, it is not possible to call for a forgotten battery to be delivered, for example. Simon Stanford heads up film production at Deep Sea Productions. Come along as Simon takes you behind the camera – where it can sometimes be more exciting than in front of it.
Kwanele Mbatha makes a living by subsistence fishing and guiding tourists along South Africa’s Wild Coast but this fragile ecosystem faces the threat of overfishing, damage from oil and gas exploration, mining and many other human activities.
It’s one of the planet’s largest biomass aggregations…an annual migration of sardines up the coast of South Africa. Millions, if not billions, of small fish migrate up the east coast pursued by sharks, whales and dolphins. And at the very end of this chase - humans.
I was really happy with my task, staying on the surface. I truly wanted to snorkel with dolphins, but the sharks made me hesitate. Finally, Joel convinced me to join him. It was so cool to see everything from below, and I finally got to snorkel with dolphins! But it was the whales that made this day unforgettable.
In the midst of the chaos of sardines, dolphins, birds and sharks there appeared a lonesome Humpback whale. She seemed not to be concerned with the frenzy which ensued around her but rather quite intrigued by the shoal of sardines which seeked refuse under her enormous shadow.
The play unfolds right in front of my camera - my breathing rate is high. Nick and Kimmo are with me. We spread out so as not to ruin each other's shots. Nick was supposed to be our "safety diver," but we don't have time for that now. He has to film too. When the opportunity arises, we must seize it!
