Filmmakers Jean-Jacques and Francois Mantello (the Mantello Brothers) moved their first feature-length film, OCEANS 3D: VOYAGE OF A TURTLE (working title), to digital 3D post-production phase last week. The 85-minute long feature is expected to be completed this September for an anticipated domestic release during the first half of 2009.
OCEANS 3D tells the story of Aris the sea turtle who embarks on a journey across the oceans in search of the origin of mysterious, far away calls. As moviegoers experience the beauty and diversity of the oceans in stunning 3-D, Aris encounters both her friends and her predators. What she finally discovers is that the greatest threat to the fate of ocean life doesn't lie beneath the waves, but in the hands of the people from above.
OCEANS 3D is produced by 3D Ent. and McKinney Underwater Productions, and is supported by the United Nations Environment Program. The film is directed by Jean-Jacques Mantello and produced by Francois Mantello with underwater cinematography by Gavin McKinney. The film is based on an original script developed by Jacques Attali and written by Pierre Alain de Garrigues and Dr. Elisabeth Mantello. It will feature an original score by Christophe Jacquelin.
"After six years of production and 25 expeditions at some of the most remote locations on earth, we are more than thrilled to see our multi-million dollar film moving in the right direction," said Francois Mantello, chairman of 3D Ent. "Discussions are already underway with numerous U.S. studios and we hope to announce a distribution agreement for the U.S. theatrical market in the coming weeks. OCEANS 3D is set to become the first feature- length documentary ever to be both filmed and released in digital 3-D."
"Audiences will feel like divers, completely immersed in this magnificent marine world with giant manta rays, hammerhead sharks, humpback whales, orcas, scorpion fish, Spanish dancers and seahorses, to name a few, revealed for the very first time in digital 3-D," said Jean-Jacques Mantello. "It was also an unprecedented technological adventure for our production crew because we constantly had to re-invent ourselves and adapt our filming habits, and proprietary Digital 3D camera rigs to the extreme conditions we encountered."
McKinney added, "We spent over 1,200 hours in the water to capture 200 hours of what we believe is exceptional footage. The task of framing the image in 3-D with animals in the wild is particularly challenging but the experience we have acquired over nearly 10 years shooting underwater films in stereoscopy allowed us to achieve our goal."
In 2001, 3D Ent. and McKinney Underwater Productions developed an ambitious plan to produce a feature-length documentary film and a 3-D "edutainment" film series for IMAX theatres exclusively focused on life beneath the ocean's surface. The three installments already released at IMAX theatres, including this year's DOLPHINS AND WHALES 3D: TRIBES OF THE OCEAN presented by Jean-Michel Cousteau and narrated by Daryl Hannah, have proven highly successful, cumulatively generating more than $60 million at the box office.
