Finally! James Cameron's DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D Release Details!!

We're finally getting details on James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D feature documentary. It's been awhile coming too, but so glad the time is almost here. I'm very interested in seeing what personal money can buy when it comes to science. I know it's not all Cameron's money as he is sponsored somewhat, but still - I wish more well off individuals would consider science as a philanthropic or personal journey. The Mariana Trench dive project will be released on August 8.

Here's the press release:

DisruptiveLA, a cutting-edge marketing and distribution company for filmed entertainment, has acquired the US Distribution Rights to the feature documentary “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D,” directed by John Bruno, Andrew Wight and Ray Quint. A film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D” tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron’s world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.

Opening August 8 in theaters across the US, “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D” chronicles the highs, and literal lows, of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, the first extensive scientific expedition in a manned submersible to the Challenger Deep, Earth’s deepest place. It was inspired, in part, by the fact that we know less about the deep oceans than we do about the surface of Mars. DEEPSEA CHALLENGE was led by Cameron, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker known for blockbusters such as Avatar and Titanic and a veteran of eight deep ocean expeditions. It was executed in partnership with National Geographic and Rolex and with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. During it, Cameron deployed his unconventional DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible on 13 dives, collecting numerous samples and identifying 68 new species. On March 26, 2012, the Expedition culminated in Cameron’s historic, solo dive to the Challenger Deep, a staggering 35,787 feet (almost seven miles) beneath the ocean’s surface.

Risk and danger are ever-present in the film as Cameron dives progressively deeper in the New Britain Trench off Papua New Guinea and in the Mariana Trench, 200 miles southwest of Guam. Confronting the enormity of the dive to the Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, Cameron recalled thinking, “I’ve had years to contemplate this moment, and I won’t say there hasn’t been dread.”

Among his concerns was the risk the sub would implode under the crushing pressure (1,000 times that at sea level) at the ocean’s deepest points. In the movie, Cameron describes an ominous scenario: “As you approach the bottom, with barely a warning sign, the sphere buckles suddenly. Faster than you can scream, you’re smashed into jam.”

Cameron survived to capture the haunting, lunar-like landscape of the Mariana Trench in stunning 3D, and to document the sea creatures he observed in the depths. In a tense 90 minutes, “JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D” builds on these images to create a visual sensation that evokes a spirit of extraordinary human aspiration.

Industry veterans Chris Miller and James Burke are DisruptiveLA’s co-founders. Says Burke: “James Cameron and his team’s courage and tenacity in seeing this project through, with findings that scientists are still poring over, is an inspiration to everyone.”

“JAMES CAMERON’S DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D is everything we’d dreamed it could be and more,” says Lisa Truitt, president of National Geographic Cinema Ventures and an executive producer of the film. “It’s a heart-racing film experience and an inspiring reminder that our beautiful planet still has much to explore.”

“We are proud to have accompanied James Cameron, a Rolex Testimonee, on this inspirational journey to the deepest reaches of the world’s oceans, encouraging further exploration of the planet’s last unknown frontiers and sparking the interest of new generations in scientific research,” says Rolex Director of Communication and Image, Arnaud Boetsch.

This should be a sight to see! Can't wait.

Cameron's Next Theatrical Release Will NOT be Sci-Fi, But In Fact Science Reality! *Video Clip*

Plans have been revealed for not only a TV documentary for National Geographic, but also a 3D theatrical release about his recent voyage to the bottom of the world.

The record breaking solo dive could be in theaters later this year or early 2013.

Naturally, Cameron and his team spent a lot of time designing and fine tuning the 3D cameras used on the dive. Cameron commented on them at the recent TITANIC 3D re-release in London:

"They're a tenth of the size and weight of the 3-D camera that I used to go down to Titanic depth," Cameron said. "We spent a fair bit of the development budget of the sub figuring out how we would be lighting it and how we would do 3-D photography at full ocean depth. We did tackle a lot of challenges, but always, the thinking was this expedition is going to get paid for by a film."

The documentary will also re-create the original dive that was made by navy officer and a swiss engineer.



Looking forward to seeing history being made on the big screen. Not sci-fi, SCIENCE REALITY.

Source: Yahoo

UPDATED!! HE MADE IT!! James Cameron's Mariana Trench Dive Hours Away COMPLETED!!

**UPDATED, March 25: He made it!! Safe and sound. All the details here.

The time draws near! James Cameron's dive to the deepest place on earth, the Mariana Trench, is about to take place. Cameron's team is in place and ready to dive THIS weekend if the weather conditions are fair enough.

"We did some test launches and recoveries, and we did an unpiloted dive of the vehicle," Cameron said Friday.

Earlier this week retired U.S. Navy Capt. Don Walsh said via email, "The sub, its team and the mother ship are all ready to go, and we only wait for the 'weather gods' to favor us."

What is really cool is just how much preparation has gone into this project. To increase the chances of seeing something very interesting, Cameron will be sending down a phone booth sized "lander" that they will be outfitting with bait.

Using sonar, "I'm going to attempt to rendezvous with that vehicle so I can observe animals that are attracted to the chemical signature of its bait," said Cameron.

He has significant enough battery power to maneuver around and explore down there somewhat too.

Here are some important facts about Cameron's brand new sub:
--The pilot is descending about 36,000 feet (10,973 meters), but his ears won’t pop during the journey; the pressure inside the pilot’s sphere stays constant.
--Crammed with equipment and just 43 inches (109 centimeters) wide, the interior of the pilot sphere is so small that the pilot will have to keep his knees bent and can barely move.
--Just like a car, the sub is equipped with “cruise control” so the pilot can hover exactly where he wants to or glide through the water at a constant speed.
--Water vapor from the pilot’s breath and sweat condenses on the cold metal sphere and drains to a space where it’s sucked into a plastic bag. In an emergency, the pilot can drink it.
--The pilot chamber is a sphere because it’s the strongest shape for resisting pressure—if the pilot sat in a cylinder, the walls would need to be three times thicker.
--The sub’s giant beam of syntactic foam shrinks about 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) under the immense water pressure at the ocean’s bottom.
--While the sub appears to be one streamlined vessel, the sphere is attached to the foam beam by polyester straps.
--If the sub’s 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms) of ballast weights don’t drop when commanded, a back-up galvanic release will corrode in the seawater within a fixed period of time, freeing the sub to rise to the surface.
--Small “bladders” inside the oil-filled external battery boxes will take in seawater. These “compensation bladders,” made from medical drip bags, are a critical part of the deep-ocean electronics system because the oil compresses at depth.
--The submersible will spin slowly as it descends and ascends. It’s engineered to do this so it doesn’t veer off track.
--The sub’s batteries are made up of over a thousand pouch-type lithium-ion cells, bigger versions of the batteries hobbyists use for model airplanes.
--More than 180 systems—from battery packs to sonar—will be operating during the dive.
--Every circuit board in the sub’s exterior electronics—over 1,500 of them—was designed and built specially for this vehicle.
--The sub’s four external cameras are a tenth the size of previous deep-ocean HD cameras. The housings were designed by the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE team, and the cameras themselves were created from scratch, from the sensor up.

Check out this video clip showing key depths along the way down for the Cameron Challenger Depth Dive:



Yes, the sub has been down there and back already! Unmanned of course. So it's good news the integrity of the craft is up to the challenge. What I find so interesting about this dive is the sheer number of redundancies that Cameron has placed in the sub. For example, when they test dove to 8000 meters, he lost a thruster on his trip back up to the surface. Trouble? Nope. He has ELEVEN others to rely upon. They worked. The question is, has he thought of everything that can go wrong? Let's hope so!

More info after the dive!! This is Cameron at his best.

Sources: DeepSeaChallenge.com | National Geographic | Facebook

Must Read: MORE Details About James Cameron Upcoming Descent To The Bottom Of The Earth!

Finally much more details on James Cameron's upcoming mega-dive of the Mariana Trench! You can catch up on everything to do with the dive right here, then read the release below!

Here's the official PR:

Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence James Cameron announced today that he will attempt to reach the world’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench, nearly 
7 miles (11.2 km) beneath the ocean’s surface, in the coming weeks. Cameron’s dive in his specially designed submersible marks the launch of DEEPSEA CHALLENGE, a joint scientific project by Cameron, the National Geographic Society and Rolex to conduct deep-ocean research and exploration to expand our knowledge and understanding of these largely unknown parts of the planet.

Cameron’s historic DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition will be the first extensive scientific exploration by a manned vehicle to the Mariana Trench’s lowest point, the “Challenger Deep.” Cameron plans to spend six hours at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean trench, some 200 miles (322 km) southwest of Guam, to collect samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics.

Relying on advanced engineering and technologies created by Cameron and his team, successful field tests were completed this week off the coast of Papua New Guinea. They included untethered deep-water dives — including one to a depth of more than 5 miles (more than 8 km) — in the revolutionary, single-pilot DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, the result of an eight-year engineering effort and the deepest-diving manned marine vehicle in existence. The public will be able to follow Cameron’s progress on the expedition at www.DEEPSEACHALLENGE.com; on Twitter by following @DeepChallenge or using #deepseachallenge; or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/deepseachallenge.

“The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill a hundred years of exploration,” Cameron said. “National Geographic, which has been exploring the world for nearly 125 years, is the ideal partner to help usher in a new era of deep-ocean research and exploration that supports leading scientific institutions in answering questions about the deepest, unexplored parts of the Earth. Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It’s also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce.”

Cameron added, “Rolex is also a natural partner in this venture — unique in having reached the Challenger Deep 52 years ago and in its celebrated, century-long history of supporting exploration and helping push the boundaries of human and scientific endeavor.”

The Challenger Deep has only been reached once in a manned descent, on Jan. 23, 1960, by U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh and Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard in the bathyscaphe Trieste. They spent approximately 20 minutes on the ocean floor before returning to the surface. Now, 52 years later, Cameron’s DEEPSEA CHALLENGER represents breakthroughs in materials science, unique approaches to structural engineering and new ways of imaging through an ultra-small, full ocean depth-rated stereoscopic camera. Cameron’s CAMERON | PACE Group, which supplies 3-D technologies and production support services, has provided the capability to document the historic expedition in high-resolution 3-D.

“Some believe the golden age of exploration is behind us. On the contrary, I believe we are at the beginning of our greatest age of exploration,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president for Mission Programs. “We salute James Cameron for his commitment to science and exploration, and we are delighted to be part of this groundbreaking adventure to the deepest and least explored point on Earth.”

In 1960, an experimental Rolex Deepsea Special watch was attached to the hull of the Trieste and emerged in perfect working order after withstanding the huge pressure exerted at 6.78 miles (nearly 11 km) below the surface. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible will carry a new experimental wristwatch, the Rolex Deepsea Challenge, strapped to its manipulator arm, renewing the pioneering engineering challenge the Swiss watchmaker took up 52 years ago with the Trieste.

“Our affinity with the deep also extends to active and sustained support of renowned marine researchers, supporting excellence and innovation in the advancement of human knowledge,” said Gian Riccardo Marini, Chief Executive Officer of Rolex SA. “I am convinced that James Cameron is bringing us to the threshold of a long-delayed revival in marine exploration. We are proud to have such a passionate and longstanding admirer of Rolex, and to return to the Challenger Deep on this historic venture to help unravel the secrets of the ocean’s deepest places.”

Cameron was named a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence in 2011. While working on his film “Titanic,” he took 12 submersible dives to the famed shipwreck two and a half miles down in the North Atlantic. The technical success of that expedition led Cameron to form Earthship Productions, which develops films about ocean exploration and conservation. Since then he has led six expeditions, authored a forensic study of the Bismarck wreck site and done extensive 3-D imaging of deep hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the East Pacific Rise and the Sea of Cortez. Cameron has made 72 deep submersible dives, including 33 to Titanic. Fifty-one of these dives were in Russian Mir submersibles to depths of up to 3.03 miles (4.87 km).

Cameron has written and directed numerous films, among them “Avatar,” “Titanic,” “True Lies,” “Terminator 1 and 2,” “The Abyss” and “Aliens.” His films have blazed new trails in visual effects and have set numerous performance records, both domestically and abroad, including 11 Oscars for “Titanic.” “Avatar,” a 3-D science fiction epic reflecting five years of development of new production technologies, was nominated for nine Oscars and won three. “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film in history, surpassing the previous record holder, “Titanic.”

The DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition will be chronicled for a 3-D feature film on the intensive technological and scientific efforts behind this historic dive. The event will be documented for the National Geographic Channel and National Geographic magazine. Cameron also will collaborate with National Geographic to create broad-based educational outreach materials.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, is the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE Project’s primary science collaborator. For nearly a decade, Scripps has been involved with James Cameron in developing new ways to explore and study the deepest parts of the oceans. With its decades-long history of deep-sea exploration, Scripps is recognized as a world leader in investigating the science of the deep ocean, from exploring the deep’s geological features to researching its exotic marine life inhabitants.

The expedition also is collaborating with the University of Hawaii, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Guam. Additional funding for education and digital outreach has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which supports original research and public understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Scientific research permits for the dive have been secured from authorities in the Federated States of Micronesia.

This is so cool. If Cameron's life wasn't in mortal danger I think we would all be a bit more excited, but heck - you only live life once and he certainly is living his. Bring us back 3D video of new life forms Mr. Cameron!

**UPDATED: James Cameron Completes 8 KM Test Dive! Mariana Trench Is Next!!

**SAMEDAY UPDATE: Added video clip from CNN!

Director James Cameron has completed his first major test dive off the coast of Papua, New Guinea to the depth of 8 kilometers (5 miles). The countdown to the Mariana Trench is now on, a mere matter of weeks and a stunning dive of 11 kms (7 miles).

We are finally getting great glimpses of his solo seated submersible named DEEPSEA CHALLENGER. There are others in this so called race to the bottom of the Earth too, but I am loving the Captain Nemo vibe this obviously well designed craft is giving us.

If you think this voyage is a walk in the park, read what we already reported is going on right here. Definitely death defying.

Cameron has confirmed that he will be shooting footage with special 3D cameras designed for the 1000 atmosphere depth for a 3D documentary being sponsored by National Geographic and Rolex. If there's one guy who deserves a solid gold Rolex Submariner, it's James Cameron.

Says Cameron: "The deep trenches are the last unexplored frontier on our planet, with scientific riches enough to fill 100 years of exploration."

Furthermore - and typical James Cameron - he is conducting real science while down there by way of collecting samples.

Cameron: "Our goal is to build a scientific legacy for generations to come. It's also to inspire people across the globe to celebrate exploration and to explore with us online and through the media we produce."

So looking forward to his results and safe return to the surface of the Pacific ocean! Godspeed Mr. Cameron.

Thanks for the heads up Peter!



Sources: BBC | CNN

James Cameron Will Dive The Mariana Trench ALONE, Bolted Inside! Photo!

**Apparently the earlier sub photo was not accurate. The one pictured below is believed to be the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER.

We knew it was coming and now it's getting close. While I was at the movies last night (saw THE LORAX - great movie!) one of our great readers sent me in a link to National Geographic (NG) of a video showing James Cameron's new submarine and the fact that NG will air the dive too!

I can't believe I missed seeing this video! It's been removed. Oh well, my reader (thanks Joanna!!) insists that it is the same pea-green craft as posted in this piece.

At this point we are not sure if the dive will be live or taped, but details to follow. What we DO know is not only this video was taken down, but so was a story posted by CNN - we have the cached link however!

Here's what we know so far:
- 3D cameras on board will record everything that goes on down there. And by down there, I mean the Mariana Trench - Challenger Deep at 35,800 feet (almost seven miles). The deepest and most remote place on Earth.
- Cameron has spent the last seven years building a unique manned submersible called the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER capable of diving to the ocean's greatest depths.
- Only one other team has made it to this depth before, in 1960 the navy sent the TRIESTE to 35,797 where they spent 20 harrowing minutes before leaving.
- He plans to spend six hours in the pitch-black waters on the ocean floor using remote arms to collect samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology and geophysics.
- A documentary will likely ensue the dive with the fresh 3D footage caught for the world to see.
- The first person to reach Challenger Deep will be awarded $10 million by the X-Prize Foundation. However clearly the money is not why Cameron is into this - it's his personal passion.

From CNN: "At 35,800 feet there is over 1085 atmospheres of pressure, translating to 16,000 lbs\sq in, or 2.3 million pounds of pressure per square foot. Hard to believe any man-made submarine could withstand that kind of pressure. Pretty amazing. And I’d say it takes guts to put yourself in that kind of situation. The GOOD news is that, if something DID give at that depth, the implosion would be so fast and total you’d never feel it."

...or as the Telegraph puts it: "...equivalent to 8,000 elephants standing on a Mini Cooper."

"Jim is a remarkable guy who's never trained as an engineer but has an intuitive grasp of engineering details that far surpass a lot of the professionals I've known," US Navy Captain Don Walsh, 80, told The Sunday Telegraph. "He hasn't wasted a lot of time trumpeting to the world, 'We're going to do this.' He wants to make sure he's got it right and then he'll tell the world. He's a pretty high profile person and he doesn't want to screw up royally."

Further: Losing pressure in the passenger compartment would cause his battery-powered vessel to implode. Even the tiniest leak would send a jet of water rushing in at such high-pressure that it would slice the craft in half. "There have been white-knuckle moments, complete power failures where we've had to use emergency ballast systems to get back," he admitted in an interview with Popular Mechanics magazine last year, adding: "Yeah, your life is at risk any time you go into a hostile environment like that - but you trust the engineering."

Trust me. We're on this. Stay tuned for more!! It's going to get white knuckled around here...

Sources: National Geographic | CNN | NeoGAF | Telegraph | Ecorazzi

James Cameron Prepping In Australia For Mariana Trench Documentary

One of our readers (Thanks Kilar!) sent me a newspaper clipping from the Herald Sun detailing James Cameron's recent exploits in Australia and the article pointed out some cool current info.

You may have read about The Cameron | Pace Group setting up shop in Melbourne and the article quotes Andrew Wight (Producer, SANCTUM) who heads up their Aussie operations:

Said Wight: "Melbourne was the clear choice given the 3D facilities already in place at Digital Pictures and the talent pool we trained up on 3D who live in Melbourne."

He also jokingly threw a jab at Australia's largest city with: "The restaurants are also better than Sydney."

More interesting though was the current update on what James Cameron has been up to down under:

Cameron is currently in NSW practising filming in a submersible in Sydney Harbour before setting off to Papua, New Guinea to film a feature-length documentary on the Mariana Trench.

Of course we already exclusively know about the documentary and that he plans on diving the trench in June of this year.

Someone, send me a photo of this submersible! The craft was specially built to Cameron's own specifications and will probably have hi-tech heaters and of course 3D cameras and Fusion rigs.

Note that the NYTimes reported that Cameron insists that he will not be shooting shots for AVATAR 2 while on the ocean floor and that "It has nothing to do with my feature life." Cameron intends on dropping into not only the Challenger Deep but the Tonga and Kermadec Trenches, which lie north of New Zealand.

Interestingly enough, Cameron is not alone in his need to explore the bottom of the world. He has competition, if you can call it that. While Cameron is seeking to partner with the science community to share his vessel, others are seeking new business ventures. Richard Branson is doing it. Eric Schmidt and Triton Submarines are too.

Hopefully Cameron's tests come back positive and that he and his team STAY SAFE. More when I get it!

The Cameron | Pace Group is a sponsor of MarketSaw

EXCLUSIVE: Cameron WILL Be Diving The Pacific Despite Rumors; We Talk Higher Frame Rates & An AVATAR Novel Update!

Finally had some time to edit, render and upload this clip for you after getting back from CinemaCon. More on the way!

In this clip I am talking with James Cameron about a few things:
1. Cameron dismisses the rumors that he will not be shooting at the bottom of the Pacific after the Japan earthquake and aftershocks. He will indeed be diving and shooting, potentially AT THE SITE of the quake in the Japan trench to see what has happened. His plans are to head down in June of 2012. Note how eloquently he corrected me about the name of the third plate that interacts with that area of the Pacific floor! I did know that it was the Australian plate, but for some reason I said Indian. He was on the ball though.

2. We discussed his brilliant higher frame rate presentation! The action scenes looked especially spectacular. With Peter Jackson now shooting THE HOBBIT at 48 fps and Cameron definitely going with a higher frame rate for AVATAR 2, it is only a matter of time for this new standard to become the norm.

3. As many (I say MANY) of you have been asking me privately and publicly for an update on the AVATAR novel I did take the time to ask Cameron about it. Unfortunately there is no real news to report on and it will be ready when it is ready. Don't forget that he is also hard at work on the script for AVATAR 2 too and if they are to start shooting next summer that has to be the priority I would wager.



Time was clearly an issue when speaking with Cameron as he is in high demand. I want to thank Jim for the time he was able to share and I look forward to further discussions!

James Cameron To Dive The Mariana Trench To Film AVATAR 2: Only Second Team To EVER Do It; Last Time Was 1960!

James Cameron and one other (lucky?) soul will travel to the deepest area on Earth to shoot elements of AVATAR's sequel! No joke.

The first thought I had is wow - does Jim Cameron have a death wish? Going to the bottom of the world in the Mariana Trench is not to be taken lightly. After hearing about his prep work however, I have come to the conclusion that the shots they will capture down there will be singularly unique and perfect for Pandora.

From Canoe.ca (emphasis is mine): "...(Cameron) is commissioning engineers to build a special vessel to travel 10,972m to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific. The two-seater submersible will be fitted with a heating system and 3D cameras to capture pictures of the depths for the movie, expected to hit theatres in 2014. Cameron, who has long had a passion for diving, is hoping to begin preparing for his mission later this year. He says, "We are building a vehicle to do the dive. It's about half-completed in Australia." If he is successful, Cameron's team will be only the second to ever visit the Mariana Trench. In 1960, it took a scientist and a navy lieutenant five hours to descend to the floor, where they spent just 20 minutes before re-emerging."

Yikes. Can you see part of what sets Cameron apart from so much of Hollywood? He is a true adventurer and willing to place his life in jeopardy to achieve something remarkable. The shots will have immense scientific value as well. This is right up his alley - I hope it all goes off without a hitch and we get to see his vision exactly as he wants it. Is someone going to tell him "No, you can't do that Jim"? Not lately... :-)