Fouresome films

Okay, I know most of my readers are international, but 2011 is set to be a reel big year for local films (boom-tish). There are three blockbusters set for release this year were, filmed in my hood the Gold Coast, as well as one locally produced independent film which has been getting attention in the underground circles. So I figured I'd give you a quick run down on each.

Sanctum

Directed by local filmmaker Alister Grierson, Sanctum is the first fictional 3D underwater film and tells the story of a group of explorers trapped in an underwater cave system after a freak storm collapses the entrance. Filmed at Warner Roadshow Studios, the $30 million adventure film had legend James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar, Aliens) at the helm as executive producer and utilised his groundbreaking 3D camera technology. Starring Rhys Wakefield, Richard Roxburgh and Ioan Gruffudd, this is arguably the film the Australian film industry are pinning their hopes on to crack the US market. Sanctum is out now.

Singularity Still currently filming on the coast, Singularity is an epic romantic drama and time travel film starring Josh Hartnett, former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, Chris Egan and now Neve Campell, according to American film industry sources. It's set on the Great Barrier Reef in 2020 and also in 18th century colonial India. While director Roland Joffaacé is best known for his Oscar-winning films The Killing Fields and The Mission in the eighties, Singularity is an attempt to return to former glory after the critical misfire Captivity. Filming moves to India this year and Singularity will be released internationally late 2011.

Bad Behaviour

Filmed soley on the Gold Coast early last year, Bad Behaviour is a crime thriller in a similar vein to the work of Quentin Tarantino. Directed by young local filmmaker Joseph Sims, the film swept the Melbourne Underground Film Festival winning a total of six major awards including best screenplay, runner-up best film and best director. After a sold out screening at the Gold Coast Film Festival in November, Bad Behaviour might be the David on this list of Goliath's, but that doesn't mean it can't impress despite a limited release. It stars Aussie favourite John Jarratt. Bad Behaviour is due out locally mid-year.

Bait

As far as `out there' concepts go, Bait takes the cake; a freak tsunami traps shoppers at a coastal Australian supermarket inside the building along with a pack of tiger sharks. Sure, it sounds ridiculous, but you can't deny it sounds like ridiculous fun and in 3D to boot. Also filmed at Warner Roadshow Studios, it stars a cast of Aussie actors making waves overseas including Julian McMahon, Sharni Vinson, Xavier Samuel, Phoebe Tonkin and Lincoln Lewis. Australian filmmaker Kimble Rendall, who's best known for his assistant director credits on The Matrix films and Casanova, steps up to the director's chair along with Russell Mulcahy (Resident Evil: Extinction). Bait is out September.

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The depths of Sanctum: Part III

This time a year ago, director Alister Grierson had James Cameron looking over his shoulder as he plunged actors into a flooding cave system, had them jump from rock walls and, ultimately, die in dramatic fashion. That was called a week day on the Warner Roadshow Studios set of 3D action adventure film Sanctum. Now, 12 months and $30 million later, Sanctum is screening in cinemas worldwide and putting audiences through the same terror its cast members experienced.
``It was dangerous, no doubt about it,'' Grierson said.
``The underwater stuff . . .those guys were doing it seven metres underwater and you can't panic down there.
``They were really going through those squeezes.
``That's why we used the full face masks so you know it was actually the actors doing it.
``There was still a whole army of people underwater and stunt supervisors, but at the same time working underwater is inherently dangerous, especially the scene where
Richard (Roxburgh) and Judes (Allison Cratchley) had to share the re-breather - that's real and really dangerous.''

Sanctum follows the misadventures of a group of explorers who are trapped in an underwater cave system when a freak storm collapses the entrance. The film is loosely based on the real-life experience of producer and writer Andrew Wight, a longtime friend and collaborator of film legend James Cameron. Cameron came on board as the executive producer of Sanctum, handpicking Grierson as the man to direct the feature after being impressed by his debut film Kokoda, also filmed on the Gold Coast.

With the Titanic director as his mentor, Grierson had to first learn how to dive then learn how to use the Cameron-Pace Fusion Camera system that Cameron invented to make Avatar. He also had to make sure his lead actors - Richard Roxburgh, Rhys Wakefield, Ioan Gruffudd - were willing to get their feet wet.
``Rhys did amazing things, all the leaps and jumps - he did a lot training to do that,'' Grierson said.
``The scene where he's breathing air bubbles off the roof of the cave, that's really hard to do.
``I tried it and you're upside down, the water gets in your nose and then you have to have the presence of mind to breath.
``I couldn't do it. He was fearless.''Fearless is something the audience will certainly not be while watching Sanctum as the characters are forced through the tiniest of underwater spaces in claustrophobic 3D. Grierson said he enjoyed setting up the audience to expect one type of film, before flipping it ``on its head.''
``It wasn't a conscious thing, though James (Cameron) was very heavily involved with the screenplay through the stages,'' he said.
``What's interesting to me, and I'm not sure if it's a Cameron type thing, but you think it's one type of film and then it flips on its head and it's not that film any more, then people start to say `holy, did he just do that? Did we just see that?''

Sanctum is Grierson's first foray into 3D filmmaking and the first 3D feature Cameron has worked on since his groundbreaking Avatar, now the most successful film of all time. But despite the hype surrounding the technology, Grierson said at the end of the day it comes down to the quality of the film - not the visuals.
``The argument 3D is better than 2D isn't necessarily true, it depends on the film,'' he said.
``There have been some bad films in 3D, but I think over the next year when there's going to be at least 20 films coming out using the Cameron-Pace 3D technology that will change peoples ideas.
``Especially when people see 3D films from Martin Scorsese and Baz Luhrmann that's going to change peoples minds.''

Sanctum is out now.

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The depths of Sanctum: Part II

Although there's no doubt us Aussies know all about 3D action adventure film Sanctum, Universal Pictures are resorting to some interesting methods to sell the film in the US. The studio have put together a mobile screening room which has been travelling the country showing 3D scenes of the film, complete with an introduction by executive producer James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar, Aliens).

Sanctum director Alister Grierson and producer/writer Andrew Wight flew over to the US to launch the initiative with Cameron in Las Vegas earlier this month.
``Andrew and I flew over for a day and they had built this kind of semi-trailer really,'' said Grierson.
``It's a fantastic idea because it's taking cinema to rural areas and they've kitted up a mobile cinema that can seat about 100 people - it's kind of like a Transformer.
``On the outside it's painted like the Sanctum poster, with the blurbs and all that, and so they roll up to a big event somewhere and people come in and they can look at three different clips from the film in 3D and Jim gives an intro.''
``I read that in Texas it shut down a whole street and caused a big fuss, which was great press for us.''Burleigh Heads local Grierson filmed the $30 million film at Warner Roadshow Studios last year. It follows the misadventures of a group of explorers who become trapped in an underwater cave system. Although Sanctum is set to do big things here in Australia when its released on Thursday, it's set to be a marketing challenge in the US thanks to the largely Australian cast, with the exception of Ioan Gruffudd, and the R rating. The Hollywood Reporter is also reporting ``some people'' think Sanctum is an IMAX 3D companion piece to Cameron's underwater documentaries Ghosts of the Abyss or Aliens of the Deep. Sanctum will receive one of the widest releases for an Australian film in years when it opens worldwide this week.

Stayed peeled for the final part in the Sanctum series tomorrow.

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Caving in

After the visual trauma of last weeks video, I (only slightly more confidently) bring you my video review of Sanctum HERE. Sure, the trailer cuts in mid sentence, but that apparently makes sense to my video editor *grumble grumble*

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The depths of Sanctum: Part 1

I’m almost in the mind to call this Sanctum week because not only is the film out on Thursday, I have three delightful (that’s subjective) stories with exclusive interviews coming your way. This is the first and I dedicate it to Alister Grierson, who once said he reads this blog and made a she-geek very happy. I hope you like it.

Alister Grierson just had “a Sanctum moment”. By that, he means something disastrous nearly happened underwater.
``I've just come back from diving in a shark tank at Melbourne Aquarium because some idiot thought it would be a good idea to get (producer) Andrew Wight and I in there for a shoot,'' he says.
``We tried this gag where we took out our regulators so the photographer could have pictures without them in our mouths and then I couldn't get it back in.
``I went into a mild panic because of course the photographer is comfortably behind glass while we're three metres under the water with sharks swimming around us.
``I thought this is going to be a terrible headline `director dead in Melbourne aquarium'.''

Thankfully a Hollywood tragedy was averted and Grierson says it reminded him `why I haven't dived since we finished the shoot a year ago'. The shoot he's talking about is Sanctum, the $30 million underwater, 3D, action adventure film shot on the Gold Coast at Warner Roadshow Studios and executive produced by film legend James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar, Aliens). The film is loosely based on the real-life experience of producer and writer Andrew Wight and sees a group of explorers trapped in an underwater cave system when a freak storm collapses the entrance.

Burleigh Heads local Grierson was handpicked by Cameron to direct the film after the Oscar-winner saw his 2006 debut Kokoda, also filmed on the Gold Coast.
``Al wasn't afraid of challenge,'' says Cameron.
``To step into this film after having gone from a $3 million dollars for Kokada . . .for him to throw himself into this project that's an order of magnitude bigger in almost every way.
``He likes challenges, I like challenges. We were fated to work together.'' That's big praise from arguably one of the most successful filmmaker's of our time, but Grierson says he didn't let it affect him . . .much.
``Everyone asks me about the relationship with James and if I felt under pressure and the truth is I didn't really, it was just the stress of making picture and the moving parts,'' he says.
``Obviously James had high expectations otherwise he wouldn't be involved.''

Those “moving parts” Grierson speaks of include building an artificial cave system, choreographing dangerous stunts, mastering the Cameron-Pace Fusion Camera system used on Avatar and handling a $30 million budget. It's not surprising that his work day usually ended at 4am during the shoot.
``It was a very challenging film,'' he says.
``The water and the light were the two biggest challenges.
``Everyone's been focussing on the 3D, but there's no easy way to do a film like this.
``It's the great Australian tradition of Aussie low budget filmmaking in that they have to work outside the box and find low budget options.
``Nicholas McCallum, our production designer, had a huge impact.
``As you can imagine doing, a picture like this, the engineering elements are just really impressive and with the special effects guys . . .in the waterfall scene for example, they had to fuse 200, 000 litres of water a minute through there and they had to build a small apartment to do it.'' But beyond the 3D visuals and impressive special-effects, Sanctum is packing some serious substance. As the explorers become increasingly desperate to survive, they are plunged into some tough ethical situations that are more than a little difficult for the audience to watch.
``That's kind of really the whole point of the movie - I wanted to ask some moral questions and have people ask themselves what they would do in that situation,'' says Grierson.
``There's no right choice because every action has a negative consequence, there's an accountability and responsibility for your own actions which is one of the core things running through it.
``I hope there are white knuckle elements, fear and shocks to get the audience to go on that journey with the father and son which leads to that poignant moment at the end.''

Stayed peeled for `The depths of Sanctum’ parts II and III.

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The inner Sanctum

Warning: if you've ever thought of cave-diving, do not see this movie, as Sanctum does for cave-diving what Jaws did for the beach. It opens with surly teenager Josh (Rhys Wakefield) greeting the Richard Branson-esque American billionaire Carl (Ioan Gruffudd) and his girlfriend Victoria (Alice Parkinson) to their base in Papua New Guinea or, as Carl likes to call it, the ``last primeval wilderness'' . Josh and his Justin Bieber hair are being dragged along on a cave-diving expedition led by his estranged father, the ``most respected adventurer of our time'' and the underwhelmingly named Frank (Richard Roxburgh). Like Bear Grylls with gils, Frank is leading a team of nine through the world's largest cave system which is coincidentally unexplored.

But everything starts to go down river when a powerful cyclone collapses the cave entrance, trapping the explorers in a quickly flooding cave system. Their only survival option is to make the treacherous journey deeper into the caves in the hope of finding a route that leads them out through the ocean.The 3D underwater action film is produced by `the King of the world' himself James Cameron and was filmed largely on the Gold Coast at Warner Roadshow Studios. Local director Alister Grierson has made a colossal leap from his debut Kokoda, a $3 million war film, to this lavish and technologically advanced $30 million blockbuster. Sure, $30 million is practically an indie film by Hollywood standards, but Grierson and his crew have stretched that moolah further than Cher's forehead and proved just how economically savvy Aussie crews can be.

The completely CGI-constructed cave entrance is gobsmacking, as is the majestic footage of the divers deep within the cave system. But it's the claustrophobic moments as a character tries to squeeze through a tunnel or when a torrent rages towards us that the 3D visuals really work their magic. In fact, the film's A-grade the whole time it's inside the cave. It's the opening 20 minutes or so that let Sanctum down. With lines like ``life's not a dress rehearsal Josh, seize the day'' and ``what could possibly go wrong?'' it's not just the dialogue that's overly cheesy; much of the character set-up is too contrived (with the exception of a delightful cameo from The Chaser's Andrew Hansen). Yet as soon as the explorers start dropping like, well, explorers in an unexplored cave filling with water, you forget all of the eye-roll inducing moments prior. Sanctum is relentless in not only trimming the number of heroes, but doing so in such a tense, emotional and sometimes gruesome way, that this reviewer was plagued by their memory in the days following. Overall, Sanctum falls into the category of survival films like Cliffhanger, The River Wild and Vertical Limit, which are rich in action, adventure and adrenaline, as well as general corniness.

Sanctum is out Thursday, February 3. Stay posted for my exclusive interview with director Alister Grierson next week. Oh, and random fact about Alister, he reads this blog. I know, right! Geek-out aside, for my previous stories on Sanctum (including chats with Grierson and James – eeeek – Cameron) click here, here, here, here, here and here.

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Welcome to the inner-Sanctum

(Above) TA-DAH! The Sanctum poster on display at the AIMC, as snapped by the clever Ryan Makepeace

It is the footage the whole world has been waiting to see and breathtaking scenes from James Cameron’s Sanctum were shown exclusively to delegates at the Australian International Movie Convention last Wednesday. The films star Rhys Wakefield and producer Andrew Wight presented the three full scenes, and one package reel, in 3D.

The first clip showed Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd’s character flying a helicopter to the opening of the main cave system, which they dive in the film. The coast has never looked so good, with the footage showing the Broadwater and Gold Coast Hinterland in breathtaking 3D, including the Cedar Creek Falls on Tamborine Mountain. The film’s executive producer James Cameron gave an introduction to the scenes via videolink and said he thinks the use of 3D technology will `create a great sense of Claustrophobia’. He also thanked the Australian industry for supporting the film so far.

Former Home & Away actor Rhys Wakefield plays one of the central characters in the film, Josh, who is reluctantly taken on a cave diving expedition by his estranged father Frank, played by Richard Roxburgh. However, as the team of divers begins their journey through the unexplored cave, a freak storm blocks the exit, trapping them below and forcing them to find another way out. The story is based on the real life experience of producer and writer Andrew Wight, who has worked with Cameron previously on several films.

Wakefield (below) has just returned from working in LA and when asked if he could be heading on the same trajectory as Sam Worthington after he filmed Avatar with Cameron, he said he would wait and see. “It’s bizarre, I still feel very disconnected from the whole scene in LA,” he said. “Even seeing James Cameron just up there (on screen), it’s kind of surreal, I’m watching him going that’s the king. I feel fantastic to be a part of it, it’s such a great script and you only have to spend five minutes with Andrew Wight and his incredible story and the experiences that he’s witnessed first hand . . . I feel like the story is in really great hands. And the LA thing I guess will happen when it happens.”

The second scene showed the film’s protagonists diving inside the cave system, scaling rock faces and abseiling into the depths. Wight said most of the cave scenes were created in Warner Roadshow Studios, although some were filmed in real caves. “It’s a very ambitious film to make,” he said. “For a $25m (AUS) budget, or there abouts, to go into this alien environment which is actually here on Earth in these cave systems which have flying water, fast moving currents, underground rivers and high-tech diving equipment . . .it was on a fairly grand scale. It was difficult to make in the respect that there were a lot of physical challenges. More specifically for the actors like Rhys who had no background in doing their own stunts or doing underwater work. They have done it so well.”

Wakefield said he had to undergo `a lot of physical preparation’ for the role. “The character himself starts out kind of juvenile and he’s forced to grow up through this heightened sense of reality where its do or die, sink or swim, and it wasn’t dissimilar to the actual experience to be honest,” he said. “I had to learn to scuba dive, rock climb, I was doing boxing and fighting. It was a lot of fun, and a lot of pressure, but I think we all created something that is worth a watch.”

Cameron said one of his goals with the film was to prove that you `didn’t have to have a $100m budget’ to make an excellent 3D film. The third scene screened was the most suspenseful and featured the characters trying to survive amidst the flooding caves. The package reel showed clips of footage from the entire film including fight scenes, rock climbing, explosions, underwater actions and what, for the most part, looks like an intense and thrilling ride. Sanctum was filmed on the coast earlier this year and at Warner Roadshow Studios. Local director Alister Grierson is at the helm and said he is currently putting the `final touches’ on the film during post-production in Melbourne.

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War, Sanctum, Mark Wahlberg . . .it's going to be a crazy week

Hello beloved children! I have some exciting news for you; the Australian International Movie Convention kicks off at Jupiters Hotel and Casino, Gold Coast, Australia tonight and I will be there covering all the exciting juice to come out of it. The convention runs until Thursday with executives from all the top studios in the world coming to screen their films, hold panels on issues affecting the industry, seminars, trade shows, premieres and sneak peeks. It’s going to be a crazy, but very exciting period and I will be posting as often as I can. Here are some of the things to look out for:

-The event launches tonight with the Queensland premiere of Tomorrow When The War Began with all the stars and crew walking the red carpet. I will update you later tonight with what happened at the premiere and after party, but you will have to wait for the review in a few weeks time (sorry). On Monday morning I will be hanging out with the film's writer, director and producer Stuart Beattie (the lad behind screenplays for Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise and G.I Joe: Rise Of The Cobra) and the film’s stars Lincoln Lewis and Phoebe Tonkin, so stay posted for extended interviews of that.

-Later on Monday I will be trotting back to the convention command centre to find out what else has been happening and I will attend a screening of the sure-to-be-brilliant The Girl Who Played With Fire. Insert excited squeal here.

-Tuesday will kick off with a screening of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, followed by some other exciting things which I can’t really tell you about just yet.

-Wednesday is the big one and I mean BIG one. I got an unexpected call from Alister Grierson last week, who’s the director of James Cameron’s underwater 3D epic Sanctum (Cameron, Grierson and Wight pictured above on set). He’s a pretty awesome dude and after meeting with him dozens of times over the past year and a half, we’ve stayed in touch and he is surprisingly not a douche baggy film type and actually ENJOYS keeping the progress updates coming.

Anywho, he told me exclusively that they will be screening the first-ever footage from Sanctum at the event on Wednesday morning. It makes sense, Cameron blew delegates away when he showed exclusive footage from his blockbuster Avatar last year, now, 12 months later, he is set to do the same. Star of the Sanctum, Rhys Wakefield, and producer Andrew Wight will attend the event when Universal Studios will present the scenes. Sanctum, filmed on the Coast earlier this year, is in post-production in Melbourne where the visual effects and final touches are being added.
 Grierson said it will be 'very exciting' to have people see the footage.

''It won't be the fully finished version but what you will see will be in 3D. Universal pictures are really excited and pumped up to do the release and it's rare an Australian film gets this amount of positive review and anticipation before it's out. We're doing some pick-up shots and have built a mini set here for visual effects, so we're very close to finishing.''

Although he and executive producer Cameron will not be attending the convention, Grierson reckons they've had amazing support from their American partners.

"I flew over to LA and screened a version for Jim about a month ago and he really enjoyed that. He had some tips on how to improve it and a few nips and tucks.''

So following that world exclusive screening, I will then get to interview Will Ferrell and MARK FREAKIN’ WAHLBERG when they come to the convention for the Australian premiere of The Other Guys at Event Cinemas, Robina. Excited as I am about seeing the film and meeting Ferrell, it’s no secret I’m slightly obsessed with Wahlberg and it has been one of my dreams to meet him in person so. . . eeeeeeeekkk!

-Thursday is the final day and I will still be coming down from the combined Wahlberg/Ferrell high of the night before. However, I do have an interview locked in with schlock kind George Hamilton about his new 3D film Bait. Yes, you may have heard of it, a tsunami washes a bunch of sharks into a supermarket and people need to escape. So bad it’s good, you know.

That’s a rough outline of what I have planned and what you can expect from me over the next few days. Like I said, I’ll be posting regularly, but I will also be tweeting like a mad dog and you can follow me here. There are a few things I can’t divulge, so be sure to stay tuned as there’s a bunch of exciting stuff happening that will blow your peuny minds. For the full lo-down on AIMC and the agenda, click here.

In the mean time, to catch up on Tomorrow When The War Began you can read my previous posts here, here and here, on Sanctum here, here, here and here, and The Other Guys here. Enjoy.

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Sanctum wraps shooting in QLD

(Above) Alister Grierson and James Cameron on the set of Sanctum.

Underwater 3D epic Sanctum finished filming in Queensland today and I spoke to director Alister Grierson exclusively about it. The Gold Coast director and the stars are flying down to Mt Gambier on Monday to shoot the final underwater cave scenes.

Grierson says they have spent the last three days filming on Dunk Island in North Queensland and are now on the ``home stretch''.
``It's very exciting, but I've got more work to do supervising the shoot with the second unit in Mt Gambier," he says.
``It has been physically demanding for the actors and quite dangerous.
``It's always stressful when you have people in the water in these dangerous situations but they really stepped up to the challenge.
``They're relieved to finish in a way, but it's always sad when you finish a film because it's like a community and you form some really close bonds.''

Sanctum stars Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd and Australian actors Richard Roxburgh and Rhys Wakefield as three divers on a cave-diving expedition gone wrong. It is based on the real-life experience of the producer and writer Andrew Wight and is being executive produced by Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron (also known as God).
Majority of the film has been shot on the Gold Coast at Warner Roadshow Studios and Grierson says the post-production will be done in Melbourne.
``Heading into the editing room, adding the visual effects and all the sound, it's my favourite part of the filmmaking process,'' he says.

He says they will deliver the finished film to the studio in October, with a late 2010 theatrical release most likely.


Despite having a budget of only $30 million, James Cameron says he thought Sanctum would be able to utilise his 3D technology better than Avatar.
``Avatar is much more expansive, but the thing that most people don't understand with 3D is that it works best in a very claustrophobic environment,'' he said.
``With Sanctum you can really feel that those rock walls in the cave are only a few feet away.
``It works exceptionally well in creating a sense of claustrophobia.
``There will accelerated heart rates, tight breathing and white knuckles when they (audiences) go through a lot of the experiences in this film as a result of the 3D putting them right there in these constricted places.''

If you have been living underwater in a cave for the past few months, you can check out my previous Sanctum stories here, here and here.

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The James Cameron interview: Part 1...the final frontier

Hello readers!

I’m eternally sorry for the late posting of the James Cameron interview, but I caught rabies and have been bed-ridden for a few days. Okay, it wasn’t rabies, but that sounds way cooler than some pansy flu.

Anywho, you have probably read all the James Cameron related articles since then, including my own. However, it’s not everyday you get to meet Jim aka `the legend' so I’m going to do a series of posts utilising the material I got from the interview. Why? Because a transcript would take longer to read than a Lord Of The Rings marathon. Plus, in just under an hour Jim spoke about everything from space exploration and Avatar, to the evolution of 3D technology, deep sea expeditions and Sanctum.

Needless to say, I was your typical gushing fanboy when it came to interview time…except I’m not actually a boy, I think. And for those of you wondering, I was able to maintain my composure and not scream out “your movies shaped my childhood!”. Relief.

So, in the lead-up to the Oscars and forever after, I hope you find his responses as fascinating as I did, the man truly left me with the impression that he’s a genius-of-all trades.

The James Cameron interview: Part 1...the final frontier

Above: James Cameron on the set of Sanctum

James Cameron wants to make a film on another planet.

To fans of the legendary Hollywood filmmaker that might not seem so usual considering the alternate worlds he has created in films such as Aliens, Terminator and, most recently, Avatar. Yet this is not a fictional planet he has created, Cameron is talking about the red planet; Mars.
``We will literally be shooting the first movie on another planet,'' he says.
``It might be a very short movie, it might only be a minute long, but we will be shooting something.''

Three years ago the Canadian was sought out by NASA to invent a camera to record the discoveries of the NASA Mars rover which is scheduled to be launched in 2011. The rover will perform the first-ever precision landing on Mars and relay its findings back to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) to determine the planet's habitability. Like one of his science-fiction fantasies brought to life, Cameron is on the NASA Advisory Council and a co-investigator on the team that will be the ``eyes of the Mars Science Laboratory.''

In a gross understatement, he sums up his involvement on what is one of the most important space missions for humankind as being ``involved in space stuff.''
``I'm on that team because they looked around and went `who knows motion-imaging in 3D? Oh, that guy,'' he says.
``There's a rover that will operate on the surface for years and make many, many important scientific discovers.
``We're building a stereoscopic motion camera to capture that.''

Few people in the world understand stereoscopic imaging, the technology used to create 3D, better than Cameron.

To bring Avatar and the world of Pandora to life, Cameron had to wait 12-years until the technology necessary was created. In the down time he invented the Cameron-Pace Fusion camera system that has revolutionised the way 3D can be filmed and is touted as the invention to bring 3D technology to the masses in the same way colour has altered the viewing experience.
``It's all happening at an exhilarated rate,'' he says.
``If you look at the history of colour it took a long time for colour to become the rule, first it was exception.
``It became the rule in movies only when the colour television set was introduced and it took another medium to shift cinema medium decisively towards colour.
``The number of (3D cinema) screens worldwide is probably going to double by in the next year.
``That's now going through a fairly seismic adjustment...and I think you'll see sports coming into the home in 3D within a year.
``Then that will allow us to have laptops, small portable devices, iPhones all in 3D as well. ``That's where it can make a significant difference.''

Above: (L-R) Sanctum director Alister Grierson, James Cameron and Andrew Wight

His technology is being utilised in the filming of 3D underwater action film Sanctum, on which Cameron serves as executive producer. On the Gold Coast recently to visit the set at Village Roadshow Studios, Cameron's next project is an extension of his deep sea expeditions conducted with Australian filmmaker and explorer Andrew Wight. After filming Titanic, the pair made landmark 3D underwater documentaries Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep which honed Cameron's 3D cameras and technology and allowed them to plan a big-screen adaptation of Wight's cave diving adventures in Sanctum.

From the undiscovered depths of the ocean to the endless void of space, Cameron is the infinite explorer and says his curiosity about the universe stems from his childhood.
``Since I was kid I was very curious about the world,'' he says.
``The projects that I'm attracted to, especially lately, are ones where I can learn.
``Let's say from Titanic on and all the expedition films, even Avatar, where we were in very unknown terrain...in how to execute the film, in terms of exploration and how to do CG characters.
``I'm just very curious, I love exploration.''


Note: if you intend to re-post this article on another site, please credit Movie Mazzupial.

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A recap of James Cameron's Sanctum

(Above) Richard Roxburgh on one of Sanctum's cave sets at Warner Roadshow studios.

Later today I’m heading on the set of 3D underwater epic Sanctum and interviewing James Cameron. And yes, I’m most likely to pee my pants with excitement given he’s the Jesus of fanboys (and girls) everywhere. In the mean time, I thought I would recap his latest project and throw in some exclusive updates too just because, well, I’m awesome.

Note: If by some ungodly chance you are a Sanctum virgin, then I suggest you check out my exclusive with director Alister Grierson and location manager Chris Strewe in November here.

The Concept

Sanctum is set underwater and tells the story of a cave-diving team, made up of a billionaire and a father and son, who become trapped during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world. It is based on the real-life experience of the film’s producer and writer Andrew Wight, who was trapped underwater with 14 other Aussies for around 30 hours when the entrance to a cave they were exploring under the Nullarbor's Pannikin Plains collapsed during a freak storm. The drama happened in 1988 and Wight made a documentary about the ordeal before managing to convince his mate `Jim’ to make a movie. Wight and Cameron have a close working relationship and have collaborated on a number of projects including Ghosts of the Abyss.

The ball got rolling after Cameron saw footage of Gold Coast director Alister Grierson’s low-budget war drama Kokoda and pursued him for the role of director. Grierson’s no fool and jumped at the opportunity to direct under the guidance of one of Hollywood’s most successful directors ever.

Grierson won the prestigious Tropfest short film festival five years ago and is using many of the same crew members on Sanctum as he did for his short film.

The Cast
The stars of the film are Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd (above) as the billionaire underwriting the diving expedition, the perpetual villain Richard Roxburgh as `the dad' character and up and comer Rhys Wakefield (below) as his teenage son. The Home & Away alumni was very impressive in The Black Balloon and this is likely to be Wakefield’s breakthrough into mainstream Hollywood. The three characters
The rest of the small cast is made of Aussies too, including the perpetual villain Richard Roxburgh, although his role is unknown.

A sneaky source who works at the accommodation where Gruffudd is staying in Broadbeach tells me he has been on the Gold Coast since late December with his wife Alice Evans and their baby Ella (who is ridiculously cute by the way).

Filming

(Above) Director Alister Grierson on the Sanctum set at Jacob's Well.

Shooting began at Warner Roadshow studios on the Gold Coast in November, with opening exterior shots filmed at properties in Bonogin and Jacob's Well. Set in Papua New Guinea, majority of the filming is being conducted in Sound Stages 2 and 8, with crews filming underwater scenes in the studio's $2.1 million water tank.

Grierson says filming should wrap towards the end of March and then post-production work will begin. Sanctum is tagged with a 2010 release date but could be pushed back to early 2011.

(Above) On the Sanctum set.

I hope that catches you up on everything Sanctum-related. It’s set to be the first underwater 3D fiction-film which, although is a very specific category, is sure to be incredible given the people behind the project.

Stand by for Movie Mazzupial's interview with James Cameron, director Alister Grierson and producer Andrew Wight this afternoon and more on-set pics.

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Exclusive on the new James Cameron project: Sanctum

Hollywood heavyweight James Cameron's 3D underwater epic Sanctum starts filming on the Gold Coast this Friday with local and international film crews busy making final preparations.

I had the chance to speak with the director, local Alister Grierson, and location manager Chris Strewe, who shared some juicy, exclusive details.

Work has already begun at Warner Roadshow Studios with sets being built in Sound Stage 2 and 8, and crews preparing to film underwater scenes in the studio's $2.1 million water tank.

Construction is also under way at a private residence on Bonogin Road, Mudgeeraba where some of the opening scenes will be shot in a semi-tropical rainforest.

Cameron, known for his blockbusters Titanic, Aliens, Terminator 2, Judgment Day and the upcoming Avatar, is serving as executive producer alongside Grierson, from Burleigh Heads, as director.

Sanctum will be the first 3D underwater action-adventure-fiction film ever and is being made on a budget of $30 million, relatively small for Cameron spawn.

In between attending the final production meetings and location checks yesterday, Grierson spoke exclusively with Movie Mazzupial and said he was extremely excited about beginning the highly anticipated project.

``It's very exciting, but nerve-racking at the same time because it's a big production,'' he said.

``It's something that has evolved over the past couple of years and it's exciting to be working with 3D, what we're doing with that, and working with James Cameron.

``He's an arms length mentor as he's quite busy with Avatar, which is going to be huge, but I got to spend time with him on set in Los Angeles and New Zealand.

``He's a really fascinating man and an icon of Hollywood.

``I was star-struck when I met him, from a director's point of view he's one of the big ones.''

Grierson directed the critically acclaimed Kokoda in 2006, which was also filmed on the Gold Coast, and said Sanctum will be more technically difficult with the 3D technology and Cameron-Pace Fusion Camera system.

``We're using the same cameras he used on Avatar, literally, with some of the technicians from L.A and New Zealand here to operate them,'' he said.

``He (Cameron) is guiding us through some of the challenges with 3D which build towards the end of the shoot.

``It takes a lot training for everyone involved, the actors too as we're throwing them off cliffs and putting them in an underwater cave.''

Above: Cameron with Aussie lad Worrington on the set of Avatar

Grierson remained tightlipped about which Australian A-list celebrities will feature in the film, and said fans will have to wait for the official casting announcement in a few weeks. Just quietly, my bet is on Sam Worrington as he was around recently for the Inside Film awards and lord knows he's on team Cameron.

Sanctum follows a father and his teenage son as they navigate a treacherous cave-diving exploration gone wrong.

The story is based on the near-death experience of producer Andrew Wight, whom Grierson said has brought a sense of ``realism and authenticity'' to the project.

Above: Gold Coast director Alister Grierson

If things go well, this could be Grierson's cross-over in to the mainstream.
"I hope so," he said.
"As a director you always want to go bigger and better and this is a much bigger film than Kokoda in terms of budget.
"We don't make many films like this, action adventure, in Australia and we haven't made a 3D film here before."


The underwater cave is being constructed in Warner Roadshow Studios outdoor water tank, where majority of the filming will take place.
Cameron will arrive on the Gold Coast to work on the project early next year once he finishes the press tour for Avatar.
The crew behind the film will be taking a break over Christmas then continuing filming until mid-March. Sanctum has a 2012 release date.
FYI I'll be heading on set in the next week or two so stay posted.

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