Production Notes

Into the oceans' depths with only one breath of air: With OceanMen the noted filmmaker and ocean photographer Bob Talbot takes the IMAX¨ audience on a voyage with the world's best freedivers. Apnea diving, which has its traditional roots in spear fishing and pearl diving, has recently become one of the most attractive, but also one of the most demanding sport activities. By combining athletics with philosophy and tradition, apnea diving is one of the most difficult sports of its kind and one, which pushes the limits of the human capabilities to extremes time and time again.

The idea to produce a documentary/drama about freediving was born when scriptwriter Almut Saygin visited the freediving world championships in Sardinia in 1998. "There were participants from all continents. They competed in an extremely personal sport, possibly the most isolated and mysterious sport worldwide. In spite of this, many spectators came from all over the world to be part of the event. There is something
magical about freediving, which is what I wanted to portray with OceanMen.

Saygin convinced the chairman of the H5B5 Media AG board (Welt der Wunder), Jan Herrmann, of her idea to produce a film about freediving. Herrmann took on the challenge to produce the project in the world's largest film format Ð IMAX¨. "OceanMen is a production of H5B5 Media AG. It was not an easy decision since a film production on 70 mm is expensive. But only a 60 foot large screen will do this film about the oceans' depths justice."

Thus, a director needed to be found who could transform the world of freediving into effectual pictures. Not an easy task, since the candidate had to be as comfortable under water as above. Plus, the director had to have enough technical talent to be able to work efficiently in the complex and heavy-going world of large format cinematography. Herrmann: "We were looking for a multi-talented professional to direct OceanMen,
who would fit in with our team in every aspect, the personal level included. In the end Bob Talbot turned out to be the ultimate prospect. I am sure that the idea of working with people instead of animals for a change was appealing to him as well."

We then decided that the two world's best freediving champions were to be in the center of the OceanMen's plot: the Italian Umberto Pelizzari and the Cuban Pipin Ferreras. These two athletes had been friends before, but the pressure of competition, as well as completely different outlooks on life, had transformed them into fierce rivals - very similar to their idols, the freediving heroes of yesteryear, Jacques Mayol and Enzo Maiorca, whose turbulent life stories once inspired director Luc Besson to direct the movie The Big Blue (1988). OceanMen brings the apnea-generations together when freediving idol Jacques Mayol himself has an appearance and symbolically passes on the torch of his sport to the new competitors: Umberto and Pipin.

The filming for OceanMen started in May 1999 off the coast of New Providence, the main Bahama Island. The small crew spent almost three weeks on board The Ocean Explorer, a leased boat from Miami. The first meters of large format film ran through the camera to shoot Pipin's encounter with reef sharks to whom he feels the strongest connection. A 3-minute sequence shows Pipin swimming around a sunken ship in perfect harmony with the sea and its inhabitants.

The rivalry between Pipin and Umberto is so strong, that they did not even want to come close in the film. Umberto only arrived on the island of Andros, the largest and least populated island of the Bahamas, after Pipin finished shooting in New Providence.

The scenes of Umberto and Pipin's childhood were filmed in Munich, Germany. Accordingly the sets were Italian and Cuban rooms places of Pipin and Umberto's childhood memories. They were furnished by a German designer who invested a lot of research in the Cuban and Italian style of that period. Italian wood-workers finished the floors according to detailed instructions. For the sets relating to Pipin's Santeria religion
the team consulted university professors specializing in Cuban culture and religion. "The sets were so authentic that Bob Talbot thought we were actually in Cuba", says producer Jan Herrmann enthusiastically.

The team continued the shooting in the breathtaking natural beauty of northern Sardinia where Umberto runs a diving school. Almut Saygin: "Sardinia was wonderful, and we will always gratefully remember the people in the little village of Santa Teresa di Gallura, especially the fisherman Tomasino, Umberto's friend. He helped us with locations and often jumped in when we were at our wits end. Once he even persuaded the army to open a restricted area for our trucks to pass. He can be seen in the film as well. At the very beginning he paddles Jacques Mayol's boat!"

The shooting on Sardinia ended with helicopter shots of Umberto standing on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The helicopter had dropped Umberto on that otherwise inaccessible cliff. Jan Herrmann reports: "This was quite a dangerous situation for Umberto. He stood at the edge, 60 feet over the abyss, and from above the rotor of the helicopter almost blew him off the cliff. Fortunately nothing happened. The risk paid off, since Bob took some fascinating shots."

After a short break the biggest adventure of the entire production awaited the team: the underwater shots of the world records in Portofino (Italy) in October 1999 and in Cozumel (Mexico) in January 2000. Naturally they were not spared technical difficulties and tropical storms during the filming. Helicopter shots of various small Bahama islands followed. In order to give the audience an idea of the tremendous depths these freedivers dive down to, the helicopter was employed once again in Miami. Pipin - and with him the audience looks down from a skyscraper into a depth, which the Cuban athlete could effortlessly manage under water. The crew, now minimized to 12 persons, completed the filming in Honduras in September 2000 with Umberto diving around the reefs with dolphins.

After the shooting was completed the H5B5 Media AG team focused enthusiastically on the fascinating 3D animations for OceanMen. With the help of the computer, Pipin was transformed into a "glass" diver. The audience can now see in detail how the inner organs change during the dive.

Famous Hollywood professionals such as composer Cliff Eidelman (Star Trek VI) and sound designer Nigel Holland ( Braveheart) participated in the production of OceanMen. But OceanMen's cinematic achievements must also be accredited to an outstanding and committed team, emphasizes producer Jan Herrmann: "The crew, which consisted of freedivers as well, always felt a strong personal connection to the movie. The team
took all dangers and adversities in stride and was able to enjoy their tasks at the same time. During post-production they called frequently to ask about the progress. With their devotion and enthusiasm they may have been the heart of the movie. In any case they are true OceanMen."

OceanMen is dedicated to crewmember and diver Hugh McCathern, who died after the filming. He lost his life diving in a cave.