Dive in

Five years ago,Andrew Wight,my long-time collaborator,brought me the idea for Sanctum,which was based on an expedition Andrew led (being a renowned caver) to explore and dive into a remote cave system hidden beneath the Nullarbor Plain in Australia. During the course of his trip,a freak storm caused the cave entrance to collapse; leaving 15 people trapped deep underground. A rescue mission was mounted and,incredibly,everyone survived the harrowing ordeal. When I heard his idea and the script,I absolutely loved it.

After the spectacular Avatar experience,how has Sanctum carried forward the 3D experience?

The cameras used on Sanctum included the same ones developed for and used on Avatar. The team knew that if they were to fully immerse the audience in the underwater world,it had to be in 3D. Along the way,the men developed a new photographic system that could operate in these extreme environments. It’s a system I was thrilled to use on Avatar and which Andrew utilised on Sanctum: the Cameron/Pace Fusion 3D Camera System— a stereoscopic HD camera system that delivers such incredible results that we can deliver flawless IMAX projection in 3D.

How involved have you been with the film since you are one of the producers and not directing it?

As a director myself,I know how I like to be treated — I like to be supported and I like not to be told what to do. So I’m a fairy godmother sort of producer — I just add the money and stand back. However,I was involved a lot,of course,in all aspects of the film — right from the casting to shooting to the post-production but with Andrew and Alister Grierson in the driving seat.

What has been a source of thrill and challenge during the making of Sanctum?

One of the biggest challenges in making Sanctum was to re-create a truly believable underground world that few have ever seen. While crafting the screenplay brought up many visceral memories for Andrew,he could only imagine which past events would be jogged when production designer Nicholas McCallum finished his designs. Where the film is set,Papua New Guinea,is home to some of the most amazing underground environments in the world.

The success of Avatar has encouraged filmmakers worldwide to dabble in the 3D technique.

I believe that there are going to be certain thresholds to it. When the consumer electronics manufacturers bring to the market TVsets that don’t require glasses,at that point,it’s going to explode like crazy. Right now,you’re seeing a steady incremental increase. The number of networks and terrestrial broadcast companies,cable companies and satellite companies that are investing,either tentatively or aggressively,in 3D is rising.