A newly released giant screen adventure, The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath The Sea, comes to the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater beginning March 2nd. Revolutionary 3D macro photography was used to showcase an amazing array of sea creatures.
Above: Nudibranchs, tiny marine invertebrates, have the most vivid hues, amazing shapes and dazzling patterns of any creature in the world. Below: Audiences will be surrounded by millions of stingless jellyfish during this scene shot in Palau.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Thom Benson 423-785-3007
New at IMAX: The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath the Sea
Reef Creatures Brought to the Giant Screen with Revolutionary Technology
Chattanooga, Tenn. (February 22, 2012) – The newest giant screen adventure at the
Tennessee Aquarium IMAX 3D Theater is
The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath the Sea. This thrilling underwater journey uses unprecedented 3D cinematography to bring the vivid world of coral reefs to life. Opening on Friday, March 2nd, The Last Reef 3D explores a habitat that’s more diverse and colorful than ever imagined.
To do so, Last Reef 3D co-directors Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas tasked award-winning underwater cinematographer
DJ Roller with developing a new camera system to dazzle people with stunning images. Once armed with a one-of-a-kind macro 3D camera rig, the filmmakers headed to the most biologically diverse reefs on the planet near Palau, the Bahamas, Cancun and French Polynesia. They were able to capture images of these worlds in incredible detail. “Underwater macro photography in 3D is something that’s never really been seen in any format, let alone on the giant screen,” said McNicholas. “We believe it turned out spectacularly well.”
The Last Reef 3D immerses viewers in communities beneath the sea and reveals the behavior and relationships of countless denizens – from spotted dolphins to reef sharks and manta rays. Lesser known but equally fascinating reef residents, such as crocodile fish, multi-hued nudibranchs and delicate Christmas tree worms are shown in truly amazing detail. Viewers will also
float through a cloud of a million jellyfish that will appear to fill the entire theater. “We took a unique approach that allows audiences to experience the color, diversity and interconnectedness of life in reef communities,” Cresswell said.
Like cities, reefs possess a
dizzying bustle of sea creatures that rivals mankind’s most populated regions, and outpace tropical rainforests in their wealth and variety of life. Illustrating how these seemingly distant undersea cities are surprisingly like our own communities, many unexpected urban locations appear in The Last Reef 3D. The film reveals the incredible power of coral communities to provide shelter, protection and resources while sustaining the livelihood of marine creatures and humans alike. “These ‘alien’ worlds are as vital to our existence as the rainforests,” said McNicholas. “And they are at risk of being the first ecosystem to be lost as a result of human activity.” However, as the film illustrates with a present-day visit to the reefs at the 1946 nuclear test site near
Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific, if human impacts cease, reefs can recover and re-claim their former glory.
The Last Reef 3D is suitable for all audiences and has a running time of 40 minutes. For showtimes, go to: http://www.tnaqua.org/IMAX