Late last month I saw a documentary at the Esquire IMAX theatre in downtown Sacramento titled, "Dolphins and Whales: Tribes of the Ocean 3D."
The film was 2 years in the making.
Filmmakers Jean-Michel Cousteau, film ambassador; Daryl Hannah, narrator; Francois Mantello, producer; Jean-Jacques Mantello, director, and Gavin McKinney, director of photography made the film.
They shot in eight countries and captured over 100 hours of footage.
On Oct. 15 Director of Photography Gavin McKinney (photo) flew in from his home in the Bahamas to introduce the film to the Sacramento audience at the IMAX.
Adults and children filled the lobby, where a party was held before the 42- minute long film.
That’s when I had a chance to speak with McKinney.
I asked him if he was a wildlife or environmental activist. He told me he’s not an activist, but describes himself as a nature lover.
Growing up in the Bahamas, with no TV, the ocean was his playground.
“Nature was just a part of life,” he said.
Because of this, he has an immense appreciation for the ocean. He was also very brave when it came to swimming next to a 10-ton whale.
I also asked him how he wanted to audience to feel when watching the film.
McKinney said he hoped the audience would experience what he felt when filming.
I asked him if this film was marketed towards children because many, many children were at the screening.
He said children understand the sadness of the situation sometimes better than adults. Their compass to determine right-and-wrong is strong.
“Kids ‘get it’ when shark’s fins are cut-off,” he said.
The film was 2 years in the making.
Filmmakers Jean-Michel Cousteau, film ambassador; Daryl Hannah, narrator; Francois Mantello, producer; Jean-Jacques Mantello, director, and Gavin McKinney, director of photography made the film.
They shot in eight countries and captured over 100 hours of footage.
On Oct. 15 Director of Photography Gavin McKinney (photo) flew in from his home in the Bahamas to introduce the film to the Sacramento audience at the IMAX.
Adults and children filled the lobby, where a party was held before the 42- minute long film.
That’s when I had a chance to speak with McKinney.
I asked him if he was a wildlife or environmental activist. He told me he’s not an activist, but describes himself as a nature lover.
Growing up in the Bahamas, with no TV, the ocean was his playground.
“Nature was just a part of life,” he said.
Because of this, he has an immense appreciation for the ocean. He was also very brave when it came to swimming next to a 10-ton whale.
I also asked him how he wanted to audience to feel when watching the film.
McKinney said he hoped the audience would experience what he felt when filming.
I asked him if this film was marketed towards children because many, many children were at the screening.
He said children understand the sadness of the situation sometimes better than adults. Their compass to determine right-and-wrong is strong.
“Kids ‘get it’ when shark’s fins are cut-off,” he said.
The movie didn't feature any gore, like shark fins being cut off. McKinney wanted children to gain an appreciation for the mammals from the tame film, so they'll react more sympathetically as adults.
Although the film noted the shrinking populations of most whale and dolphin species, the pre-show party was cheery. Children gathered around a person in a dolphin costume to play games and dance.
The film was viewed with 3D glasses.
But before the film, McKinney gave a short introduction.
When shooting the documentary, he told the audience, he experienced three different emotions: frustration, euphoria and panic.
Having an animal swim away was frustrating. Finding the perfect shot was euphoric. And being smashed into incited panic.
Approximately 300,000 whales are killed each year, he said. Some are accidentally caught by nets.
“Being a whale or dolphin today is not as much fun as it used to be,” he said. “There’s a lot to be done to ensure their survival.”
The documentary highlighted various species of dolphins and whales; showed their daily routines like feeding, traveling and caring for their young; and noted how much in danger of extinction each species was. Some were frighteningly close to being extinct forever.
After the documentary, I briefly spoke with him in the lobby and asked him if he ever had any close calls with the mammals.
The whales were so massive, he said, even a baby whale bumping up against him felt like being hit with a bowling ball.
“These animals really dictate what happens,” he said referring to their power and size.
He described one time when a baby whale was swinging its head back-and-forth and almost hit him. That swinging movement would be about six feet in either direction, he said using nearby objects to measure the distance.
McKinney’s bio states he’s worked on films such as “Splash,” “Speed 2,” “Jaws: the Revenge,” “The Abyss,” and many more. To learn more about the film visit dolphinsandwhales3D.com.
Although the film noted the shrinking populations of most whale and dolphin species, the pre-show party was cheery. Children gathered around a person in a dolphin costume to play games and dance.
The film was viewed with 3D glasses.
But before the film, McKinney gave a short introduction.
When shooting the documentary, he told the audience, he experienced three different emotions: frustration, euphoria and panic.
Having an animal swim away was frustrating. Finding the perfect shot was euphoric. And being smashed into incited panic.
Approximately 300,000 whales are killed each year, he said. Some are accidentally caught by nets.
“Being a whale or dolphin today is not as much fun as it used to be,” he said. “There’s a lot to be done to ensure their survival.”
The documentary highlighted various species of dolphins and whales; showed their daily routines like feeding, traveling and caring for their young; and noted how much in danger of extinction each species was. Some were frighteningly close to being extinct forever.
After the documentary, I briefly spoke with him in the lobby and asked him if he ever had any close calls with the mammals.
The whales were so massive, he said, even a baby whale bumping up against him felt like being hit with a bowling ball.
“These animals really dictate what happens,” he said referring to their power and size.
He described one time when a baby whale was swinging its head back-and-forth and almost hit him. That swinging movement would be about six feet in either direction, he said using nearby objects to measure the distance.
McKinney’s bio states he’s worked on films such as “Splash,” “Speed 2,” “Jaws: the Revenge,” “The Abyss,” and many more. To learn more about the film visit dolphinsandwhales3D.com.
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