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Home / See & Do / IMAX
Sharks 3D Director Interview
to experience .
Go behind the scenes of Sharks 3D with director J.J. Mantello to learn about the inspiration for the film, the biggest challenges of capturing the ocean’s ultimate predator on-screen and more.
How did this project come about?
For over a decade now, our director of photography, Gavin McKinney, my brother Francois Mantello and I have filmed sharks, as we all share the same passion and fascination for these animals. They are, admittedly, the ocean’s greatest predators but they certainly are not the man-eating creatures people are used to hearing or reading about in the media. After doing significant research on the species, I came up with the idea in 2002 of making an IMAX film devoted entirely to sharks with the specific goal in mind of changing the general public’s erroneous perception of these animals. We knew this medium would be the perfect means of reaching a vast audience.
What led you to make the film in 3D?
With 3D, you take the audience into another dimension that is very close to reality. I love this interaction and the feeling of being right in the middle of the action; that’s why I decided to make movies in stereoscopy. When people see my 3D movies, I often hear the same remarks, such as, "I felt like I was diving!” And that is the truth. My film is the first shark-themed IMAX theatre film ever produced in 3D, and what you see with Sharks 3D is an accurate representation of the reality of the situation, with no "corrections" or enhancements. There are also none of the usual “dive preparation” sequences seen in other documentaries. With stereoscopy, it really is a new and totally different experience - as it’s the first time that audiences will be immersed in the water for a truly memorable encounter with the world’s great shark species.
What kinds of dangers did you face while filming sharks – the ocean’s fiercest predator?
When you dive with these animals, you must always be very careful and acutely aware of the risks. You are entering a predatory world and must take certain precautions so as not to become the prey. In the case of certain species, you have to pay particularly close attention and be used to diving with them. That said, Gavin (McKinney) and I never used cages to film the sharks. For the Great White shark sequence, we actually had a cage next to us as a shelter, but never used it. It is important to point out that, of the 400 different species of sharks, only 10 are potentially dangerous to humans. You have to be vigilant when diving and know them very well in order to accurately assess when you may be in danger. While shooting Sharks 3D, we spent 500 hours with these animals between October 2003 and June 2004 and are all back here, safe and sound. That doesn’t mean that just anybody can swim with sharks, however. Sharks are predators and it is like facing lions and tigers in the Savanna, i.e., you must know what you are doing before entering that type of situation.
Did anything happen during filming that scared you?
There was only one scary moment, which involved our executive producer. Between two shoots, he decided to jump in the water with just a snorkel to observe some Silky Sharks that were swimming close to the surface. Quickly, between 10 and 15 of them had him surrounded and proceeded to hit him in the ribs while he tried to return to the boat. They had mistaken him for a wounded animal and were checking him to see if their prey was ready... Our executive producer, however, disliked the idea of being a prey so he kicked a lot and, fortunately, got back onboard safely!
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Filmmakers swim among their subject during the making of Sharks 3D
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During the making of Sharks 3D, what was the biggest challenge?
Our greatest difficulty was actually finding these animals, as there are fewer and fewer of them to be found with each passing year. One example is the school of hammerheads. It was very hard both to find and to film. As they are critically endangered, we were determined to include them and finally found them near the Malpelo Islands (Colombia), which is located 300 miles west of the South American continent and just north of the Galapagos and Cocos Islands. It was well worth the effort, though. The images are amazing and the sequence is stunning.
Are there any moments that are most memorable to you during filming?
We had accumulated approximately 100 hours of footage from over 500 hours of dives that took place over a nine-month period at various locations around the globe, and I must admit that the entire shoot was made up of memorable moments. However, I must say that my encounter with the whale sharks in Mozambique was unbelievable! We dove with many of them and each showed a different behavior, you could even say a different “personality.” Some of these gentle giants were afraid of us and would swim away as soon as they saw us. Others stayed next to us for a while, playing with our bubbles or with us. In one particular instance, we spent 45 minutes with one of them, as he wouldn't let us leave and literally stayed with us the entire time. It had almost mammal-like reactions and behavior.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
I sincerely hope they will see sharks differently after experiencing Sharks 3D and realize that these truly ARE endangered animals. I also hope viewers will leave behind the common misconception that sharks are just waiting for a swimmer to come by so that they can attack.
For nearly three decades, the general population has feared these animals. But the reality is that sharks don’t eat humans. I sincerely believe Sharks 3D makes a very strong and compelling argument for shark conservation by shedding new light on the urgent need to protect these magnificent endangered animals that are so essential to the survival of our oceans. As you know, we only protect what we love. Nobody gets upset upon hearing of the death of a shark, but when it is a dolphin or a whale, it is a disaster. We feel more of an affinity for them because they are mammals. If my film can make people think differently and, ultimately, positively about sharks, our mission will have been successful. The film itself doesn’t provide audiences with a solution to the problem; it tries only to show sharks in their natural habitat.
I also want to point out that there are, on average, 100 shark attacks a year, only 12 of which are fatal. More people die annually from bee stings. Meanwhile, humans generally slaughter 100 million sharks every year for food or sport. Given their slow reproduction cycle, these creatures are now greatly endangered. Certain species have already declined in number by as much as 80% in the last ten years and are well on their way to becoming extinct within the next decade.
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