The Underwater Eye : How the Movie Camera Opened the Depths and Unleashed New Realms of Fantasy

**A rich history of underwater filmmaking and how it has profoundly influenced the aesthetics of movies and public perception of the oceans** In __The Underwater Eye__, Margaret Cohen tells the fascinating story of how the development of modern diving equipment and movie camera technology has allowed documentary and narrative filmmakers to take human vision into the depths, creating new imagery of the seas and the underwater realm, and expanding the scope of popular imagination. Innovating on the most challenging film set on earth, filmmakers have tapped the emotional power of the underwater environment to forge new visions of horror, tragedy, adventure, beauty, and surrealism, entertaining the public and shaping its perception of ocean reality. Examining works by filmmakers ranging from J. E. Williamson, inventor of the first undersea film technology in 1914, to Wes Anderson, who filmed the underwater scenes of his 2004 __The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou__ entirely in a pool, __The Underwater Eye__ traces how the radically alien qualities of underwater optics have shaped liquid fantasies for more than a century. Richly illustrated, the book explores documentaries by Jacques Cousteau, Louis Malle, and Hans Hass, art films by Man Ray and Jean Vigo, and popular movies and television shows such as __20,000 Leagues Under the Sea__, __Creature from the Black Lagoon__, __Sea Hunt__, the Bond films, __Jaws__, __The Abyss__, and __Titanic__. In exploring the cultural impact of underwater filmmaking, the book also asks compelling questions about the role film plays in engaging the public with the remote ocean, a frontline of climate change.

A rich history of underwater filmmaking and how it hasprofoundly influenced the aesthetics of movies and publicperception of the oceans In The Underwater Eye,Margaret Cohen tells the fascinating story of how the developmentof modern diving equipment and movie camera technology has alloweddocumentary and narrative filmmakers to take human vision into thedepths, creating new imagery of the seas and the underwater realm,and expanding the scope of popular imagination. Innovating on themost challenging film set on earth, filmmakers have tapped theemotional power of the underwater environment to forge new visionsof horror, tragedy, adventure, beauty, and surrealism, entertainingthe public and shaping its perception of ocean reality. Examiningworks by filmmakers ranging from J. E. Williamson, inventor of thefirst undersea film technology in 1914, to Wes Anderson, who filmedthe underwater scenes of his 2004 The Life Aquatic with SteveZissou entirely in a pool, The Underwater Eye traceshow the radically alien qualities of underwater optics have shapedliquid fantasies for more than a century. Richly illustrated, thebook explores documentaries by Jacques Cousteau, Louis Malle, andHans Hass, art films by Man Ray and Jean Vigo, and popular moviesand television shows such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,Creature from the Black Lagoon, Sea Hunt, theBond films, Jaws, The Abyss, andTitanic. In exploring the cultural impact of underwaterfilmmaking, the book also asks compelling questions about the rolefilm plays in engaging the public with the remote ocean, afrontline of climate change.

"A rich history of underwater filmmaking and how it has profoundly influenced the aesthetics of movies and public perception of the oceansIn The Underwater Eye, Margaret Cohen tells the fascinating story of how the development of modern diving equipment and movie camera technology has allowed documentary and narrative filmmakers to take human vision into the depths, creating new imagery of the seas and the underwater realm, and expanding the scope of popular imagination. Innovating on the most challenging film set on earth, filmmakers have tapped the emotional power of the underwater environment to forge new visions of horror, tragedy, adventure, beauty, and surrealism, entertaining the public and shaping its perception of ocean reality.Examining works by filmmakers ranging from J. E. Williamson, inventor of the first undersea film technology in 1914, to Wes Anderson, who filmed the underwater scenes of his 2004 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou entirely in a pool, The Underwater Eye traces how the radically alien qualities of underwater optics have shaped liquid fantasies for more than a century. Richly illustrated, the book explores documentaries by Jacques Cousteau, Louis Malle, and Hans Hass, art films by Man Ray and Jean Vigo, and popular movies and television shows such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Sea Hunt, the Bond films, Jaws, The Abyss, and Titanic. In exploring the cultural impact of underwater filmmaking, the book also asks compelling questions about the role film plays in engaging the public with the remote ocean, a frontline of climate change."-- Provided by publisher