Volcanoes of the Deep Sea reveals the astounding sights that lie 12,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, while delivering a real-life tale of mystery as scientists search for an animal that may be one of Earth’s greatest survivors—an ancient species that is decorating the deep sea floor with its strange hexagonal trademark. In pursuit of this elusive animal and an understanding of its mysterious habitat, the film propels audiences from the dramatic sea cliffs of Spain, through two oceans, into deep-sea sites dense with astounding life forms and even into the far reaches of space

To go down there, Stephen had the chance to dive with the Russian submarine called “Alvin”… our first visual effect for this film was actually to create a full computer generated Alvin for all those exterior shots. At 12,000 feet underwater anything is crushed down as flat as a piece of paper so that’s why we had to re create Alvin’s descent with CGI.

Other quite interesting CGI sequences were about the bacteria found down there, in a place with no light… where life is not supposed to exist! The rock surfaces near vents and the water around them are absolutely loaded with bacteria. What sets them apart is that they use energy from chemicals dissolved in the hot springs, instead of sunlight, to produce food. In other words, they use chemosynthesis rather than photosynthesis. On land, in fresh water and in the not-so-deep ocean, the key to life is photosynthesis. Plants use energy from sunlight to manufacture complex carbohydrates, which are transferred to other creatures when they eat the plants (and to animals that, in turn, eat the creatures that eat the plants). In the ocean, plankton found near the surface serves the same purpose, using energy from sunlight to manufacture food for other creatures. But the deep ocean is different. Here, without sunlight, there can be no photosynthesis. Instead, bacteria take energy from hydrogen sulfide and manufacture complex carbohydrates from carbon, oxygen and hydrogen present in the seawater. Other animals, like crabs, eat the bacteria, and these creatures are, in turn, eaten by others. A complex web of food relationships comes into being – one based entirely on the conversion of chemicals, not sunlight, into food. Because the vent sites are so rich in hydrogen sulfide, they are absolutely loaded with bacteria – and that’s why life is so rich here.

You can learn more on the film’s website by clicking the following link; http://www.stephenlow.com/project/volcanoes-of-the-deep-sea/