THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150357
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TERESA ANNAS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
On Tuesday, ``The Living Sea'' made a big splash on the West Coast.
Nauticus' long-running, wide-screen 70mm movie was nominated Tuesday for an Oscar for ``best documentary-short subject.'' The 24-minute film premiered with the opening of Nauticus: The National Maritime Center in the spring of 1994.
``I think it's significant. I think the citizens of Hampton Roads should be tickled pink,'' said David Guernsey, Nauticus' new president and CEO.
Guernsey learned of the kudos Wednesday morning when the California producers gave him a call. A press conference was hurriedly set up at Nauticus.
``I will certainly be glued to the television set on March 25,'' he told the gathering. ``And I will certainly lobby the Academy voters.''
Guernsey will not try to wrangle a ticket to the 68th Academy Awards ceremony in Southern California, he said. If ``The Living Sea'' wins, it will be the bigwigs with MacGillivray Freeman Films in Laguna Beach who stride, beaming, to the podium.
While Nauticus did not produce the film, the maritime facility put up $2 million toward its total price tag of $5 or $6 million, he said.
Nauticus was the only venue for the film in its first year, Guernsey said. Since spring, dozens of IMAX and wide-screen 70mm theaters in science facilities worldwide have booked ``The Living Sea,'' including centers in Japan, Australia, Germany, Houston, New Orleans and Seattle.
The film's popularity could generate income for the center. In the next few years, after the film's expenses have been met, Nauticus will begin collecting residuals on rental fees, Guernsey said. He couldn't predict the sum, but said it ``probably won't be hundreds of thousands of dollars.''
Compared to Oscar-nominated feature films like ``Apollo 13'' and ``Babe,'' the audience for a documentary work like ``The Living Sea'' is small.
Nobody in Idaho ever heard of its four contenders, either: ``Jim Dine: A Self-Portrait on the Walls,'' ``Never Give Up: The 20th Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper,'' ``One Survivor Remembers'' and ``The Shadow of Hate.''
``We, of course, were very excited,'' said Bill Bennett, president of distribution for MacGillivray Freeman Films, reached at his West Coast office on Wednesday.
Nauticus commissioned the film for its 70mm theater, which is slightly smaller than an IMAX theater, Bennett said.
But the film also was produced for IMAX venues, with a few changes: It was lengthened to 38 minutes, the Norfolk waterfront scene at the end was cut, and other scenes were expanded or added. Also, more lush songs by pop music star Sting were added.
This was the version that captured the nomination, Bennett said.
The production company won an Academy Award in 1969 for a documentary about Mexican pyramids, ``Sentinels of Silence,'' but has had no nominations since then.
MacGillivray Freeman started out making surfing films, Bennett said. ``We used to show live-action surfing documentaries at the old Virginia Beach Civic Center. I think we held the record, in 1968, for the largest audience for a film there,'' he said.
The film: ``Free and Easy.''
``The Living Sea'' is expected to be seen by a slightly larger crowd. The producers wrote this preface for the film soundtrack, available on compact disc or cassette tape in Nauticus' gift shop:
``This giant screen motion picture will play to more than 20 million people at specialized, high-tech theaters around the world for the next several years. It is our hope that this film will have a global impact on people's relationship with the sea.''
In fact, the producers summed, ``we want you to fall in love with the sea.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Photo courtesy of Nauticus
While not in the same lofty catagory as ``Babe,'' local folks are
excited about ``The Living Sea's'' Oscar nomination. ``I think the
citizens of Hampton Roads should be tickled pink,'' said David
Guernsey, Nauticus' new president and CEO.
by CNB