Return of the Plankton
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Film Overview

Directed By: John F. Williams View Official Website	Release Date: 2005-03-01 Running Time: 0:00 Content Rating: U (universal)	Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Audio Language(s): English
Genres: Documentary >> Nature & Wildlife :: Instructional >> Science :: Family Viewing >> Educational Influences: The Blue Planet // The Jacques Cousteau Odyssey // Jacques Cousteau Pacific Explorations

Synopsis

Have you heard rumors of the colorful and vibrant life in the watery world beneath the waves? Did you ever wish you could see more from the ferries and bridges than just the grey surface?

Art and science come together in an exciting half hour video journey underwater in Puget Sound. The journey begins under Agate Passage Bridge, Bainbridge Island, where the spring plankton bloom benefits filter feeders like anemones, tubeworms, clams and oysters. In summer, the divers examine creatures swimming, eating and spawning. In fall, their focus shifts to bottom feeders and a swim with a harbor seal and a dogfish shark. In winter the tour continues off Rockaway Beach where a variety of fish take refuge in the rocky shelves between the island and Seattle.

A bassoon and timpani composition by Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Wuorinen highlights some of the dramatic passages of the movie, and the movie's climax is reached with an improvisation on Native American flute and drum recorded in the acoustically rich ferry terminal building on Bainbridge Island.

'An educational must for novices and seasoned marine enthusiasts,' says Dr. Gloria Snively, author of Exploring the Seashore and instructor at University of Victoria, BC.

Bruce Claiborne, Biology and Marine Science teacher at Bainbridge High took the lead as divemaster and science advisor for the 27 minute video. His experience as a teacher of more than 30 years and his knowledge as a marine biologist give the project focus and information beyond the usual.

Cast

Producer: Cameron Snow | bio
Producer, Landscape Painter and Botanist, wanted to create a series of videos describing the marine environment around Bainbridge Island, where she lives. “Video gives us scope beyond the two-dimensional canvas, more like multimedia theater reproduced on a DVD where we can share the richness of our environment.
Science Advisor: Bruce Claiborne | bio
Bruce has been a marine science teacher since 1973. He worked in marine research at Battelle Marine Science Laboratory, Sequim, Washington for five summers. A scuba diver since 1967 in the Puget Sound region, he is currently a PADI Divemaster, leading local scuba dives. He has taken up underwater photography and videography as a means for sharing the world that he explores underwater.

Crew

Director: John F. Williams | bio
John Williams spent almost 20 years helping to map the ocean floor all over the world, from the deepest of the deep, the Mariana Trench, to the flanks of Surtsey, Iceland, some of the newest real-estate on the planet. At the beginning of this century, he embarked on a new adventure: turning his love for SCUBA diving into a new career making educational underwater movies. His video has been seen on broadcast, satellite, and cable TV, and at science conferences. From 2002 to 2005 he filmed and edited "Return of the Plankton," a movie about the four seasons beneath the surface of Puget Sound. Now out on DVD, that movie is in many schools and libraries around the U.S., and it toured the country with the Kids First! film festival. In late 2005, John began producing the Pacific Northwest's only underwater TV series, "SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest." It is a non-profit project in association with Northwest Film Forum (Seattle). Now in its third year, "SEA-Inside: Pacific Northwest" airs on over 40 cable-access stations, reaching 3 million homes.

Bonus Features

DVD-ROM PC Weblink/ Website
Interactive Menus

Accolades

Festivals

Kids First! Film Festival
Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival
San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition

Press Reviews

Dr. Gloria Snively, Author of "Exploring the Seashore" | show/hide snippet
"Let Return of the Plankton with its compelling text and exciting photography lead you on an exploration of Puget Sound's beautiful underwater garden of fascinating sea creatures. Plant and animal plankton, life cycles, and food chains through the seasons. An educational must for novices and seasoned marine enthusiasts."
School Library Journal (November 2005) page 70 | show/hide snippet
"Narrated by a high school science teacher and the videographer, the outstanding information and beautiful scenery makes for an unusually engaging film...The technical aspects are excellent, the narration is easy to follow, and terms are defined as necessary. What makes this film noteworthy is the supurb photography. Sea plants and animals are clearly shown in their natural habitat, making this underwater world come alive."
Dr. Alexander Shor, National Science Foundation | show/hide snippet
"Everyone that's seen the DVD or has kids that have is very impressed, yours truly included. Nice job....."
KIDS FIRST! adult jurors | show/hide snippet
"Excellent cinematography, good audio, smooth presentation"