J. Barton Mitchell

New Project Announcement: DEEP

You might not think so, but I do write other material besides giant, dystopian, science fiction. For instance, I toyed with the idea of doing a Victorian romance, but I figured…stick with what works. No aliens in this one, but it is all under water with cool submarines.

June 08, 2012 03:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

 

Director Shane Acker (“9”), Ireland’s Brown Bag Films, Producer Gregory R. Little and Author J. Barton Mitchell Launch Animated Undersea Adventure Film “DEEP”

LOS ANGELES–Today, from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Darragh O’Connell, co-founder of Brown Bag Films, announced the launch of “DEEP,” an undersea adventure set in a post-apocalyptic Earth with Shane Acker (“9”) attached to direct. “DEEP” is an animated film unlike any other, produced by a team of industry all-stars including Acker, Ireland’s Brown Bag Films, producer Gregory R. Little and author J. Barton Mitchell, using new technologies that result in high-quality production value at a fraction of the time and cost. The project will be produced by Little and O’Connell.

 

With the feel of an underwater Western, “DEEP” is set in a not-too-distant future when what’s left of humanity has moved undersea to stay alive. The story revolves around the crew of the nuclear submarine Norwood as they race to uncover the secrets behind the Wayfarers, a mysterious splinter group with the potential to wipe out humanity altogether.

 

The DEEP team has been working in collaboration with Valve, one of the world’s most successful video game developers whose hit titles include the Half Life and Portal franchises. Valve has provided the “DEEP” team with new tools and technologies based on the developer’s Source game engine. The tools enable flexible cinematography and editing, a simplified character animation process and economical lighting, sound and visual effects. Render time is cut to nearly nil, enabling rapid revisions to animation, which brings dramatic savings in time and money over traditional production.

 

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You can see the full press release here. Very excited to be working on such an awesome project with this amazing group of talented people and organizations.

Stay tuned for more stuff, including additional concept art and progress updates on its various pieces and parts.