This is an unusual situation. It’s a film I would have wanted to work on even though I would probably come to hate the experience. Some films you hear about how a particular person behaved on set and if you went in knowing it would go down like that, you could make thorough notes for later publication. Only, I wouldn’t be able to write anything down. The production itself was such an unusual situation they made it part of the film’s first trailer.
The set was built inside the tanks of an abandoned Nuclear Power Plant in Gaffney, South Carolina. To stay on schedule, they began filling the tank with water as the set was being completed and painted. Millions of tiny black plastic beads were placed on the surface to keep out daylight. Everything that goes into a production had to be rethought out to handle the hours spent underwater. Special diving suits so the actor’s faces could be seen and dialogue recorded, special watertight housings for the film cameras. The Abyss was a major breakthrough in the use of digital effects. Actor Ed Harris almost died on camera. The crew suffered various medical conditions from being over-exposed to chlorine. Truly one of the most difficult productions ever mounted.
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