Silverback Films has partnered with ocean science and education organisation The Hydrous and immersive production studio Submersa Studios to develop a new generation of immersive ocean experiences.
The partnership brings together Silverback’s acclaimed natural history filmmaking and underwater cinematography, Submersa’s experience creating immersive content for a range of platforms and venues, and The Hydrous’s ocean science expertise and more than a decade of experimentation and research into how immersive and interactive digital experiences generate ocean understanding and connection – especially for people who don’t have the opportunities, abilities or resources to access marine environments firsthand.
Together, the organisations are developing experiences designed to move beyond the traditional screen, from virtual reality (VR) and spatial computing to large-scale LED environments, museums, aquariums and interactive installations.
Dr. Erika Woolsey, Chief Scientist & CEO of The Hydrous, said:
“Imagine taking the cinematic language and extraordinary underwater storytelling in Ocean with David Attenborough and placing audiences inside the story itself. Immersive technology gives us the opportunity to bring people closer to the ocean than ever before, experiencing its scale, beauty, and complexity as if they were there. Together with Silverback Films and Submersa, we want to make the ocean more accessible, inspiring, and emotionally meaningful to audiences around the world, and explore what might be possible when impactful storytelling moves beyond a rectangular screen.”
The Hydrous, Silverback and Submersa are developing a multi-platform model bringing together original immersive ocean content, exhibitions and digital learning experiences. Each experience will be grounded in a marine science learning framework, designed with measurable learning objectives and outcomes.
The initiative builds on The Hydrous’s work, which has reached 2.75 million “virtual divers” through immersive ocean experiences and contributed 12 peer-reviewed publications to the fields of marine education, extended reality (XR) technologies and social science, with collaboration and recognition from organisations including National Geographic, the Smithsonian, Stanford University, Meta, Lenovo, Autodesk, Adobe and the United Nations.
In 2019, The Hydrous showcased its 360º 3D footage of Palauan coral reefs and manta rays at the National Geographic VR Theater in Washington D.C., where 450 VR headsets were synchronised to deliver a shared “virtual dive.”
For Silverback, the partnership extends its long-standing mission of connecting audiences with the natural world.
Jeff Wilson, Series Producer at Silverback Films, said:
“The plight of the world’s oceans is the most important subject of our time. We at Silverback feel a deep responsibility to educate, inform, and inspire as many people as we can because we know that without humanity stepping forward and taking custodial responsibility for our ocean, the future is bleak. We also know that humanity won’t save something they don’t love. Our responsibility is to help our audiences fall in love with the ocean the way we at Silverback and our partners at The Hydrous have done. That is the starting point. Our ultimate goal is to create a new generation of nature advocates in every field across art, science, and film.”
As part of the collaboration, underwater filmmaker and immersive media specialist Jeff Hester of Submersa Studios has been capturing new ocean footage using the Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive camera with a Gates underwater housing. The system captures stereoscopic 8K imagery, enabling an unprecedented level of visual detail and spatial depth for immersive storytelling.
Hester said:
“What excites me most is how immersive media can put viewers in places they may never get to go themselves. I hear it over and over from people: “It feels like I was really there.” This kind of work gives people a genuine understanding, appreciation, and sense of care toward these environments.”
The first proof of concept will debut at the inaugural California Ocean Summit in Santa Barbara this December, featuring never-before-seen footage of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary captured by Hester.
The experience will combine virtual reality with large-scale projection storytelling to offer audiences, including policymakers, investors and researchers, a new way to explore and share marine environments.