The Making p.2

Cameron and his team went to great lengths in bringing "Titanic" to the screen, immersing themselves in the ship's lore and history. Their determination to create the definitive account of this historical event was exemplified by the early involvement of Titanic experts Don Lynch and noted artist Ken Marschall, authors of Titanic: An Illustrated History , who were brought aboard as consultants for the motion picture.

Since he was a teenager, Lynch has been researching the ship and its passengers, ultimately joining the Titanic Historical Society to further his studies over the course of nearly 25 years. As the Society's historian, he has become personally acquainted with the remaining survivors of the Titanic as well as the families of many others.

"I discovered that no real effort had been made to trace what became of all the survivors," Lynch explains. "As there were so many young people rescued, I thought perhaps there were a number still living. I began locating them and, in uncovering their stories, learned still more about the night of the disaster."

Widely considered the leading artist of Titanic , Marschall's realistic portraits of the ship are internationally acclaimed for their accuracy and artistry. His work has been featured on the covers of Time , National Geographic and several of Dr. Robert Ballard's best-selling books, including The Discovery of the Titanic . Upon meeting Lynch in 1976, immediate friendship and a shared passion for Titanic lore would ultimately result in their best-selling book which grabbed the attention of a world-renowned filmmaker.

"Jim Cameron had read our book," Lynch says. "He was extremely impressed with Ken's art work and wanted to bring it to life on the screen. In the very beginning, Ken and I met with Jim to discuss the project. We then sat down with Jim's treatment, going through it page by page for physical and historical accuracy."

"Jim wanted to know if, for instance, a character could be in the racquetball court one minute and by the swimming pool the next. Could they get from one place to the other easily without going up three decks, walking the length of the ship and then down five decks? He wanted all the action to be possible, even if only the real die-hard Titanic enthusiasts would know."

After years of studying archives and photographs, Marschall had become accustomed to viewing this massive ship in smaller detail. Working with Cameron's design team, both he and Lynch provided samples and photographs of furnishings, carvings and fabrics from their personal collection of artifacts from Titanic 's sister ship, Olympic.

It would be Marschall who would first make the trip down to the Fox Baja Studio in Rosarito Beach to see the fruits of his and Lynch's collaboration with the filmmakers. Upon seeing the completed ship set for the first time, Marschall says he felt an intense flood of emotion.

"It was like stepping back in time," he says. "This is virtually the size that the real ship was. It's awesome. Seeing the White Star dock as it looked in April of 1912 was every bit as impressive as the ship itself. The research has been impeccable. The lights hanging down from those little gantries on the top, the passenger galley running alongside. Just to see it built in three dimensions for the first time, I was speechless. I spent a lifetime, since the mid-sixties, imagining what it would be like to walk the decks of this ship. And suddenly, I was. There were just no words."

Lynch adds that he had never heard Marschall "so moved by something. Ken is the greatest stickler for accuracy I've ever known," he continues. "I never imagined the sets would be so accurate. Seeing the grand staircase in color instead of old black-and-white photographs, and with dimension and scale, was phenomenal to me. Seeing the film, I was very flattered to see that Jim had utilized things from the book or come to similar conclusions."

"The filmmakers of "Titanic" spent more than five years researching the ship and the horrific details of her sudden sinking barely two hours and 40 minutes after hitting a massive iceberg. With cutting-edge filmmaking technology to enhance its dramatic story, coupled with current scientific research and painstaking detail, the film depicts for the first time the ship's glorious launch and maiden journey as well as the tragic beats of Titanic 's dramatic death throes. Throughout, Cameron brings his signature talents to bear, ensuring that audiences will be transported into the heart of this spectacular event.

The film's journey to the screen began more than two years ago, when Cameron himself ventured to the infamous ship's final resting place approximately 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada and two-and-a-half miles under the ocean surface. It is here where Cameron faced a powerful talisman from the past, finding inspiration in its wake.

-From www.titanicmovie.com