Horizon tank
A horizon tank is a large water tank built on the coast and used in filmmaking. It allows filmmakers to film an ocean horizon without having to be in the middle of the ocean.
History
[edit]The first horizon tank was constructed in Malta in 1964 by special effects technician Benjamin Hole, who later formed Mediterranean Film Studios. Popular films shot there include U-571 and Ridley Scott's White Squall.[1] The studio's tanks are also regularly used for filming TV commercials.
In 1996 20th Century Fox acquired 40 acres of waterfront south of Playas de Rosarito in Baja California, Mexico, and built a 17-million-gallon tank for the film Titanic, a co-production with Paramount Pictures. The tank held a replica of the ship, and provided 270 degrees of ocean view.
List of horizon tanks
[edit]There are only a few horizon tanks worldwide:[2][3]
- Mediterranean Film Studios in Malta
- Baja Studios in Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico
- Point Cook RAAF Base in Victoria, Australia[4]
- Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios Horizon Water Tank in Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic
See also
[edit]- Infinity edge pool - the same concept for leisure use
References
[edit]- ^ "Mediterranean Film Studios - A brief history about the world-renowned Water SFX Facility". Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
- ^ "Titanic tank plan to boost movies". stuff.co.nz. 1 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
- ^ "Filming Tanks and Pools worldwide". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
- ^ Greenblat, Eli (October 8, 1998). "Floating on air". The Age. p. 20. Archived from the original on June 26, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- Mediterranean Film Studios website Archived 2020-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios Horizon Water Tank
 | This filmmaking article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |