In 1987, director
James Cameron debated whether to actually film in the ocean or on a
film set during the process of writing his screenplay for
The Abyss. He ultimately chose to film in a man-made environment due to the need to control dangers, cost and filming environment. Cameron decided to use Cherokee Nuclear Power plant facility to film the underwater sequences involving the submerged drilling rig.
Filming The
turbine pit, which was a large irregularly-shaped structure, was modified to hold of water. But when
cinematographer Al Giddings visited the site he found the potential tank was still not quite large enough for the production's needs. Cameron then investigated the original containment vessel for the reactor chamber, a cylindrical structure across, deep. Following modifications, this vessel was converted into a vat able to hold of water. This containment vessel became "A" tank while the smaller turbine pit was the "B" tank. "B" tank was used for all the interiors of the submarine, the Sub Bay set and for the "wet-for-wet" miniature work. The "A" tank was used for the main exterior of Deepcore and for the full-sized exterior Montana missile deck section. The water depth and length of time spent submerged meant that the cast and crew had to endure
decompression treatments. Interior sets for Deepcore and other production sets were built inside the nearby warehouses on the site.
Location In December 1988, production moved to
Los Angeles. After the completion of filming the tanks were drained but the sets were not removed. Before abandoning the set, warning labels were affixed on the structures stating that the sets remained the property of
20th Century Fox and that any photographic or video recording was not allowed. The
Abyss sets were demolished in September 2007. ==New nuclear power plant==