Terror at the Dragon's Teeth: Sinking of the S.S. Brother Jonathan
- circlebproductions
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
Check out this amazing example of how we blend AI-generated images with 3D-animated action! This still captures an intense scene between Captain DeWolf and the San Francisco harbor master as they fiercely debate overloading the Brother Jonathan. Both men, along with the office furnishings, are intricately crafted 3D models. Just outside the window, the bustling scene of ships and crew comes to life, all thanks to AI generation. We're committed to authenticity by using period-appropriate wardrobe, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment, including California's iconic bear flag and the U.S. Navy flag in this scene!
A few weeks ago, I had the thrilling opportunity to return to Crescent City, the place I called home for fourteen years and where I proudly graduated from Del Norte High School in June of 1978. Although I've visited a few times since then, this recent trip was the longest and most exciting ever! My business partner at Circle B Productions LLC, and since 2023, my incredible life partner, Olivia Montgomery Bull (Raymond), and I have embarked on an exhilarating journey to create a documentary/docudrama about the dramatic July 30th, 1865 sinking of the SS Brother Jonathan off the coast of Crescent City. It's nearly impossible to attend school in Del Norte County without hearing the haunting story of this tragic sinking, where only 19 out of 244 people survived.
We're thrilled to announce that, even with two films already deep in production (Singlewide Pride and Fawn's Justice) as 3D Photorealistic Animated Features, we've eagerly embraced this captivating story! In 2024, we enthusiastically reached out to the Del Norte County Historical Society and received their exciting approval to dive into this project. Imagine, there are hundreds of newspaper articles, magazine features, and books written about this event, yet surprisingly few television programs or movies exist on the topic. Most focus on the thrilling hunt for the missing gold that followed after the ship went down. The challenge in creating video coverage has been the scarcity of usable photographic images. Available visuals are mostly paintings or sketches, making it difficult to produce a documentary. But we're ready to take on this exciting challenge! We've crafted an incredible collection of 300 period-accurate AI-generated photographs! Instead of traditional historian interviews, we're bringing history to life by interviewing avatars of the main characters from Brother Jonathan, complete with dynamic voice-over actors. We've got plenty of firsthand accounts to make this an unforgettable experience!
I’ve been diving into another exciting part of this project known as the B Roll Video! Capturing the vibrant sights and sounds that are essential to our story, like the iconic Pt. George Lighthouse, has been thrilling. I’ve also been exploring the fascinating files on Brother Jonathan at the DNCHS Museum. This week, we’re gearing up to back up all the amazing video and still pictures I captured last week and meticulously catalog them for future use. Can’t wait!
We're thrilled to express our heartfelt gratitude to the amazing individuals who joined me last week on this incredible filmmaking journey: Karen Betlejewski, Pete Halls, Ron Kunstal, Charlene Blackburn, Kathy Ames Sherwin, Matt Hildebrandt, Ann Combs Swanson and Eric Swanson, Marty Kimbell, David and Jodi Gastineau. Stay tuned as we keep you updated on the exciting progress of our film!
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