The IMAX documentary "Wild Ocean," opening Saturday at Fernbank Museum of Natural History, takes viewers front and center to an oceanic feeding frenzy by diving birds and sharks off South Africa as countless sardines migrate up the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

If you see the film, look for the diver manning the 200-pound camera as gannets plunge into the water to scoop up sardines. The diver is D.J. Roller, 37, of Buckhead, a veteran underwater and land cinematographer who's worked with Oscar-winning director James Cameron and filmed the live-action 3-D sequences on Iceland for Brendan Fraser's "Journey to the Center of the Earth."

Giant Screen Films (ENLARGE)
Sardines swarm and birds dive into the water after them in 'Wild Ocean' as Atlanta cinematographer D.J. Roller captures the moment.
Stephen Vaughan (ENLARGE)
There are more than 1,700 scheduled screenings of 'The Dark Knight' through Sunday at some 40 metro Atlanta theaters.
MOST POPULAR STORIES '40-Year-Old Virgin' actor faces new charges Lindsay and Samantha rock the runway crowd Jermaine Dupri party helps kick of MTV VMA bashes Malkovich gets mad in Coens' 'Burn After Reading' Jessica Simpson sings at Tenn.'s Grand Ole Opry
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR
RELATED LINKS: • 'The Dark Knight' | Premiere photos | Video | Trailer • Quiz: How well do you know Batman? • Blog: Ledger illuminating • What's your superhero name? • Rank: Best Batman | Nemeses • Jokers range from campy to eery • See what movies are playing near you

In "Wild Ocean," Roller is also seen filming sharks.

"To see hundreds of sharks going after these fish and having hundreds of sharks around you is one of the coolest things," Roller said by phone from England, where he's at work on another film involving the stage show "Stomp."

"It's absolute chaos underwater," Roller said of the feeding frenzy of South Africa. "You are getting hit by birds and sharks and dolphins. They aren't interested in you but you could be in their way like in a big crowd."

"Wild Ocean" was filmed in June and July of 2006 and 2007. Though it was made in 3-D, Fernbank can screen it only in 2-D.

"It's still impressive," Roller said.

He began filming underwater at a young age — 12.

"By 14, I was filming people underwater. After a while, I realized that every time I went diving I was taking a camera with me."

Roller worked with Cameron on 2003's "Ghosts of the Abyss," was a camera operator for the concert film "U2 3D" and has served as director of photography for episodes of various TV shows such as "Nova" and "National Geographic Explorer."

His work has taken him to all seven continents.

After England, he'll be shooting a 3-D film about dolphins off North Carolina, the Bahamas and Brazil.

A later film, the subject of which is still hush-hush, will take him to Micronesia and the South Pacific.

NEW THEATER

Add another new multiplex to the metro Atlanta scene. Great Escapes Theatres this month opened the Hamilton Mill 14 in Dacula. The theater is equipped with digital 3D and has stadium seating. It won't surprise anyone that today Hamilton Mill has 11 screenings of "The Dark Knight."

GETTING YOUR 'DARK KNIGHT' TICKET

If your aim is to see "The Dark Knight" at the IMAX at Buford Mall of Georgia, you'll likely have to wait until 12:20 p.m. Monday. As of Thursday, all 20 scheduled weekend screenings of the film on IMAX were sold out.

But don't fret too much about your ability to see the film this weekend. There are more than 1,700 scheduled screenings of the film through Sunday at some 40 metro Atlanta theaters.

AS BATMAN ARRIVES

"The Dark Knight" officially arrives Friday, so this list will have to be amended soon. But here are the year's Top 10 box office draws as of Tuesday:

1. "Iron Man" — $313.42 million.

2. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" — $310.487 million.

3. "Kung Fu Panda" — $202.15 million.

4. "Hancock" — $164.11 million.

5. "Wall-E" — $163.95 million.

6. "Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who!" — $154.19 million.

7. "Sex and the City" — $148.1 million.

8. "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" — $139.33 million.

9. "The Incredible Hulk" — $129.9 million.

10. "Wanted" — $112.45 million.