ISLANDS OF FIRE
A EXPEDITION PROPOSAL FROM WELLGOOD PRODUCTIONS & THE
ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
ISLANDS OF FIRE
A EXPEDITION PROPOSAL FROM WELLGOOD PRODUCTIONS & THE
ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
LOGLINE
A team of volcano & climate scientists embark on a sailing expedition across the Aleutian island chain to climb, research, & install seismographs on unmonitored high-risk volcanos.
Most* imagery used in this pitch are real assets of the boat.
CAPTAINS LOG
"It was month four in iceberg riddled waters, the first of October was just around the corner & the season was getting worryingly late as we hauled a very weary boat south across the Bearing Sea. The Abel Tasman was approaching the final stretch of the Northwest Passage expedition, only one barrier separating the Arctic & Pacific Oceans lie ahead, a chain of volcanic islands forming a barricading ridge along the North American & Pacific continental plates. As oceanographers we knew these islands as among the most beautiful contours on a world map, the Aleutians. It was hard to believe that we had sailed to the opposite end of the globe & were now in their presence..."
"...The approach of the Abel Tasman had to be planned carefully. Living up to the region's reputation, the forecasts showed gale after gale colliding with the islands, turning into turbulent chaos when meeting their volcanic peaks. The crew timed their arrival well, while late in the night there was no wind, so all we needed to deal with was a strong current in the pass. We could not see the islands, but the atmosphere had changed..."
"...We remember the first day seeing the Aleutians as a very strange day, it was kind of surreal. All of a sudden we were surrounded by green for the first time in months, & the mountain peaks were a lot higher than we had expected they'd be. It was stunning, but somehow we felt even lonelier than we had felt in the most distant parts of the Arctic. We spent the next week sailing east along the islands, somewhere between North America and Russia. The only other boat we saw was a single lonely fishing vessel. It was unlike anything we had ever seen before, Northern Norway, Greenland, Baffin Island, it is really hard to explain. While we are all living our lives at home, these islands exist almost unperceived at the edge of the map, battered by the weather & seas, like some parallel universe. This place is only real for very few people. That is to us, the real mystery of nature. We knew we had to go back."
-Isak Rockström, Skipper
SECTION 01
THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
ISLES OF MYSTERY
The Aleutian Islands, a captivating archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, have a history shaped by volcanic forces, human migration, and maritime challenges. Formed by volcanic activity due to tectonic subduction, these islands boast dramatic landscapes and active volcanoes. During the last ice age, a land bridge connected them to Alaska, fostering indigenous cultures like the Aleut who settled around 9,000 years ago. Navigating the treacherous waters has been daunting, with foggy conditions and rocky shores earning the region a perilous reputation with sailors. The Aleut people's resilient culture is a thread woven through time, evident in their art, language, and traditions. The islands' wildlife is as diverse as their history. Marine life like otters and whales thrive in the cold waters, while bird colonies populate the cliffs. Foxes and reindeer also inhabit the landscapes.
In essence, the Aleutian Islands encapsulate a history of geological evolution, human heritage, and ecological wonder. Their volcanic birth, once a land bridge during the ice age, and the challenges faced by seafarers all contribute to their captivating narrative. The Aleut people's enduring presence for over 9,000 years and the unique wildlife emphasize the intricate relationship between nature and humanity in this remote expanse.
| HISTORICAL
| CONTEXT
INDIGENOUS ALEUT
The Aleut people, who are also known as Unangax̂ in their own language, are the Indigenous inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands and parts of the Alaskan and Kamchatka coasts. Their traditional homelands span from the Alaska Peninsula, through the Aleutian Islands, to the Kodiak Archipelago and Prince William Sound. The term "Aleut" was given to them by Russian explorers, while they call themselves Unangax̂.
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THE FORGOTTEN FRONT
In June 1942, the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska, a diversionary tactic during the Battle of Midway that resulted in the occupation of U.S. soil for the first time since the War of 1812. The Japanese bombed Dutch Harbor and seized the two islands, capturing native Aleut people from Attu. The subsequent campaign to retake the islands lasted until August 1943 and involved the extremely bloody Battle of Attu. The scars of this often overlooked warfront can be seen today in the form of downed aircraft, ships, and abandoned military assets.
GHOST TOWNS
Adak is the westernmost town in the States. Formerly a U.S. Navy base, that is notable for its extensive abandoned military infrastructure following the base's closure in 1997. While parts of the city are derelict and empty, a small population of around 200-300 residents continues to live there, supported by commercial fishing and other local industries. This remote town is far cry from normal U.S. society, more reminiscent of a place like Chernobyl.
SEA LIFE
Beneath the Aleutian swells, one of the richest cold-water ecosystems on Earth is moving in constant migration. Steep seafloor relief and the deep Aleutian Trench drive powerful upwellings that haul nutrients to the surface, feeding dense blooms of plankton and, in turn, vast schools of pollock, cod, halibut, herring, and salmon. These waters support Steller sea lions hauled out on wave-washed rocks, northern sea otters working the kelp beds, harbor seals, porpoises, and multiple species of whales that thread the passes like underwater highways. On the cliffs above, millions of seabirds—auklets, murres, puffins, kittiwakes—circle, dive, and return to nest, tying the productivity of the ocean directly to life on land.
ECOLOGICAL |
CONTEXT |
ISLAND FAUNA
On shore, the Aleutian islands are stark but far from empty. Their slopes are crowded with nesting seabirds and raptors, from peregrine falcons and bald eagles to dense colonies of auklets and kittiwakes using every ledge of volcanic rock. Land mammals are few and often the result of human history here: Arctic and red foxes, reindeer, and caribou have all been introduced to different islands over the last century, reshaping native bird communities in complex ways. Along the beaches and low headlands, brown bears occasionally patrol salmon streams, while the intertidal zone itself—dense with invertebrates, kelp, and beach-cast carcasses—functions as a critical feeding ground for both terrestrial scavengers and coastal birds.
ISLAND FLORA
The Aleutian shorelines rise into a continuous band of maritime tundra: a low, wind-flattened skin of life that survives on a thin layer of soil over volcanic rock. Most of the vegetation is an intricate mosaic of dwarf shrubs—crowberry, mountain avens, heaths, willows and alders—woven together with sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. In sheltered valleys and lower slopes, these plants thicken into lush meadow-like communities rich with forbs and wildflowers that briefly explode into color during the short subarctic summer. This sparse but resilient flora stabilizes soils, traps snow, and regulates runoff, making it a crucial living interface between the volcanically active bedrock beneath and the marine food web below.
| THE
| VOLCANOS
WHY?
The Elution Island chain
SECTION 02
THE SCIENCE EXPEDITON
| OBJECTIVE
IMPACT
To be classified a high risk volcano by the AVO, it's weighted between not only the likelihood of eruption, but the potential for damage.
Not only would the public access data from these sensors contribute to the pursuit of understanding voconology as a whole, but it would act as a warning system to help protect people and infrastructure from the high risk nature of these volcanos. Mainly the Aleut people who remain on these islands, giving them time to evacuate in the case of an eruption. But in addition, eruptions in the Aleutians may effect infrustructue on a global scale. From sunamis hitting coastlines even thousands of miles away, to volcanic ash plumes effecting one of the most saturated air traffic routes in the world.
Sail along the Aleutians, stopping at six unmonitored high-risk volcanos, climbing to the summits to install sensors & collect gas samples.
| THE SIX VOLCANOS
[ISLAND 1]
[Island Description]
[ISLAND 2]
[Island Description]
[ISLAND 3]
[Island Description]
[ISLAND 4]
[Island Description]
[ISLAND 5]
[Island Description]
[ISLAND 6]
[Island Description]
| CREW
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Expedition Leader / Photo
Gareth 'Gaz' Leah
Emmy® nominated filmmaker, accomplished adventure athlete, Explorers Club member. With roots in the Royal Airforce, Gaz is no stranger to Gaz has established climbing first ascents in seven continents,
Captain
Isak Rockström
Holding the title of youngest captain to sail the infamous Northwest Passage, Isak is an accomplished northern latitude sailor & adventurer. His experiences sailing drove him. to a background in oceanography & climate sciences & advocacy.
Seismologist
Matthew Haney
Head volcano seismologist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) in Anchorage. Work involves research on the seismicity and structure of Alaskan volcanoes, volcano monitoring, infrasound, and the acquisition and processing of data from the AVO seismic network.
Camera Op / Drone
Nick Leen
Award winning documentary filmmaker, climber, ski mountaineer, and paraglide pilot.
First Mate
Alex Rockström
Like his brother, Alex is also an accomplished northern-latitude sailor, skier, and all-round adventurer, and has crewed on the Abel Tasman on many of her previous expeditions. Once Alex started exploring the Baltic Sea at a young age, his lifelong dream (and that of his brothers) was to sail the world.
Producer / Camera Op
Galen Knowles
[description]
Cook
[Person]
[description]
Arctic Expedition Yacht
The Abel Tasman
The Abel Tasman is a tough yacht, and truly one of a kind. Finished in 1981 she is the last ship ever built by Phoenix BV Westerbroek, a self-taught Dutch boatbuilder, Siep Van Houten, operating out of his backyard. With his perfected steel-craftsmanship and uncompromising attitude to quality, he managed to combine strength with design, without sacrificing the yacht's strong sailing performance. Even in lighter winds one can sense that Sieps's inspiration for the Abel Tasman was the famous Americas Cup-winning schooner “America One”. The Abel Tasman now has an impressive history of visits to the world's most remote places. With several North-West passage transits, Antarctic voyages, and two winters in the Greenland ice, she has proven herself worthy in every condition.
The Abel Tasman is 75 ft long and comfortably accommodates 9 people in 4 bunkbed cabins + 1 extra bed. Down below she is cozy and a great place to spend any downtime. She is an expedition yacht and not a luxury cruiser, with many amenities being simple but resilient. Onboard there are 2 toilets, 1 shower, a kitchen with a gas stove, and a large common area.
| BOAT
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SECTION 03
THE DOCUMENTARY
| STORY STRUCTURE
SHOW > TELL | STRONG VISUAL STORYTELLING | ARCHETYPAL STORY | SCIENCE AS PHILOSOPHY
At Wellgood Productions we believe that good storytelling doesn't derive from following industry trends or pushing blatantly obvious agendas. We often think the opposite, that operating in the realm of subtlety & offering a culture of questioning instead straight answers is a much more effective way of bipartisan messaging & leaving a mark on greater audiences. This approach centers widely around the concept of 'archetypal storytelling'. An archetypal story is a foundational narrative pattern that appears across cultures & time, built on universal symbols & themes that reflect common human experiences.
We're particularly excited about this project not only because of it's benefit to scientific advancement & societal safety, but it's potential for archetypal storytelling that bridges the gap between science & culture.
Most environmentally & scientifically forward storytelling takes a strictly objective approach, we'd like to use this as an opportunity to not only share those facts, but frame it in references with the subjective experiences of the crew. Focusing on archetypal themes that speak to a greater narrative of the human experience.
Like with any documentary there is an inherit variability to the events of this expedition, & by extension, story. At Wellgood, we specialize in such variability. Our approach is to anticipate, expect, and welcome these unknowns. Wether it be being unexpectedly being trapped a port for weeks, sailing through unplanned storms, or revelations in character motivation.
break up the expedition into a generalized three act structure. Prioritizing thematic & conceptual flexibility, expecting structural change & new story threads to reveal themselves, while also giving our team a general overarching framework to stay calibrated towards the archetypal storytype.
THEMATIC REFERENCES
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Moby Dick
The Heart of Darkness
Werner Hertzog
[Item Title]
[Item Title]
| TONE
SHOW > TELL | STRONG VISUAL STORYTELLING | ARCHETYPAL STORY | SCIENCE AS PHILOSOPHY
Despite the expedition's varied nature, it will be shot in such a way where the images feel like they are calculated & intentional. Richly layered with thematic intent.
From Miyazaki inspired locked off shots of winds gently flowing through grass on the sides of volcanos to
Typically heavily used use of aerial drone shots will be reserved for specific occasions
Contrast between the close, intimate, and immersive handheld feeling shots within the confines of the boat versus the moments & encounters on the islands where the camera is still, cleaning operated as if observed by a higher power.
REFERENCES
| TONE
SHOW > TELL | STRONG VISUAL STORYTELLING | ARCHETYPAL STORY | SCIENCE AS PHILOSOPHY
Despite the expedition's varied nature, it will be shot in such a way where the images feel like they are calculated & intentional. Richly layered with thematic intent.
From Miyazaki inspired locked off shots of winds gently flowing through grass on the sides of volcanos to
Typically heavily used use of aerial drone shots will be reserved for specific occasions
Contrast between the close, intimate, and immersive handheld feeling shots within the confines of the boat versus the moments & encounters on the islands where the camera is still, cleaning operated as if observed by a higher power.
REFERENCES
| ACT I
Having recently sailed out the Northwest Passage, we pick up with brothers Isak & Alex being far away from home. The voyage would start in the small Alaskan mainland town of Cordova, surrounded by mountains, fjords, & glaciers. Starting westward through this beautiful & sheltered coastline, the crew sails along the edge of the Chugach Mountains & the rich waters of Prince William Sound, where sea otters float in kelp beds and the occasional glacier calves into the sea.
As the boat passes into the open Gulf of Alaska, the coastline grows wilder and more exposed. Towering spruce forests give way to wind-swept tundra and treeless headlands. The weather becomes more unpredictable, the swell longer and more powerful. Stopping in small, isolated communities—or anchoring alone in forgotten coves—the crew follows a path west, deeper into the Pacific and further from the mainland.
Crossing into the Aleutian chain, the environment shifts again. The volcanic peaks rise sharply from the sea, crowned in mist or dusted in snow even in midsummer. Here the ocean gets rougher and the land more ancient. Wildlife flourishes—puffins, eagles, and seals are frequent companions, while whales pass in the deep channels.
| ACT II
As novelty becomes ritual, things become stranger, walls begin to break down. The true nature of the islands reveal themselves.
As the crews' initial excitement begins to steady itself, novelty becomes ritual. Between each island, within the increasingly familiar tight quarters of the hull, the relentless rhythm of the sea can be felt with each wave. The crew bares more of a resemblance akin to a group of stranded castaways as the walls mankind places between himself & the natural elements begins to fade, leaving the crew feeling stripped & exposed.
One after another, the crew make it to each island,
once feeling seemingly tamed by mankind, increasingly begin to feel shrouded in mystery.
The stark, towering presence of the mother nature simple cannot go unnoticed.
The deeper into the island chain they sail, the more surreal the voyage becomes. Islands grow more remote, the sense of isolation more profound. The few inhabited outposts—like Dutch Harbor or Adak—feel like frontier stations at the edge of the world. If a storm would hit here, there is nowhere to take cover. They cross the 180° meridian, and hence pass the easternmost and westernmost point of the United States.
| ACT III
The team finds themselves on the edge of the map
Finally, after hundreds of miles and weeks at sea, essentially crossing the Pacific ocean, they reach Attu Station, the westernmost point of the Aleutian Islands—and of the United States. Only a short sail westward would take them to the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia. Here there is a ghost of a former military base, now abandoned and reclaimed by nature, Attu is haunting, beautiful, and almost mythical—a fitting end to a journey through one of the planet’s last wild frontiers. But of course, it is not the end, there is nothing here, no other way to get back. Soon the crew will have to trace their own steps back, almost 2000 miles across the pacific.
One might expect it to be the exact same voyage back home, as it is along the same track, but it may be very different. The summer season is short here and the weather will change quickly, as the crew will notice each night getting longer. This is no place to be when the first fall-storm hits in the north Pacific. The more time they linger to explore on the way out, the more they will be in hurry to get back.
FINAL SECTION
PROOF OF CONCEPT
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