In James Cameron's fantasy films, such as Avatar and The Abyss, the unexplored is decorated in color and filled with alien danger. But on his dive to the deepest place on Earth, which took place on a Sunday last month, reality proved far different: white, deserted, and dull. "I felt like I literally had gone to another planet and come back," Cameron said after returning from the cold, dark place in the western Pacific Ocean, nearly 7 miles (11km) below the surface. "It was a very fantastic day." Cameron is the first person to explore the deepest valley in the ocean since two men made a 20-minute trip there in 1960. He spent about three hours gliding through the icy darkness, brightened only by lights on the one-man sub . This deepest section of the Mariana Trench is so untouched that at first it appeared dull. But there's something strangely interesting about the first pieces of video that Cameron shot -- a sense of aloneness. "It's really the sense of isolation, realizing how tiny you are down in this big, black and unexplored place," the Titanic director said. The wordless minute-long video, released by sponsor National Geographic, shows Cameron's sub gliding across what he calls "the very soft, almost gelatinous  flat plain." To Cameron, the main thing was to appreciate being there. "There had to be a moment where I just stopped, and took it in, and said, ' _ What does that mean?'" Cameron told reporters during a conference call. The trip was only about half as long as planned because Cameron's battery ran low. He said he would return and film it in 3D for later viewing. "I see this as the beginning," Cameron said. "It's not a one-time deal and then moving on. This is the beginning of opening up this new frontier." Why did Cameron dive to the deepest place on Earth?
To study ocean creatures in the deepest valley. To prove his strong will and perseverance. To get support from National Geographic. To open up a new frontier.