Client: Atlanta Fish Market
Location: Buckhead, GA
Contact: Pano Karatasos, President of Buckhead Life Restaurant Group
Purpose: Documentary/Video News Release

Standing 65 feet, overlooking the popular Buckhead community in Atlanta and on the property of Atlanta's most prestegious fish restaurant and market, is The Great Fish of Buckhead. Made of steel and copper, construction of the fish spanned two years in the making. For those two years I captured hours of footage and held countless interviews as I followed the building  from concept to the final unveiling ceremony.

Ordinarily you'd probably think that these men are building
the internal frame of an Air Force jet or maybe a rocket.
Though not as high tech as a jet or rocket, this project of
theirs requires the utmost in skill and craftsmanship.

This is Randy Blain.

Randy is an artist; but not your everyday sort of artist.
Though as skilled as some of the ancient masters in
pigments, clay, stone and music, here Randy is engaged in
what is probably his biggest artist project to date. Working
as high as 65 feet above the ground, Randy and his crew are
putting some of the final touches on what promises to be one
of the most interesting and perhaps historic landmarks in
the Atlanta area. In 1994, plans were drawn up and an
original scale model was created of a fish... but not just
any fish. Resembling the cross between a salmon and a trout,
Martin Dawe of Cherry Lion Studio begun what was to become
an almost two year project with a budget of more than
$340,000.

Starting with a small bronze model, Chief Engineer Jim
Robinson and his engineering staff of United Controls
International, a fabrication company, formed this wooden
model from a computer simulation that would be the basis for
this 65 foot copper fish, placed on the grounds of the
Atlanta Fish Market on Pharr Rd. in the Buckhead community
of Atlanta. Named after the Biblical account of Jonah and
his encounter at sea, Pano Karatasos, President of Buckhead
Life Restaurant Group, which owns the Atlanta Fish Market
tells us what attracted him to approve such a large and
unusual fixture, now known as the Great Fish.

PANO (Sound bite)

First, a frame had to be made that would hold the
weight of 50 tons of steel and copper.

Months of work went into the fabrication of the frame...
...at which point Randy Blain was hired to carry the project
through to fulfillment.. Randy and the metal workers and
welders at United Controls International agreed that a steel

mesh covered with an impenetrable epoxy coating would be
used to support the thin and pliable copper that would
cover the head and fins.

Upon finishing the head and the other extremities, they
were placed aside in protective supports while the mounting
plates for these parts were secured to the frame.

The frame had to be almost completely assembled in order to
determine the exact positioning for the head, tail and fins.

And as are many human endeavors, the entire frame was
completely disassembled for transport to it's final
destination.

The Great Fish is expected to be a permanent landmark that
will intrigue visitors and patrons of the Atlanta Fish
Market for many generations to come.