The tidal wave sequence had originally been designed by ILM as a physical effect, using a plastic wave, but Cameron was dissatisfied with the end result, and the sequence was scrapped. By the time Cameron was ready to revisit "The Abyss", ILM's CGI prowess had finally progressed to an appropriate level, and the wave was rendered as a CGI effect. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" screenwriter and frequent Cameron collaborator William Wisher had a cameo in the scene as a reporter in Santa Monica who catches the first tidal wave on camera.