One of the first images viewers will see on the program was created by Mary Ann Carpenter, a graphic artist and computer animator. She blends the image of shackles into the "g" in underground in the title for a haunting result that helps the viewer prepare for the program's sobering stories and images.

Those images -in excess of 120 drawings, paintings, and maps- were scanned into the computer by Mary Ann for use in the documentary. The normally tedious process became depressing work as Mary Ann saw pictures of one person after another shackled, beaten, tortured, enslaved.

"Seeing people so objectified made me depressed during the entire process. I had a hard time leaving my emotions at work. And when I saw the dates on those artifacts, it made me realize it wasn't that long ago at all."

Though Mary Ann has seen all the graphics that are used, she's seen mere seconds of the program itself. "The best thing is seeing a finished project you're really proud of - when you finally see all the parts together."