New Technologies and Creating a Believable World - Avatar

James Cameron makes film to push the boundaries and develop technology.

Cameron introduced the first “motion capture” characters in his film Total Recall, and included the first human movements in CGI in Terminator 2.

It took 4 years to make Avatar, about two thirds of it being computer generated.

Combining live action and CGI.

Simulcams – to see the final shot in real time

3D Fusion cameras – high definition footage, 3D, lightweight

Special ringed head cameras – to capture fine expression changes

All of these embrace technological convergence, in creating equipement to capture sound as well as visuals and edit these in suites including the best in production technology - top of the range computers, which are also examples of technological convergence.

Cameron said “it is the most difficult thing I have ever done”.

ALL DONE TO CREATE A BELIEVABLE, IMMERSIVE WORLD

This development of new technologies was made possible by the immense funding provided by 20th Century Fox, as owners of the film. The equipemtn was made specifically to create a world for the audience to believe in and enjoy, so eesentially to provide audience gratification for the target audience of young action-seeking males, for example. By investing so much time and money in this proliferation of equipement 20th Century Fox could be sure that Avatar would be received well by the UK audience.