5 innovations of Avatar

Avatar was not only an epic film but a game changer in the film industry. How did James Cameron pull off this amazing film? Lets take a look at five of the many technological innovations that James Cameron employed in his upcoming sci-fi epic 3D film Avatar.

Five Innovations in Avatar

Posted on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 by Peter Sciretta of SlashFilm.com

1. Performance Capture Workflow: A lot of the film was captured using a performance capture technique similar to that of which Robert Zemeckis filmed Beowulf. So Cameron developed a virtual camera which will allow his to point it at his actors and see them as their computer generated characters in real time.
2. Simulcam: A camera set-up which allows them to follow or monitor a virtual character which was captured in performance capture into a live action environment in real-time. It also allows them to see what a virtual backgrounds will look like in a live-action shot. I know that Steven Spielberg had a set-up like this on A.I., but I think it only showed him wireframes of buildings, and was very glitchy. My impression from Cameron’s quotes is that the new technology renders something a lot more visual, probably akin to a video game (likely more last generation).
3. Facial Capture Head Rig: The actors in performance capture suits also wear a camera rig on their heads that takes digital shots of the actor’s face. This allows the computer generated character to have 100% facial movement, even in the real-time performance capture workflow mentioned above.
4. Facial Performance Replacement: In traditional filmmaking they use ADR (or additional Dialogue Replacement) when filmmakers need a cleaner take of the actor’s dialogue, or need to fudge in a new line. But with a traditional film, you really need to trick a shot to make it work. The lips don’t always match up, and sometimes, if you’providing an entirely new line of dialogue, filmmakers usually resort to a wide shot or a behind the head shot, so that you can’t see the lips of the actor on-screen. Since 60% of Avatar is performance capture, he has designed a way to insert a new facial scan/dialogue capture on an existing performance.
5. Fusion 3-D Camera System: The Fusion 3-D camera system was co-developed by James Cameron and Vince Pace. The rig uses two Sony HDCF950 HD cameras to create stereoscopic 3-D. Cameron first used the system on his 2003 IMAX film Ghosts of the Abyss. It has since been used by Robert Rodriguez on Spy Kids 3-D and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, and most recently on Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert and Journey to the Center of the Earth. But I’m not exactly sure what improvements Cameron made to the rig over the last five years.

Check out SlashFilm.com

Nothing fake about Avatar at the Box Office

As anticipated, the world of Avatar ruled the universe at the box office with $73 million, $3 million more than experts predicted. Thursday night’s midnight showing was the highest ever 3-D opening with $3.5 Million. With positive reviews and strong word of mouth, Avatar will surely dominate throughout the holiday. The Princess and the Frog took a big hit down to $12.2 million. The Blind Side continues another strong weekend at $10 million bringing it’s total to almost $165 since it’s opening. Twilight is quickly dissappearing but not before raking in $274 million.

1		Avatar Weekend gross: $73M Total Gross: $73M
2		The Princess and the Frog Weekend gross: $12.2M Total Gross: $44.7M
3		The Blind Side Weekend gross: $10M Total Gross: $164.7M
4		Did You Hear About the Morgans? Weekend gross: $7M Total Gross: $7M
5		Twilight: New Moon Weekend gross: $4.4M Total Gross: $274.5

James Cameron’s AVATAR is worth the wait

*no spoilers*
James Cameron’s last film set sail in 1997 and it was an unparalleled success in the box office. 12 years and $300-500 million dollars later, Cameron is back in an attempt to be ‘king of the world’. The absence of Cameron has been felt in Hollyworld and has left room for the Michael Bays to stake their claim in a new era of filmmaking. Well it may have taken a while for Avatar to come to fruition, but it was unequivocally worth the wait.

The story is a familiar one about greedy earthlings that need a precious element found abundantly on a planet called Pandora. The problem is that the tree hugging natives, called the Na’vi, stand in the way. The science branch has developed anl avatar technology that allows a marine named Jake (Sam Worthington) to inhabit a test tube Na’vi in hopes of negotiating a peaceful solution to their dilemna. As expected that doesn’t work and the military decides to do its thing and Jake must decide which world he will side with.

At this point, we can’t go any further without commenting on the visuals of this film. The graphics are almost another character in the movie with a life of it’s own. Today, special effects are so overused in most films that it’s less ’special’ and more just effects. Cameron has created a whole new experience and has pushed the bar higher than anyone has ever gone before. The imagery is visceral, complex, and vibrant. The art direction was brilliantly conceived and this has to rank as one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Visual, Avatar gets an A++.

I am usually pretty apprehensive about 3-D films. It’s usually not necessary and the gags get old after while. However, I can now see why Cameron pushed for this new technology for this film. It’s an immersive force and immediately makes you a believer. The 3-D is less in your face and more about creating depth of field. There is finally a real sense of dimension to the 3-D experience. There were several scenes were I felt I was right in the same room with the actors!  Bravo Jimmy.

Unfortunately, there is a weak part in the Avatar machine and it’s a pretty big one. The script is terribly unoriginal. It’s a futuristic Dances with Wolves set on another planet. Everyone plays their parts from  the military fanatic, greedy scientist, brave leader, native princess, and noble chief. Its done fine but the all too  familiar story has a strange juxtaposition against the immensely original backdrop of Avatar. James, you should have spent less time in front of Photoshop and more time with pen/paper in hand. Shame on you.

Still, despite the screenplay short comings, I had an incredibly wonderful time during the meaty 2 1/2 hours. It moves well, has spectacular action, and is an inspirational escape from reality. I don’t think it matches up to the titanic pieces like Aliens and the Terminator but it can stand solidly on it’s own right. Avatar is an amalgamation of Cameron’s past works. If you are a fan, you will see familiar elements from past his favorites represented in Avatar. Overall, I would highly recommend this film. Welcome back James, you have been missed and we are all looking forward to you setting new standards in filmmaking in the future.

I would have given this a 5 Babble rating, but I had to penalize Avatar for it;s unoriginal storyline. So I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Check out our other posts on Avatar

AVATAR midnight opening totals and celeb comments

Avatar is finally here and hordes of sci-fi nerds and James Cameron fans will be out in droves to experience the long anticipated 3-D adventure. But no screening could be as cool as one held on Wednesday night. Cameron threw a private viewing party inviting his peers and other industry professionals to critic his new work. Variety Magazine reported these comments: 

Michael Bay: “Avatar puts you in another world, and that’s the highest praise.”

Michael Mann: “There’s before this movie and after this movie.”

Steven Spielberg: “The most evocative and amazing science-fiction movie since ‘Star Wars.’

“Simpsons” creator Matt Groening: “I feel like this is a landmark in the history of cinema: it’s great storytelling using completely artificial means.”

Wow, I bet that was some party.

Avatar’s Thursday midnight totals were 3.5 million dollars in 2000 theaters (most in 3-D). Twilight: New Moon holds the current record at 26.3 million. We also have to remember the mega-hit Titanic (opening same weekend in ‘97) opening day was less than 9 million. It went on to be the highest grossing film of all time at 600 million domestically.

First reviews of Avatar coming soon. Check out our other posts on Avatar.

Behind the scenes of AVATAR

We are on the eve of the highly anticipated James Cameron film, Avatar. BabbleOn will be attending the midnight show tonight as well as Friday morning. Reviews to be posted soon. If you are not sure about seeing this, check out this ‘behind the scenes’ featurette about the making of Avatar.

Check out our other posts on Avatar.

My top 5 James Cameron movies of all time

As we approach the release of the highly anticipated and long waited AVATAR on December 18th, I thought it would be great to be reminded of some of James Cameron’s other achievements over his lifetime. AVATAR marks the grand return of Cameron to the big screen after 12 years. If you are a younger, you might not appreciate the genius of Cameron and how he shaped an entire generation of film goers. His creations became not only are some of the most profitable films in history, but some of the most iconic films in the sci-fi genre. So in honor of Cameron, here are the original trailers from my top 5 films that made him a legend.

#5 The Abyss (1989)

#4 Titanic (1997)

#3 Terminator (1984)

#2 Aliens (1986)

#1 Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

More Avatar Pics

Avatar budget rumored at $500 million!

"Get into tha choppa..."

Article by Peter Hall of Cinematical.com

Talking about film budgets is a tricky thing. Talking about the budget for Avatar is an even trickier thing. I recently mused about how Fox’s huge gamble had caused four highly-anticipated films in China to flee from its shadow, poising the film on the precipice of a perfect storm of box office success in China that no previous film had been privy to. In doing so I invoked the ire of a good number of commenters, all of whom felt my budget-returning extrapolation from the news that Avatar is set to dominate in 80% of China’s screens during its biggest blockbuster season wasn’t just a wrong hypothetical, but downright ignorant.

While I still stand by the point of that post – that the hitherto unseen convergence of all the elements behind Avatar’s release is going to see unprecedented box office in China – I’ll concede that there is no chance that the film makes its budget back from China alone; not with the New York Times now claiming that the film’s price tag is breaching the half-billion mark. As with all things budget, however, this number isn’t as simple as it looks.

The $500 million is NYT’s combination of the estimated $300 million it cost to actually produce the film, the approximately $150 million Fox plans to spend on global marketing alone, with the remaining $50 million being a cushion for the cumulative costs some of the film’s partners have already ponied up (such as Avatar Day, whose bill was footed mostly by IMAX). However, even if their newly estimated number is accurate, that doesn’t mean that Fox is on the line for the full half-billion.

The NYT goes on to estimate that as much as 60% of Avatar’s production budget was funded by the combined investments of Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Media. Neither of the private equity firms have confirmed the exact amount of their fiscal claim to James Cameron’s effects extravaganza, but this kind of outside behavior is nothing new in this reborn economic climate in which studios have begun to minimize their risk involved with a film by partnering with others with deep pockets. The upside to this is it allows Fox to roll the dice on an original film property starring no A-list actors in a genre that has proven, for Hollywood, largely resistant to innovation. The downside is, even if the film does gangbusters, Fox’ profit reaping is diluted between itself and the aforementioned deep pockets.

That said, Fox has apparently been hedging their bet this whole time. Regardless if the film cost $300 million or $500 million, it’s going to take months before its success or failure can begin to be accurately measured. That’s why the studio plans on dropping the ace up their sleeve that is Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel on Christmas Day. The previous Chipmunks outing brought Fox a sizeable $217 million box office haul in the US, with a bonus $143 million from around the world. So whether Avatar explodes out of the gate or not, a few CGI chipmunks should help bouy the studio’s balance sheets until there is enough data to reflect if their gamble on what may be the most expensive movie ever made was brilliant or foolish.

Avatar Thanator chase scene

Here is a 2 1/2 minute clip from a chase sequence from James Cameron’s Avatar. This marks the return of one of the greatest filmmakers in history. It’s the first major film Cameron has directed in over 10 years. Avatar releases on December 18th:

Avatar Trailer #2

Being a huge Avatar supporter, I’ve been waiting all week for the second trailer to this movie to be released online. It’s finally here and I believe it’s gonna be EPIC! Take a look below:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809804784/video/16357477

The latest photos of James Cameron’s Avatar

There is a lot of hype and expectations building for this movie. From the trailer it doesn’t look ground breaking, but Cameron promises an incredible experience- and he rarely disappoints. Here are the latest photos released for Avatar which is set to release on Dec 18th.

 

 

James Cameron’s Avatar Teaser Trailer is up.

Apple has posted the long anticipated James Cameron film Avatar. It’s very hard to find right now and is getting pulled from YouTube and Google Video. So for now it’s only available at Apple.com.

Cameron is claiming that Avatar will be a breakthrough experience in both CGI and in 3-D. He is staking his career on this one. It certainly looks interesting but as we all learned this past summer, it has to have strong characters and a compelling story. Let us know what you think.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/avatar/ to see the full trailer.

Or check out YouTube for as long as its up…

Interview with James Cameron on Avatar