Avatar

Avatar is a 2009 science fiction epic film written, produced and directed by the prestigious and respected James Cameron (Titanic).

The film was originally to be released in 1999 but Cameron decided that the technology at the time wasn't advanced enough for his vision of the film.

The film was released in late 2009, in 2D and 3D. The films technology is so advanced and vivid, especially in 3D. It amazed most of the people that watched it, having never seen anything like it to date. The special effects and CGI is outstanding and so it should having a budge of £237, 000,000.

Cameron used well known actors as a way of drawing in his audience.

Technology 

"Cameron planned to create photo-realistic computer-generated characters by using motion-capture animation technology. Unlike previous motion-capture systems, where the digital environment is added after the actors' motions have been captured, Cameron's new virtual camera allows him to observe directly on a monitor how the actors' virtual counterparts interact with the movie's digital world in real time and adjust and direct the scenes just as if shooting live action." (Wikipedia)

Cameron pioneered a specially designed camera built into a 6-inch boom that allowed the facial expressions of the actors to be captured and digitally recorded for the animators to use later.

Production Issues

"“I wanted to create a familiar type of adventure in an unfamiliar environment, “ Cameron explains, “by setting the classic tale of a newcomer to a foreign land and culture on an alien planet. The story is by design classic in its broad strokes, but we have plenty of twists and turns in store for the audience. I’ve dreamed of creating a film like this, set on another world of great danger and beauty""

"With the performance capture method, none of these negatives apply.  Though the CG characters in AVATAR resemble the actors who play them, their fundamental proportions are different.  The Na’vi eyes are twice the diameter of human eyes, and they are spaced farther apart.  The Na’vi are much leaner than humans, with longer necks, and they have different bone and muscle structures, including most obviously, their three-fingered hands.  As CG characters, the Na’vi and the avatars can be made much larger than human.  Blue make-up would have made the skin opaque, but with CG the characters can be given translucent skin which behaves like real skin, in which the pigment at the surface does not mask the red glow of the blood beneath, such as when strong sunlight hits the backs of the characters’ ears.  All of these subtleties combine to allow the creation of seemingly living creatures."

"to ensure the complete reality of the characters.  To do this, they developed a new “image-based facial performance capture” system, using a head-rig camera to accurately record the smallest nuances of the actors’ facial performances. Instead of using the motion capture technique of placing reflective markers on the actors’ faces to capture their expressions, the actors wore special headgear, not unlike a football helmet, to which a tiny camera was attached."

"Most importantly, the camera recorded eye movement, which had not been the case with prior systems."

"Another innovation created especially for AVATAR was the Virtual Camera, which allowed Cameron to shoot scenes within his computer-generated world, just as if he were filming on a Hollywood soundstage.   Through this virtual camera, the director would see not Zoë Saldana, but her 10-foot tall blue-skinned character, Neytiri.  Instead of Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver, he would see their giant blue avatars, complete with tails and huge golden eyes.  And instead of the austere gray space of the Volume, he would see the lush rainforest of Pandora, or perhaps the floating Hallelujah Mountains, or the human colony at Hell’s Gate."

Exchange and Exhibition

Many trailers and parody trailers were released on Youtube, causing a buzz with audiences and comments like "So worth it! Even better than anyone could of thought"

Avatar was released as a mainstream film on the 17th December 2009. It was released as a 12A and nominated for 9 Oscars, along with 33 other nominations for various awards. Avatar also has  total of 14 wins so far, including Critics Choice Award. 

Box office

Opening Weekend: £8,509,050       UK

 : $77, 025, 481   USA