James Cameron's Avatar: The Way Of Water is a film that has to really blow people away with
both it's story and it's technology, prooving that it was worth investing in sequels
to the biggest film of all time. You already know that I'm excited for it and while I've talked
about potential story routes in a previous video, I wanted to do one specifically
discussing the technology and visual effects that Cameron is bringing with his highly
anticipated film to elevate everything onscreen. But before I get into it, if you want to keep
up to date on any of my future content surrounding the Avatar sequels and other sci-fi series such as
Denis Villeneuve's Dune, then don't forget to support this video by giving it a like
rating, subscribing to the channel and turning on your notifications. Also, feel free to check me
out on twitter, facebook, reddit and instagram at cortex videos, which is all linked in
the description below. But without further a do, lets dive into the technology of Avatar 2.
So from a technological perspective, the first Avatar was something quite special.
The original film broke technological boundaries, propelling us into a 3D CGI world that was as
realistic as that technology could be back in those times. 3D films have since not been able
to reach the highs of Avatar and with the film influencing Hollywood to introduce their biggest
films in 3D as a separate format, there needed to be a form of longevity. But as
they couldn't replicate the high standard that Cameron produced,
audiences grew tired of the format and eventually the studios would also limit 3D
screenings of blockbuster films. But while it declined,
Cameron was working on four Avatar sequels and after 13 years of waiting, he's now back
to try and raise the bar with that technology once again.
The first thing to mention surrounding Avatar 2 and it's technology, is that the film is going
to be a record breaking one for the amount of formats it will release in. It has more formats
than any film in history, and this was something engrained in the way the film was built
through it's technology. At CinemaCon a few months ago, Cameron teased a bit of the groundbreaking
tech, describing the film as “the most immersive 3D available.” We learnt that
he was close to finishing the sequel too and he went on to say a few more things. The filmmaker
stated, "I want to start out by saying I know it's been rough on the exhibition community these last
two years. I've been making movies for 40 years, and I've never seen anything like
this, not even close to threatening the business that I've dedicated my life to. I just want you
to hear it from me that producer John Landeau and I are here to work with you. You're our
partners and the best way we can do that is by delivering content that is a must-see experience
at the cinema. With the first Avatar we set out to push the limits of the big screen. With
the new avatar films, we're pushing those limits even further, with 3d high dynamic range,
with high frame rate, higher resolution, and a much greater reality in our visual effects. We
wanted our return to Pandora to be something really special. Every shot was designed for the
biggest screen, the highest resolution, and the most immersive 3d available. We set out once
again to push the limits of what cinema can do. I think we pulled it off. I hope we pulled it off
and I hope when you see the film in December that you will agree." So from this we learn
that Avatar: The Way Of Water is going to be releasing in many different formats with the
addition of 3D HDR and high frame rate. Originally it was reported that Cameron had cancelled
plans for high frame rate, but now it looks like he's going all in on that, and after watching the
footage in high frame rate myself, I must say, the select scenes looked fantastic.
Aparently the high frame rate technology will be shown in up to 48 FPS, which is of course double
the 24 FPS that we normally get in a theatrical film. Normally I would be against this
kind of idea, but again, after seeing the footage and understanding that it works well in bringing
the underwater sequences of Avatar 2 to life in the most immersive way, I'm now all for
it. And with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision also present, we are going to get more varied formats
of 3D come the release on December the 16th. So when keeping in mind the additions of 4K,
48 FPS High Frame Rate, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision releases with Avatar 2,
it looks like we'll be seeing an improvement of the immersive 3D
through these formats. But what is also going to help with the capture of that 3D, is the
way James Cameron has once again used his motion capture filmmaking. So what's different about
it's usage in Avatar: The Way Of Water? Well more specificaly for this film, the filmmaker has used
underwater motion-capure technology for the first time, and compared to other methods
of designing and capturing performances underwater, this is much more realistic. James
Cameron has apparently tested both the traditional mo-cap and his new form of underwater capture
side by side, and according to him and his team, the newly designed tech is much more effective.
In an interview from a few months ago, the filmmaker said, "My colleagues really lobbied
heavily for us to do it dry for wet, hanging people on wires. I said, It's not going to work.
It's not going to look real. I even let them run a test, where we captured dry for wet, and
then we captured in water, a crude level of our in-water capture. And it wasn't even close."
So it's clear that the performance capture of the first film would not work underwater and
that Cameron and his team had to work out a way to record the details in the actors expressions
while underwater. The first film of course focused on the forests and the vast lands of
Pandora, but with the events of this film situating primary in and around the many oceans of
the planet, they had to redesign spaces in which they could pull off many scenes. So according
to reports they built a 900,000-gallon water tank and much of the cast got in scuba suits
to film their sequences. And to avoid air bubbles and the technology interfering with the capture
of their performances, they spent months training with professional divers, learning to hold their
breath for multiple minutes and free diving. Kate Winslet, who's re-teaming with the
director after working with him on Titanic in the 90s, apparently set a record for holding
her breath in one scene and this just shows the commitment they went to in capturing realistic
visual effects with the actors actually present. We also know that James Cameron has always
been fascinated by the ocean, campaigning for the conservation of it and making a
record-breaking trip down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench back in 2012. Not to mention his
early work on The Abyss which was extroadinary for the time. So he's essentially combining
his two greatest passions once again with the ocean and filmmaking, aiming to bring the most
realistic and immersive form of that on screen for the world of Avatar. Instead of just using
green screens or animating actors using CGI, he's going the lengths to create something that looks
more real. We can already see that difference in the comparisons between Avatar 1 and
the sequel just in a few frames, and it's understandable why they're even
improving the original films effects in a remastered version coming this October.
But moving on, you may ask the question, how have they planned to capture this world this
time around using certain cameras and rigs. Well Avatar 2 has used 3D rigs of 6K-quality within
Sony VENICE cameras, and an extension system that allows them to use this high tech in and
around the water at larger distances. Apparently, this was actually built by Sony specifically
for Avatar: The Way Of Water, and alongside converting the data using Blackmagic tech, they
were able to utilize a system that would allow them to watch the large formats on set too.
This includes the high capability of 48fps high frame rate 3D in 4K and HDR. Add on additional
phtography using Sony mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and a waterproof one too, and
it seems that they were fully prepared to take everything to the next level once again. Avatar:
The Way Of Water is defintely going to have to work to grab the attention of audiences 13
years after the success of the original film, but while I consistently say that we should
never doubt James Cameron, I would also say that the work done on a technological point will
surely grab people again this time. In the way that the original Avatar brought in viewers
using it's stunning 3D work, Cameron has managed to bring a theatrical film in new formats and
develop underwater motion capture technology, that will have people wanting to experience
something truly spectacular and modern for this world. The director's passion and determination
to advance digital filmmaking and go to difficult and extreme lengths to make that happen,
is something that is rare on this scale of blockbuster filmmaking.
It's defintely pricey but from what we've already seen of the underwater
sequences from this film, it appears that he will go far to capture exactly what he wants
to achieve. And the footage we've already seen might only look better as we get closer to the
release date. Avatar: The Way Of Water is going to be a real treat in IMAX this December and I'm
really looking forward to seeing how James Cameron has upped the bar using all of
this new technology and the work he's done on multiple formats.
But that was my video discussing the current details for the technology used in Avatar:
The Way Of Water. Based on what we've seen in the first trailer, I think it visually looks quite
stunning and the additions that James Cameron has made through tech, whether it be with 3D HDR,
high frame rate and underwater mo-cap, really excite me to see the final product. Like I
said the other week in a previous video, it's all about whether Cameron can bring us a story
that's unique and grander than the original, but his filmmaking will only elevate that if
it's good. He's one of the rare digital filmmakers to really put the huge amount of effort in
to capture CGI and the colours of 3D and animated work to extroadinary levels, and hopefully
come this December, he will raise the bar once again. But let me know down below in the comments
section whether you're looking forward to any of the tech or visual effects on display in
Avatar 2 and do you think that based on the early looks at the film that James Cameron
has been successful in bringing the next generation of this technology to screen.
For much more videos and news on James Cameron's Avatar films and upcoming sci-fi projects,
then subscribe to the channel and turn on your notifications. Also if you enjoyed this video
remember to leave a like rating and follow me on social media via the links in the description.
But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.