Movies - TV
Creating The VFX For Avatar: The Way Of Water In 3D And HFR Was A Unique Challenge
By MIKE SHUTT
Moviegoers can’t watch a major Hollywood blockbuster today without being overwhelmed by a barrage of VFX that has sadly become repetitive and unoriginal. However, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way Of Water” has again pushed the boundaries of VFX, and what’s even more impressive is that his effects team has managed to do this in 3D.
3D and HFR (High Frame Rate) require there to be no visible seams in the effects, but those formats also need to be integrated into the look of the film in a way that can enhance the beauty of the effects. Finding that marriage isn't easy and requires acute attention to detail and the time needed to get everything looking just right.
Jon Landau, the producer of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” said, “[T]he key for good 3D is for us to make sure it's sustainable for the three hours, the length of the movie. It can be very easy to be seduced by the novelty of 3D and push back and forth or throw objects at the camera. That's not us at all. We tried to integrate it as part of our visual language.”
“The Way Of Water” is arguably the most successful movie when it comes to implementing HFR, but unfortunately for effects artists, creating things that need to work for 48 frames per second essentially doubles their workload. Plus, the amount of space and processing power to create this kind of material is staggering.
The film's creatives also had to deal with the movie's water, an even more laborious undertaking, and managed to create effects for plant and marine life that enhanced the 3D components during the underwater sequences. Considering the thematic importance of water, they needed to get these moments right — and they succeeded beautifully.