Movies - TV
How Avatar: The Way Of Water Made Riding An Alien Creature Look As Real As Possible
By CAMERON ROY HALL
For “Avatar,” James Cameron revolutionized the art of motion capture (a process by which physical entities or actions are digitally recreated) so that his fictional world could appear realistic. However, Cameron took it to another CGI level in the sequel, “The Way Of Water,” by having his artistic team and actors get hands-on experience riding the film’s new aquatic beasts.
In an interview with National Geographic, Cameron broke down yet another technological invention that he and his team created to flesh out the world of “Avatar.” In this case, Cameron and company kitbashed the giant alien sea creatures by combining a Flyboard, a submarine, and a Harrier jet.
Cameron said, "[We built machines] that could do what the creatures [in 'The Way of Water'] did: race around underwater at high speed, pop out of the water, fly over the surface of the water, go back into the water ... and we figured out how you would really ride such a thing [...] [and] taught the actors how to do it.”