James Cameron's Avatar

  On 11/26/2009 at 6:56 AM, karmakramer said:

  On 11/26/2009 at 6:39 AM, vasio said:

  On 11/25/2009 at 11:29 PM, Awepittance said:

i have to admit here something about the monster looks like very poorly done CGI, super shiney like pre LOTR level monster effects. the avatar for jake looks 100x better than the thing chasing him. i think the footage overall looks fucking amazing but that monster brings it down a little bit

 

The mechs and choppers also look very shiny, hence why people like to compared to D9 gritty looks that worked so well and fooled many people including me to not be able to distinguish what was CGI to what wasn't.

 

The director of District 9 was very smart to have the movie be filmed like a documentary. I've actually kind of fantasized about what a 3D science fiction film would look like if they used the same technique again but had the budget of Avatar for computer graphics. I think Cameron is going for a handheld style in Avatar to give it a human element, but when you add the grittiness of lo-fi cinematography it hides a lot of the computer generated imperfections, and with the presence of an actual perspective, that reacts and behaves to its surroundings adds even more realism. Basically it would be neat to see Avatar but have someone with Jake document/film his adventures on Pandora. Kind of like Cloverfield, but not as survival horror.

 

Not saying it would be better than Cameron's more traditional approach, but it would surely be interesting to watch the story from the perspective of a team of scientists/marines landing on an alien planet.

I think that style of shooting and setup would be great for a Predator movie, in fact before the na'vi appeared on the trailer that's the vibe I was getting.

Those shots of Cameron doing the camera gave me a lot of faith in the movie. I love how basically he's shooting inside a 3d world. There is a previz world in real-time inside his viewer, he can correctly frame everything cinematographically. Or get instant rushes with a 3d world after each take.

*That* is an investment for Hollywood already, or the technology of recording faces with a small camera strapped to the chin of the actors. In a certain way, Avatar is also a R&D bench for the industry, it's not all wasted money even if the movie does 200 million dollars in the end.

i like action movies and cgi and pretty things and will most probably enjoy this movie

a report from someone on the BBFC rating board (which makes sense bc they have to watch the whole film to rate it). here are some highlights from the report:

- he told me it is extremely good.

- reviewers on the board even clapped when it finished.

- for the entire day, even when reviewing other pictures that was all they were talking about.

-FX work is second to none

- all the scenes seen so far don't even scratch at how ambitious the movie is.

...

FUCK YES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFbI6p-L04

I didn't watch this cause I don't want to see any more footage before the 18th... but from what I have read, this is absolutely amazing demonstration of the tech Cameron and his team have been working with.

  On 11/26/2009 at 8:27 PM, karmakramer said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKFbI6p-L04

 

I didn't watch this cause I don't want to see any more footage before the 18th... but from what I have read, this is absolutely amazing demonstration of the tech Cameron and his team have been working with.

"you don't just want the motion, you want the emotion of someone"

goddammit this film is gonna be so good

  On 11/26/2009 at 9:41 PM, idrn said:

 

"you don't just want the motion, you want the emotion of someone"

 

goddammit this film is gonna be so good

Yes! ... instead of shooting each camera angle for a scene at different times... they have the actors play the whole scene like a theater act and THEN chose the camera angles afterwards.

HOLY FUCK

my brain just imploded and i had a wee

  On 11/26/2009 at 7:14 AM, marf said:

  On 11/26/2009 at 4:56 AM, karmakramer said:

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PXbwNjT-lM

hah .. the more of this film i see, this less hopes i hold for the quality of the plot/etcetera.

I just got my tickets for the sneak premiere december 17th - woowoowowowooowowowo.

  On 11/27/2009 at 10:01 PM, Squee said:

I just got my tickets for the sneak premiere december 17th - woowoowowowooowowowo.

At around 26:20 of the latest installment of Incontention's Oscar Talk podcast, Anne Thompson says that an industry professional she respects saw the film at a secret screening held by Cameron. She says he told her it was 'brilliant' and a 'game changer'.

Before anyone calls this into question, Anne Thompson is the real deal.

There's also a bit of discussion of the hype and marketing around the film after that. No spoilers of any sort.

http://incontention.com/?p=18248

You're a little bit gay for Avatar aren't you?

  On 11/28/2009 at 3:00 PM, Obel said:

You're a little bit gay for Avatar aren't you?

a little...?

  Quote

SIGOURNEY Weaver reckons film fans will go to see the anticipated new 3D movie Avatar FOUR times.

 

The computer-generated epic is the first film in 12 years by director James Cameron.

 

His last film was Titanic which, as well as winning 11 Oscars, is also the biggest grossing movie of all time with a reported box office of $1.8billion.

 

And Sigourney, who won an Oscar nomination when Cameron directed her in Aliens, thinks Avatar could rival his last film.The 60-year old said: "This is my theory... certain people, mainly kids from seven to 35, will see the movie for the first timebecause they are curious.

 

"Then you have to go back to make sure you saw what you thought you saw.

 

"Then you have to go back just to enjoy it now that you know what will happen.

 

"And then you have to go back because you miss being there.

 

"I think it's four times - easy."

First reviews in -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/nov/26/avatar-james-cameron-3d

  Guardian.co.uk said:

A US website has published a first review of James Cameron's forthcoming 3D epic adventure, Avatar, claiming the special effects are 'literally vomit inducing'

 

Its creators claim that it is the future of film-making, leading the way to a brave new world of stereoscopic cinema. And yet, as the hype continues to build around the James Cameron's upcoming Avatar, one lone voice has dared to break from the script. On the contrary, it says, Avatar is "literally vomit inducing".

 

Hollywood gossip site gawker.com has published an anonymous early review from what it claims is "a real live entertainment worker", comprehensively panning the film's storyline and visual techniques. It seems safe to assume that none of the review will be quoted on the movie poster.

 

Budgeted at a reported $237m (£143m), Avatar is Cameron's first dramatic feature since the record-breaking Titanic, back in 1997. The film is a science-fiction fantasy set on a verdant planet called Pandora and following the adventures of a US Marine played by Sam Worthington. Cameron shot the film on his own patented "fusion digital 3D camera system" and experts argue that the results take 3D techniques to a whole new level. It is set for worldwide release on 17 December 2009.

 

The reviewer, however, begs to differ, describing the film as "alienating" and "weird". Moreover, he/she argues that its pioneering visual technology is liable to induce nausea in the viewer. "The problem is with cutting in between 3D focus points and perspective," the mystery critic writes. "The mind cannot adjust to it without a buffer – thus, Avatar is literally vomit inducing."

 

Even the review's praise comes with a sting in the tail. "There are some beautiful moments [in the film]," it concedes. "But overall it's a horrible piece of shit."

And the full quote:

  Gawker.com said:

I watch a lot of movies, and am especially obsessed with watching horrible films with inflated budgets. I was delighted to find that Avatar didn't disappoint in the absolutely horrible fetishizing of azure humanoids that James Cameron has obviously been drawing on the back covers of his notebooks since middle school and secretly getting off to in the gym locker room. The new technology they've been using to eliminate the headaches and sickness conducive to old 3D tech has not been used properly in the action scenes throughout Avatar. The problem is with cutting in between 3D focal points and perspective - the mind cannot adjust to it without a buffer - thus, Avatar is literally vomit inducing.

 

But the movie itself, the story/acting/tone are alienating and weird. Of course there are very beautiful moments, with great editing/sound/art direction, but overall it's a horrible piece of shit. The entirety of the Hollywood marketing machine is behind it, however, so it's going to make a boatload (eh I could slip a Titanic ref. whatever) of money.

Ah.

for some reason this review seems fake to me, either fake or written by someone the wrong amount of fluid in their inner ear. Visual effects = nausea? pussy

in other news Lovely bones reviews are all over the place now , still no 'official' avatar reviews. Im pretty shocked Cameron managed to plug most of the leaks, albeit the Gawker thing MAY be real

I dunno, I felt that just from the chase scene. But yeah, I wonder if it's mainly to drum up some internet traffic for Gawker ...

i just don't see how Avatar's special effects are anymore dizzying than the stuff in Transformers 2, Spiderman 3 or Star Wars episode 3. Maybe this reviewer thoight Cameron would do a totally different type of new 3d , and was disappointed to find it was comparable to Christmas Carol, Beowulf or other 3d films.

Thats definitely fake... only legit review/impression of the whole film is the one I posted above which was from a private screening for Cameron's some 40 professional/personal friends.

Fuck you Alcofribas you moody cuntbag

who in the what now ..

I can easily see how it would be vomit inducing - sensory overload. I have no desire to see it with 3D glasses on, I'm fine with 2D.

16 days!!!!

Interview with James Horner about the movies score - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/12/oscarwinning-composer-james-horner-says-michael-bay-wouldnt-understand-the-soul-of-avatar-.html

I saw a poster for this waiting for the tube this morning, I lolled.