Unveiling the Magic: Avatar's CGI-Free Scenes
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Drinking Water on Pandora
- Filming the Kiss Scene
- Flying on a Banshee
- Navi Yelling
- Colonel Miles Kworich's Mech Suit
- The Thanator
- Sigourney Weaver's Motion Capture Suit
- Motion Capture Horses
- Climbing the Vines
- Filming Without Motion Capture
- Planning Scenes in Hawaii
- The Tree of Voices
- Tribal Dance
- Dragon Assault Ships
- 3D Technology
- Conclusion
Filming Avatar: Behind the Scenes
James Cameron's Avatar is a groundbreaking film that pushed the boundaries of technology and storytelling. The film's stunning visuals and immersive world-building were made possible by the extensive use of CGI and motion capture technology. However, what many people don't realize is that the actors and crew had to work with some unconventional methods to bring the world of Pandora to life. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the behind-the-scenes moments that made Avatar such a cinematic masterpiece.
Drinking Water on Pandora
One of the most Memorable scenes in Avatar is when we see Navi character Natieri drinking water from a leaf. However, what many people don't know is that the scene was actually filmed without CGI. Actress Zoe Saldana had to work with a grey plastic contraption to model as the leaf while holding a water bottle covered in duct tape to simulate water coming from the leaf. It's a testament to the film's commitment to authenticity that they went to such lengths to Create a believable scene.
Filming the Kiss Scene
While the kiss scene between Jake and Nati in Avatar is romantic on screen, the reality of filming it was quite different. Actors Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana had to kiss while wearing motion capture jumpsuits and with green dots all over their faces so that the motion capture on their character's CGI bodies would be accurate and more real. It's a testament to their acting skills that they were able to convey such emotion while wearing such unconventional gear.
Flying on a Banshee
One of the most exciting action scenes in Avatar is when we see Jake flying on a banshee. While a lot of CGI was needed to bring the banshee to life, Sam Worthington was required to fly on the back of a moving plastic structure where he'd be flung around with wires all while wearing the motion capture suit. It's a testament to his dedication to the role that he was willing to endure such discomfort to create a believable scene.
Navi Yelling
Whenever anybody in a movie yells, it's always intense. However, when a Blue-skinned alien like Navi character Nathiri yells, it's even more powerful. Actress Zoe Saldana was still able to be quite intimidating on set despite the goofy motion capture getup and the silly plastic Navi ears.
Colonel Miles Kworich's Mech Suit
The main villain of Avatar was Stephen Lang's Colonel Miles Kworich, who, unlike a lot of the other characters who required CGI, is actually a human. One might assume that the colonel's mech suit design was all CGI, but they would be wrong. The main Core design of the suit was a practical effect, but the arm and the digital screens were later added with additional CGI work in order to make the suit a more formidable force to the Navi.
The Thanator
One of the first dangerous creatures that Jake encounters in the jungles of Pandora is the fierce Thanator. While the Thanator is quite intimidating on screen, the creature wasn't much to look at before the CGI was added. In fact, before the CGI was added, standing in for the Thanator was a red tennis ball on a long gray stick held by a crew member.
Sigourney Weaver's Motion Capture Suit
Sigourney Weaver plays Grace in the film and doesn't just play the character in human form but also as a Navi. While even in her Navi form, Grace typically wears human clothes, behind the scenes, Weaver had to still wear a motion capture suit to convincingly play Grace's Navi avatar.
Motion Capture Horses
Actual horses were used under motion capture technology for the dire horses. The horses were equipped with dots on their body much like their human co-stars in order for them to be transformed later with visual effects. The horses were brought to the soundstage of the film, and Cameron would film the actors behind the Navi riding the horses with the special technology that would allow him to be their CGI counterparts as they were filming.
Climbing the Vines
Whenever we saw the Navi climbing up the vines of the ominous floating rocks on Pandora, Cameron had the actors behind the Navi climb a similar structure all in their motion capture gear. The final CGI was added later, but still, that didn't make the climb any less dangerous.
Filming Without Motion Capture
Motion capture wasn't always available when capturing scenes with the Navi, especially when they shared the screen with the human characters. When recording the scene where Jake first wakes up in his Navi form, Cameron filmed the actors playing the human doctors working around an empty gurney. Behind the lens of Cameron's camera, he was able to see the CGI character.
Planning Scenes in Hawaii
Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana filmed without their suits half-naked in Hawaii. This would be done in order so James Cameron could know how to plan all their scenes that would need motion capture, such as the bow and arrow scene.
The Tree of Voices
The Tree of Voices is perhaps one of the most gorgeous-looking set pieces in all of Avatar. But behind the scenes and without the CGI, that sacred tree wasn't much to look at. In fact, the trees were mainly just pieces of rope that were used to simulate the long leaves and branches of the trees that Netiri would present to Jake.
Tribal Dance
The Navi clearly have a different culture than what we're used to, and Cameron wanted to display some of the tribal customs of the main tribe in the film. The group of four actors may not have had the biggest roles in the film, but that didn't mean their work wasn't difficult. These actors ultimately had to memorize a tribal dance of the Navi in all their motion capture suits.
Dragon Assault Ships
There were times on set where James Cameron and his crew had more accurate models of the dragon assault ships. However, there were times where the models wouldn't be enough. In order to film the scene, Cameron had the motion capture board use a metal-like chair in the middle of the set that would be moved around by crew members. A fan was also placed in front of the actors in order to properly capture the wind blowing in their characters' faces.
3D Technology
Avatar was one of the first films to use 3D technology in such an extensive way. The 3D, much like the CGI, had to be recorded in a distinct way using two cameras. This scene where the colonel is attacked on his mech by one of the Navi used two cameras to perfect the 3D and the CGI. One camera would be used for the live-action elements, and the other would be used for the CGI 3D elements.
Conclusion
Avatar was a groundbreaking film that pushed the boundaries of technology and storytelling. The film's extensive use of CGI and motion capture technology allowed for a stunning visual experience that was unlike anything seen before. However, it's the commitment to authenticity and dedication to the craft by the cast and crew that truly made Avatar a cinematic masterpiece.
