The much anticipated, buzz-generating Avatar–director James Cameron’s first feature since the lauded Titanic–is living up to the buzz, according to the first flight of movie reviews. The film, which just went into general release, has been cited by critics as being historic in that it realizes the long sought after potential of 3D filmmaking, and just as if not more importantly allows audiences to enjoy that experience while whetting their appetite for more, helping 3D to graduate beyond the gimmickry stage to that of enabling full fledged storytelling.
Cameron and his team “have found a way to tell a story using technology so that the technology isn’t the story. It’s a film that awakens different parts of your brain in a participatory manner,” observed Rob Willox, director of Sony Electronics’ content creation group. “The CG work is so fluid and the bottom line is that you’re blown away by the story, by getting the chance to be sucked into an environment rather than having it forced upon you…Once you’ve seen the film, give it 24 hours and you’ll want to visit that world–Pandora–again.”
Willox has enjoyed a behind-the-scenes perspective on Avatar in that Sony had a hand in helping to realize Cameron’s vision and what is now being heralded as a visually immersive 3D experience meshing live action and state-of-the-art visual effects.
Veteran cinematographer and 3D technology expert Vince Pace co-developed the 3D camera rigs, which used Sony cameras specially modified for the movie’s requirements for stereoscopic image capture and production.
Avatar used eight Sony HDC-F950 cameras for primary acquisition. Additionally, Sony HDC-1500 cameras captured speed shots during live action, with the then recently available F23 camera also used for specific shots.
“It was important that the actual shooting of the movie wasn’t impacted by the fact we were doing it in 3D, and these cameras allowed us to do that,” said Pace. “They allowed us to create a unique and completely immersive 3-D experience. I don’t think it could have been done any other way.”
Pace noted that his goal was to create a shooting system that could do both 2D and 3D without impacting the creative direction of the film or disrupting the actors’ performances. The Sony cameras delivered the ideal combination of 2/3-inch image quality and on-the-set flexibility that enabled them to go from handheld to a techno crane to Steadicam at a moment’s notice.
“This movie is the result of nearly four years of production, with Vince and his team modifying the Sony camera systems, and continually refining the technology,” said Willox. “What movie-goers will see on the screen represent the pinnacle of 3D technology, and the unique 3D views are the direct result of the Sony camera systems.”
The Sony cameras were put to the test in a range of shooting conditions: jungle and action sequences, as well as soundstage work for the interaction with the CG characters.
“We knew we could achieve the creative look we wanted with these cameras based on our testing and previous experiences,” Pace said. “Sony’s CineAlta brand and the performance of these camera systems are very well-known and very powerful. The one thing we didn’t want to do was compromise the 2D in the quest for 3D. With these cameras, we were able to tell the story we wanted, in the best way possible.”
Willox said that Sony was happy to play a part in Avatar but gave full credit to the filmmakers. “We got a request to help James realize his dream and vision. We provided a modified camera system to something we had in the pipeline. The true genius is in their manipulation of that technology. What James, Vince and their people did is remarkable.”
Asked what lesson Sony learned from Avatar, Willox said simply, “Provide the technology and get the hell out of the way.”
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles.
Nakamura Whitehouse, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years.
Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation.
EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.”
Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.”
34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More