# Cutting-edge 3D camera system on James Cameron film, "Avatar"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2007, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468 "2007-08-30T05:14:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468/21 "2007-09-01T21:23:24Z")
[QUOTE=Sam Stone] I wonder if a similar technique was used for [Beowulf](http://www.beowulfmovie.com/) [/QUOTE] I highly doubt it. I’m sure it’s mostly the same technology he used in _The Polar Expressionless._ Cameron is onto something way more advanced and interesting. I’m rooting for him and cannot wait to see the results. Seconding what **Euthanasiast** said. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468/22 "2007-09-01T21:34:59Z")
[QUOTE=anamnesis] So many movies today utilize effects just for the sake of doing so … Transformers, King Kong, LOTR, **Independence Day** , or the Star Wars prequels are special effects showcases … endless barrages of computer-generated imagery which drown out the actual photography. [/QUOTE] Independence Day was created with a combination of minitures and some digital manipulation. The “behind the scenes” stuff actually paints that movie as old fashioned. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2007, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468/23 "2007-09-01T21:35:05Z")
Beowulf looks to be about an order of magnitude better than The Polar Express, though. I watched a long trailer for it the other day, and it certainly didn’t seem like the actor’s faces were lacking in expression. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468/24 "2007-09-02T01:31:52Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] Independence Day was created with a combination of minitures and some digital manipulation. The “behind the scenes” stuff actually paints that movie as old fashioned. [/QUOTE] Almost all effects movies do it this way. Even the Star Wars prequels. Very few do not still use miniatures where appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![anamnesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@anamnesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anamnesis)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2007, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468/25 "2007-09-02T01:50:45Z")
Independence Day may be an old movie without thousands of photorealistic 3D rendered computer models like Star Wars, but it was still done using computers, and it is still considered a “special effects extravaganza” popcorn movie. Films like Titanic or T2 use cutting-edge effects shots, for sure, but not to excess. The brief list of flicks I gave were examples of eye-candy movies which have effects sequences in abundance. All of the films I gave as examples have extraneous sequences which are not plot-critical but were added simply for the sake of doing so. Cameron is notorious for his reputation to only make effects sequences if they are absolutely critical to the story. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-edge-3d-camera-system-on-james-cameron-film-avatar/417468.md?page=1)