Comments on: Avatar and the Future of Digital Entertainment Creation

By: chienyih

chienyih — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:38:15 +0000

motoko kusanagi : I can see how you feel, I wathced james cameron avatar myself, yea I think it’s probably made a stepping stone for the people who’s interest in the vfx and stereoscopic line, I can give them that moment for achieving something, I also agree that vfx doesn’y become the main base for them film, it only contribute to the film just to give it appeal.

By: fxdfp

fxdfp — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:09:37 +0000

Motoko, yes mocap, IBL, and photo real characters have been around for years. What’s cutting edge is what’s called simulcam. Simulcam is a realtime compe of cg characters/bg’s with live action actors and sets. THAT’s what hasn’t been done prior to Avatar. If you can understand the power and genius behind simulcam, then you can appreciate the technical prowess of this film. I was blown away by it because I got to see it 1st hand.

By: Pierre

Pierre — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:40:39 +0000

I picked up from the ginormica sponsorships and marketing guerrilla behind the film, that when it comes in terms of “ahead” it´s referring to effective methods to produce accurately (scenes, fx, compose, etc..), and actually “launching” a whole brand new demand for entertainment as 3D viewing experience for home demand. Being said, huge deals with sony and other monsters of imagery were created to supply the new “third” dimension market. So there´s no point saying this movie isn´t making a history change…because as you said: it´s been done before (sfx); but this is a unique film awaking the necessity to switch towards change on entertainment.

By: Motoko kusanagi

Motoko kusanagi — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:02:59 +0000

Ok im getting pretty irritated with all this AVATAR leading the way stuff. Fact is AVATAR’s effects is anything but brand new in the world of computer graphics and animation. People have been making believable characters for years!. And if your truly in-the-know youve either been a part of have seen the development of these techniques. Take a look at Paul Debevec’s site and youl get what im on about. AVATAR should be noted as being the first movie to employ So many of the industry top technique into a workable film production pipeline (and budget). But much of whats been seen in AVATAR couldve been created some years earlier if not for the lack of chip processing power at the time. Rendering speed is the quality-cap on any CG effects related film and AVATAR directly mirrors the progress that’s been made in the processing field. Its a HUGE difference between making a believable character at home at 1080p compared to creating that same image at 4K resolution and to do so on a feature film scale is staggering. AVATAR is also commended facial capturing methods rather than using animators. But i gota say i didnt see anything an animator couldnt pull off. instead i submit that speed is the issue here, the time it takes to deliver – redo- edit or tweek such a performances is the factor,
But in the end of all the CGI hype it all boils down to STORY. AVATAR with all the cash that it produced, really *didnt* have such a stupendous story. In fact the story was really cookie cutter, most of the Characters generic. So what was AVATAR all about? simple.
AVATAR was Camerons way of moving these experimental technoglies into the production phase and making them work together.
He did what was necessary to dispel the nay sayers of stereoscopic 3D as only a gimmic. ITS NOT if you know what your doing. most directors dont. (ie PARANA 3D ) Iif i see another director place a spear sword or arrow tip at the camera im gonna loose it!
But if realism is what avatar was about, then you have to ask yourself. why not paint people blue? isnt that what your geting in the end.