Finally, the premier of Avatar is upon us. Next Friday, Dec. 18, when the film is released, James Cameron‘s vision will be realized. At least, I hope so. I’ve been looking forward to Avatar since I first heard of it – and I want it to be incredible. Of course, Avatar already has several things going for it, as far as AfterEllen.com is concerned. Here are three.
Frankly, Weaver alone is enough to get me to the theater, but if Avatar works, it will be unlike anything we’ve seen so far. The film features a “new generation” of special effects and 3-D technology that promise not only to allow the viewer to see a new world, but to actually experience it. The newly released extended trailer summarizes the story. Cameron came up with the idea of Avatar in 1995, but had to wait for technology to catch up. In the interim, Peter Jackson discovered how to combine computer imagery with human motion to create Lord of the Rings. Robert Zemeckis succeeded in shooting entire films using performance capture, in which actors worked on a bare stage in skintight outfits with sensors read by digital cameras. Computer animation filled in the details after the fact, giving us The Polar Express and Beowulf. Avatar builds on those accomplishments, but pushes the technology further with brand new innovations. And Fox admitted this week that it is the studio’s most expensive movie ever. If you’re a techno-geek like I am, you’ll enjoy this video describing how Cameron’s vision came to life. The world premier of Avatar is tonight in London, so we’ll know tomorrow whether an audience is as blown away by the film as expected. As for me, I’ll probably see the movie regardless. How about you? Is Avatar‘s world one you want to visit?
