AVATAR - Final Notes 12.3 - Visual Hollywood

The costume designs by Mayes C. Rubeo and Deborah L. Scott provide yetanother gateway into the Na’vi culture. Although many of the costumes and accessoriesare worn by CG creations, the items were created practically, to best communicate thesubtleties of the costume textures, the weaving styles, and the translucency of the jewelry.Practicality and comfort define the Na’vi clothing, reflecting the grace and beauty ofPandora’s indigenous people.LIVE ACTION PHOTOGRAPHYThe work of director of photography Mauro Fiore, ASC was focused on creatingthe gritty look of the industrial complex at Hell’s Gate. “What they were capturing inperformance capture and what I was creating in the live action sequences needed tocohesively exist in one movie,” says Fiore, who also shot “The Kingdom” and “Smokin’Aces.” Fiore embraced the 3D Fusion camera system, and after extensive testing, tackledthe live action shooting with style and precision. The resulting images blend seamlesslywith the CG created by WETA Digital and ILM.Most of AVATAR’s live-action scenes were shot in Wellington, New Zealand,where enormous sets were erected. This endeavor was an incredible undertaking; theproduction created a huge sub-structure of over 150 contractors to build the sets. Thepractical sets included the Link Room, which houses the sarcophagus-like link thattransports the humans’ consciousness into the avatar bodies, the Bio-Lab – a sciencefacility and home to the amnio tanks that house the avatar bodies that have grown toadulthood during their six-year journey from Earth to Pandora; the Ops Center, which isthe central nervous system of the Hell’s Gate base; and the Armor Bay militarystronghold, which houses the AMP Suits and choppers.In all of AVATAR’s environments, Cameron creates an immersive experience inwhich audiences will feel like they’re alongside the characters on their adventures. Heand Landau have long been champions of 3-D cinema and have worked tirelessly to usethat format to enhance film’s immersive qualities. But they note that they intendAVATAR to also be an immersive experience in 2-D, and the film will play widely inthat format.21