About Us

Friday, 23 September 2016

Avatar Production Design Review

James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar boasts some incredible production design, and has been recognised in many awards ceremonies. The production design team of Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg and Kim Sinclair took out Best Production Design at the 2010 Academy Awards, the 2010 British Academy Awards and the 2010 Saturn Awards, as well as being nominated for the same award at the Society of Film Critics awards in 2010.


Carter has talked about the sets he created, and the glowing night world that is depicted on screen has been influ
enced by what he had actually seen at the bottom of the ocean while working on Titanic. Pandora, the jungle world in Avatar, has a dreamy quality, especially at night time. The incredibly images allow audiences to suspend their disbelief of a world very different from our own, and are immersed in the film’s story world.

Carter creates work that intends to make the viewer almost believe they are in the world. He has said that he strives to make sets or looks that draw the viewer into the film and the film world, and that if someone is questioning how they have made something or how a certain effect has been achieved then he hasn’t done his job. His work on Avatar is certainly an example of this, with the sets drawing people into the world and working in sync with the script, the actors, sound, cinematography and other departments to create an environment that feels real although it is so different from the one we know.

The 3D technology and image quality bring out the incredible sets, along with the visual effects that bring the characters to life. Cameron’s initial script included examples of the environment he saw, giving Carter and his team images of purple moss reacting to pressure, rings of green light and an overall dreamlike quality and beauty that served as a starting point. No matter what environment the design team created, they created smaller and bigger details to give the spaces a feel of being grounded in reality. The dramatically different sets and locations make this film feel grounded while exploring ideas and places distinctly different from each other and our own reality. This film is certainly one to see for the production design alone.



Georgia x


No comments:

Post a Comment