Text / Li Tingjun
Editor: Liu Luoqi
Editor-in-Charge / Du Simeng
Today (December 16), "Avatar: The Way of Water" officially landed in theaters, and on the first day of release, the box office has exceeded 156 million. Chinese mainland film market also ushered in a single-day box office of more than 100 million after 69 days.
On January 4, 2010, "Avatar" directed by James Cameron was released, and the final box office reached 1.715 billion (including re-screenings), and triggered the construction boom of domestic 3D and IMAX theaters, promoting the development process of domestic 3D movies.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" was created by James Cameron for 13 years, aiming to present more Pandora legends to the audience, and a more immersive feast of light and shadow on the big screen.
In the film, Jack has become the patriarch of the Na'vi clan, forms a family with Nitri, and has a pair of lovely children. Until one day, the accidental death of the tribal brothers shattered their peaceful life, and Jack and his clan embarked on a journey against the forces of evil... James Cameron said that Chinese audiences pay great attention to family, and "Avatar: The Way of Water" is a family movie that crosses the generation gap, and I believe that Chinese audiences can find more resonance.
It is reported that "Avatar: The Way of Water" cost up to 350 million US dollars, not only created a new facial capture technology, but also overcame technical difficulties such as "underwater 3D shooting" to cope with the new changes in the main story scenes of the sequel from the jungle to the ocean, making every detail achieve a qualitative leap.
How confident is James Cameron in the audiovisual effects of Avatar: The Way of Water? He once told the publicity team that the trailer can be cut at will, and in any case it cannot match the shock brought by the feature film.
01
"Water" is a symbol of balance
Set more than a decade after the first story, "Avatar: The Way of Water" tells the story of the Sully family who protect each other in the face of difficulties, face challenges, and fight for survival. In the film, the audience can see that the island and reef people who have adapted to marine life have a connection with nature like the Na'vi people on land, and the aquatic people can dive under the water with bated breath and connect to deliver oxygen to them.
James Cameron introduced that this connection is not only the transmission of nerve impulses, allowing them to communicate with the spirit of the gods, they can also maintain a spiritual connection with the sacred tree forever, just like an umbilical cord, human beings are natural children, this umbilical cord is an externalized symbol of our connection with nature.
In China, water is a symbol of harmony and balance, a theme that James Cameron continues to explore in the "Avatar" series.
He said that in the Na'vi civilization, there is a philosophical concept called "balance of all things", which is a bridge connecting the Avatars with the surrounding life. They think humans are crazy because they don't understand the meaning of balance and don't live on the principle of balance.
For example, the word "animal" is used in human language, but most of it is not in indigenous languages because they do not feel distinguished from animals. There is also the word "nature", which is not in most indigenous languages, because they feel that they are part of nature.
"Na'vi culture contains many similar ideas, all derived from the cultures of the ancestors of the earth, the indigenous people, the rainforest dwellers, and Avatar: The Way of Water has done a lot of research on this." James Cameron said.
So from the perspective of the Na'vi, the "Avatar" series is about the game between two instincts. James Cameron believes that there are both guardians and marauders among humans. If the marauders win, mankind and nature go to extinction; If the Guardians win, we must change everything that exists, because humanity has lost the "balance of everything". Coincidentally, "water" is a symbol of balance.
Wu Ying, manager of Beijing China Film International Cinema (Party History Museum Cinema), introduced that their theaters have a total of 15 theaters, including 1 CINITY dual-camera giant screen hall and 2 CINITY standard halls, and "Avatar 2" in Hall 1 dual-camera 120-frame CINITY Cinema has three screenings, with an attendance rate of up to 50%. "On Wednesday, the 50 per cent attendance was impressive. Especially in terms of visual experience, the audience recognized it very much, felt that the special effects were particularly exciting, the picture was particularly beautiful, and the three-hour duration was completely insufficient to watch, and some viewers said that they had begun to look forward to the third "Avatar". Wu Ying said.
02
Watch movies on the big screen
is "Open Correctly"
When "Avatar" was released, the audience experienced the charm of IMAX 3D, which was hard to find. James Cameron admits that before working with IMAX, he had been pursuing the ultimate in film shooting and visual effects to achieve an immersive experience. Through 3D animation and high-definition high-definition highlighting, IMAX halls can make audiences feel "pushed" into the big screen. When watching the movie, the audience will feel that the water is in front of you, and everything is within reach.
And in "Avatar: The Way of Water", James Cameron relaxes the sense of lens, the framing is wider, and the audience can feel every scene in the surrounding environment. The story of the film revolves around the family, there are more characters than in the first film, and almost every shot has multiple faces at the same time, such a scene will produce unparalleled beauty when projected on a wide screen.
In the later stages of the film, James Cameron always watched the picture with a mask, which reflected the aspect ratio of the ordinary movie screen, but when he spent 3 or 4 hours a day viewing specific visual effects, he would ask to remove the cover and watch a wider picture.
James Cameron bluntly said that watching movies on the big screen is the "right way to open" "Avatar: The Way of Water". "There's no doubt that this movie is tailor-made for the big screen – and watching this movie for the big screen in IMAX halls is a pleasure that many other movies can't. If you only watch it on streaming platforms, I don't think you have seen it. If you didn't watch it in 3D, you haven't seen the movie. If you don't watch the 3D version of Avatar: The Way of Water in the theater, you are only watching a black and white movie. He said.
Of course, all technology is for the story, for the content. James Cameron ultimately focuses on the character itself, not the water droplets on the character's face. He said that when we focus on the movie, the brain is stimulated by rich details, and "what you see is real" feelings, we are more able to empathize with the characters.
03
It takes the audience to walk into each character
Empathize with them
The most fascinating scenery in the "Avatar" series is Pandora, under the lens of James Cameron, showing a near-perfect planet, a variety of different forms of plants glowing with light, huge waterfalls rushing down, and colorful dragons and other animals... James Cameron said that there are gorgeous environments and wonderful creatures in the movie, but I think what can cause the most amazement is actually the actual feeling and emotional impact of watching this movie from beginning to end.
James Cameron said that the most amazing thing about movies is not what they see intuitively, but the characters themselves and the actual feelings they bring. This is not something that can be done through the camera or a minute or two, and requires the audience to walk into each character and empathize with them.
"It all depends on how good actors interpret the role." When it comes to the actors' performances, James Cameron does not hesitate to praise, "When they are experiencing an indescribable feeling, or expressing emotions with great tension, the audience can feel that it is all a vivid natural expression." ”
In order to better present this emotional appeal, the production team of "Avatar: The Way of Water" spent a year and a half capturing facial expressions, and while shooting, it took five years to polish the facial capture process, so as to restore 100% of the expressions of live actors. Make this CG-made movie look completely unlike CG animation.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" will be released simultaneously in Chinese mainland and North America, and James Cameron believes that Chinese audiences will find resonance in it. He said, "This is a family movie that can cross the generation gap, and the audience can assume the role of parents and children." I believe that Chinese audiences are very family-oriented, and compared to the first one, you will definitely find more resonance in "Avatar: The Way of Water". ”
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