Why is Avatar: The Way of Water So Special?
The much-awaited sequel of James Cameron’s Avatar, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' has finally arrived. It took 13 long years for the sequel to be released. We have made greater leaps in the field of science and technology. James Cameron has extensively used technological applications. In this thread we are going to have a look at the technologies being used in the movie. So without any further ado let's get started.
48 HFR with TrueCut Motion:
Avatar: The Way of Water utilises 48 HFR (High Frame Rate). The industry standard of films is 24 frames per second meaning that 24 still images are shown on the screen in a second. The immersive experience like never seen before and exhilarating underwater sequences are the result of this 48 HFR. This technology has been previously utilised in films including the Hobbit trilogy and Ang Lee's actioner Gemini Man. But this has garnered a lot of criticism due to the hyper-smooth feel that can sometimes feel like watching a video game cut scene.
But as every Technology has it's limitations, the use of such high frame rates is very risky. It's a very big gamble. Running the content at such a high frame rate can result in Soap Opera Effect. Let's understand what exactly is this effect. It is referred to the visual effect caused by motion interpolation on screens that some people find undesirable. So to counter this effect Pixelworks is using TrueCut Motion. It allows the filmmakers to make the high frame rate films look more cinematic and also eliminate motion judder (jerking) and strobing.
Other technologies:
A new underwater motion-capture filmmaking technology is used in this film. As Cameron wanted to bring the focus to the sea for the sequels, this technology has been utilised. Instead of mimicking underwater scenes, the actors for Avatar 2 are submerged in a 900,000-gallon water tank designed to imitate ocean currents. The CGI and underwater motion capture technology for Avatar: The Way of Water make it more eye-catching.
So that's all for today's thread. Have you watched this movie? Do share your thoughts about the new technologies being used in the comments section below.