It’s been thirteen years sinceAvatarhit theaters for the first time, butJames Cameron’s sci-fi epic keeps impressing us. In a new behind-the-scenes video shared by Stunt CoordinatorGarret Warrenon Instagram, we see how flesh and blood actors recorded action scenes with giant replicas of Pandora’s monsters before digital magic turned the alien planet real.
Avatarfollows a paraplegic U.S. marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is sent on a mission to the alien moon of Pandora. There, Jake becomes a pilot of an Avatar, a biological creature made with his brother’s DNA and the genetic code of the native humanoid species, the Na’vi. Jake’s mission is to infiltrate a Na’vi tribe and gain their trust, but the marine falls in love with their culture and learns to become a mighty warrior. The final step in his training to become a Na’vi warrior is to tame a wild Ikran, a creature that’s a mix between a horse and a pterodactyl.
The scene where Jake meets his Ikran and puts his life in danger to tame the beast is one of the most exciting moments inAvatar. But as the new BTS video shows us it was not easy to film the scene using motion capture technology. The video shows a crew of stuntpeople controlling a real-sized version of a plushie Ikran, with one person handling each wing’s movements while a third stuntman holds its mighty jaw. It’s funny to think the weird ballet of green suits and rubber aliens could become the visual spectacle we see in theaters.
Image via Disney
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Besides sharing the BTS video, Warren also explained how the scene was put together. In the Stunt Coordinator’s words:
“Jim[James Cameron] wanted to have an exact replica of an Ikran—only it had to be soft so we didn’t hurt an actor. LegendaryStan Winston[from Stan Winston Studio and Legacy Effects] and his company made this for us. We first spent a half a day to try and figure out how we would puppeteer the ‘rubber chicken’ as Jim called it then. It took us about two hours with Jim to workout the technique a Na’vi warrior used to mount and then create the bond. Yes, Jim wanted me to make the sounds an Ikran would make as well so somewhere is a track of me making my impersonation of a cross between a horse and pterodactyl. ”
After more than a decade, we are about to watch the sequel toAvataronceAvatar: The Way of Waterhits theaters this December. Ahead of the new movie’s launching, Disney has released a new 4K restoration ofAvatarin theaters. The sci-fi epic keeps grabbing people’s attention, with a few moremillion dollars added to its multibillionaire box office. The re-release also proves that people want to see 3D movies in theaters, withmore than 90% of the domestic audiencechoosing the format.
The 4K re-release ofAvataris currently available in theaters.Avatar: The Way Of Waterwill premiere on December 16. Check Warren’s original post below.
