James Cameron is known for the highly inventive tools he uses to make his films, and what it takes to make them Avatar: The Way of Water is no different. In an exclusive video shared with Polygon, the Titanic director is seen in action using a virtual camera rig with which he directed his Avatar follow-up.
The video, part of a special section about the new The waterway 4K release, shows Cameron and a few other people from the Avatar crew working with and explaining the film's virtual camera system. The camera setup allows Cameron to walk around a room and directly control the scene being rendered, but it can also be customized to simulate different things that a regular camera system might perform, such as a dolly or a handheld shot. All this gives Cameron an incredible amount of freedom to film complex action and movement scenes by hand.
The 4K release of The waterway is part of a collection of Cameron films finally getting the high-definition treatment. Cameron favorites love The abyss, Aliens, And True lies, all received new 4K remasters. The remasters are available now on digital platforms, while the physical discs will be available on March 12, 2024.