Avatar Was James Cameron’s Tribute To A Legend Of VFX Filmmaking – /Film

James Cameron's politically charged film is spellbinding for a multitude of reasons. While "Avatar" tells a moving story, the film also achieved a lot in its technical aspects through its complex level of cinematography that made the sweeping, colorful landscapes of Pandora possible. Cameron was inspired by the works of Ray Harryhausen, a pioneer of stop-motion animation, and paid him tribute through the film.

With films such as "Jason and the Argonauts" and "One Million Years B.C.," the special effects legend inspired a generation of filmmakers, including Cameron, who, with "Avatar," hoped to capture the kind of "wonder" he experienced as a kid watching Harryhausen's films. In an interview with FilmFestivals.com, Cameron noted that he wanted to do something "beyond the ordinary" with "Avatar":

"I've made other big-budget Hollywood action movies that were not transformative, so there was an evolution to it and a consciousness about 'Avatar' that we were going to do something beyond the ordinary."

The legendary filmmaker went on to list his goal for the film, to replicate the visuals as seen in the fantasy film "Jason and the Argonauts" and others.

"I didn't know how it was done, I couldn't begin to guess how it was done. But I didn't care, whether it was "Mysterious Island" or "Jason and the Argonauts" with the skeletons coming out with swords and fighting. I didn't know what stop-motion animation was, it didn't matter."

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Avatar Was James Cameron's Tribute To A Legend Of VFX Filmmaking - /Film