James Cameron's Avatar and the 3D Revolution in Cinema
In the June 2010 edition of art press, Stéphane Pencréac'h and Richard Leydier present a comprehensive dossier examining the revival of 3D cinema following the release of James Cameron's Avatar. The piece reflects on the 82nd Academy Awards, where Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, produced on an $11 million budget, secured six Oscars, making her the first female recipient of the Best Director award, while Avatar, with a budget of approximately $500 million, did not win any. The authors critique the film's pacing and ideological stance, referencing Slavoj Žižek's interpretation of Avatar as a conservative project. They assert that Hollywood relies on clichés for broad appeal and note Avatar's advancements in 3D technology, while also exploring the history of CGI and the future of 3D in film.
Key facts
- art press issue n°368 (June 2010) features a dossier on 3D cinema by Stéphane Pencréac'h and Richard Leydier.
- At the 82nd Academy Awards, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker (budget $11 million) won six Oscars, including Best Director, making Bigelow the first woman to win that award.
- James Cameron's Avatar (budget ~$500 million) won no Oscars.
- Slavoj Žižek in Cahiers du cinéma (March 2010) called Avatar a conservative, politically correct exercise.
- The article argues that Hollywood uses archetypes based on Joseph Campbell's monomyth theory.
- Avatar used performance capture with helmet-mounted cameras to capture actors' facial expressions.
- The article traces CGI evolution from The Abyss (1989) to Avatar.
- Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was shot in 2D and converted to 3D; Clash of the Titans had a rushed 3D conversion.
- 3D cinema previously trended in the 1950s and 1980s.
- The article suggests 3D television may combat illegal downloading.
Entities
Artists
- Stéphane Pencréac'h
- Richard Leydier
- James Cameron
- Kathryn Bigelow
- Slavoj Žižek
- George Lucas
- Joseph Campbell
- Tim Burton
- Louis Leterrier
- Robert Zemeckis
- Peter Jackson
- Walt Disney
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Jack Arnold
- André de Toth
- Terrence Malick
- Lewis Carroll
- Robert Skotak
- Bill Krohn
- Lawrence Weiner
- Vito Acconci
- Art & Language
Institutions
- art press
- Cahiers du cinéma
- National Geographic
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- Castillo Corrales
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Montpellier
- United States
- Iraq
- Pandora
Sources
- artpress —