A Look Inside the Na’vi World: Creating the Creatures in AVATAR

Have you wondered how did they create the creatures for AVATAR? There were several technological innovations used in filming, including a special camera developed by James Cameron himself. Find out more about how James Cameron and his film crew created AVATAR's enchanting creatures.

Guest post by Ashley Hansen

James Cameron’s AVATAR is certainly a stunning visual journey. Many people wonder: how did they create the creatures for AVATAR? Developing the creatures in AVATAR took special 3D technology, which Cameron pioneered and used like no other director before. His unique way of integrating real movements and computer animation allowed viewers to immerse themselves in the film and believe that the Na’vi were real.

Live Action Technique

Rather than creating the creatures in AVATAR and the beautiful world of Pandora through completely computerized animation, James Cameron focused on using the natural movements of real animals to form the creatures’ movements. By using special action-capturing technology, each movement of the creatures in the film was created using real movements of animals that were selected as models for the film’s creatures. Special sensors were placed on the animals used as models for the creatures in Pandora. With the horses, for example, sensors were placed on the joints and near the face of the animal. The sensors, which were small white, light-reflecting orbs, captured the motion of the animal, which was then translated onto the computer. This technique is what made the movements of the creatures in AVATAR seem so real and natural. If you’re wondering how they created the creatures for AVATAR, the truth is that nearly every scene involved the direct translation of animal performances into the Na’vi world.

For certain creatures that were not based on real-world animals, advanced computer animation techniques were used to develop the unique look and appearance in the Na’vi world. For example, the mountain banshee (ikran) which Jake learns to ride was created in this fashion. So were the tiny floating creatures which attached to Jake’s body in the forests of Pandora. Computer animation artists spent hours creating these creatures and the other special features of the Na’vi world, such as the mother tree and the Hallelujah Mountains.

Special Cameras

The 3D technology Cameron used is far superior to the technology that created 3D movies in the past. In fact, the 3D technology used to create AVATAR was first invented by James Cameron. This technology, called the Fusion 3D Camera system, is now being implemented with new filming of 3D movies. Audience members are likely to wonder how he created the creatures for AVATAR, especially since this technology was never seen before the release of the film. However, the technology is now being widely used and you can expect to see it in many films over the coming years.

A Permanent Change

Because of these new technological advancements, the face of 3D film has been forever changed. Actors can now be more integrated with their 3D roles, and amazing unknown worlds like Pandora can appear more realistic than ever. With these changes, an increased number of 3D films will be released in theaters, with a few arriving this Summer 2010 including Toy Story 3D and Halloween 3D.

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Are you excited about the 3D movies coming to theaters this summer? Which one do you want to see?