fbpx
Menu

We’re Willing to Bet You Never Knew This Behind-the-Scenes Fact About James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’

neytiri shocked face
Credit: Disney/ 20th Century Studios/ Canva

When the first Avatar (2009) film debuted over ten years ago, it was a technological marvel. Watching the movie on the big screen, audiences could see every little detail due to the crystal clear image, and that was a big deal.

Although audiences knew that the movie was mostly animated, not everybody knew that each actor and actress playing an avatar or a Na’vi character was acting in front of a camera.

Avatar movie

Credit: 20th Century

READ MORE: Bob Iger Confirms Disneyland Is Getting Its Own ‘Avatar’ Themed Land

Through the use of motion capture, James Cameron captured authentic performances while animators took the motion-captured footage and brought every character to life.

However, with a filming process as complex as James Cameron’s Avatar, there’s still much to find out, even over a decade later.

avatar the way of water

Credit: 20th Century Fox

READ MORE: Look Out, ‘Star Wars’ Fans! ‘Avatar’ May Be Taking Over This Disney Attraction…

With the recent release and subsequent success of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), many fans are curious about the filming process of both movies.

It’s been said that James Cameron had written the Avatar sequel but had to wait nearly a decade for the technology required to film it. After hearing a rumor like that, who wouldn’t want to know more about the behind-the-scenes of these movies?

While fans wait for Avatar: The Way of Water to be released alongside bonus features and behind-the-scenes footage, they turn to the first film. One clip, in particular, has recently gone viral, and it shows something barely anyone knew about the motion capture process.

@lamolia_spider_kiri

Avatar 2009 motion capture #avatar #atwow #avatar2009 #motioncapture #performancecapture #mocap #samworthington #jakesully #direhorse #ikran #pandora #eywa #neytiri #britaindalton #loak #jackchampion #trinitybliss #oscars #vfx #vr #ai #cgi #stunt #set #moviemaking #productionprocess #jamescameron #marvel #dc #kangdynasty #bluealiens #amazing #wow #fyp #tsireya #neteyam #kirisully #spuderavatar #jamieflatters #baileybass

♬ original sound – Loak Spider Kiri Tsireya Jake

READ MORE: Animal Kingdom’s Pandora-Themed Land Included References to ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ All Along

In this TikTok, we can see behind-the-scenes footage of the scene in which Neytiri teaches Jake to ride a horse. However, many of us never realized that real horses were used to capture the performances of the alien horses in the film, bringing a sense of authenticity to the screen.

READ MORE: Animal Kingdom’s Best Attraction Is Also Its Most Inaccurate

Here is a longer clip from the full film, showing the exact scene being filmed in this behind-the-scenes snippet.

So that’s how James Cameron’s team got the alien horses to look so lifelike!

About Isabella Reimer

Isabella Reimer grew up visiting Walt Disney World and relocated to Central Florida to be even closer to The Most Magical Place on Earth. She earned her Bachelor’s from Florida State University, where she studied Creative Writing and Women’s Studies. Her biggest hobby is bonding with the ikran at Avatar Flight of Passage, and her retirement plan includes becoming the 1,000 Happy Haunt of the Haunted Mansion.