Avatar: The Way of Water takes us behind the scenes with James Cameron and Kate Winslet

Have you seen Avatar: The Way of Water at Cineworld yet? No doubt you're wondering how director James Cameron and his cast and crew brought the extraordinary, multifaceted CG world of Pandora to the big screen.

The following behind-the-scenes extract provides the answers. It outlines the movie's approach to performance capture whereby the actors perform in dotted suits with cameras attached to them. Their movements are then effectively replicated in a computer to craft a digital model, which is then fleshed out to create the Na'vi that we see in the completed movie.

Avatar: The Way of Water was especially tricky to pull off because the story demanded that performance capture meshes with a largely aquatic environment. This created huge challenges in terms of mapping the physical nuances of the actors, and it also required the stars to hold their breath for several minutes at a time.

Much has been made of Kate Winslet's ability to free dive for seven minutes, in the process beating Tom Cruise's record. Winslet is on hand in the following video as she outlines the unique pressures of acting in such a surreal environment.

 

You've gone beneath the surface of the movie's production. Now it's time to visit Pandora again (or maybe even for the first time). Click here to book your tickets for Avatar: The Way of Water, on release now at Cineworld.

Want to know what's coming next in the franchise? Discover how Avatar: The Way of Water sets up Avatar 3.