James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment uses Blackmagic equipment in 'Avatar' sequels

The Teranex AV converter, Smart Videohub 40x40 12G matrix and ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio switcher play a key role in the production of the sequels to Cameron's film.

Lightstorm Entertainment, production company headed by James Cameron, has employed a wide variety of solutions Blackmagic Design, such as the converter Teranex AV, the matriz Smart Videohub 40×40 12G and the mixer ATEM 4 M/E Broadcast Studio, in his recent project during the production of the film's sequels Avatar.

Recognized for its advanced cinematographic techniques since its inception and is always at the forefront of new technologies, among the production company's titles we find films such as Terminator, The Abyss y Titanic. In all his work he has never allowed technological limitations to prevent the possibility of telling extraordinary stories.

With the premiere of Avatar In 2009, the company once again demonstrated that there were no restrictions in the art of cinema. The results were astonishing, and the public agreed. The feature film grossed more than $2 billion worldwide, and heralded the possibility of multiple sequels.

However, just as the Na'vi story will continue in the sequels, so will the technology behind the camera. An essential element is the possibility of evaluating the content that is recorded, instead of having to wait for the post-production stage.

Geoff Burdick, vice president of production services and technologies for Lightstorm Entertainment, comments that "we monitor the signals coming from the cameras instantly, as close to the cinema experience as possible. This way, we can make decisions in real time on the set."

“This saves a lot of time during filming and benefits Weta Digital, our visual effects provider, and helps simplify the post-production and mastering processes,” he adds.

This required having to view live feeds from 3D camera systems simultaneously. “In the past, we viewed and played material in HD 3D at 24 f/s,” adds Burdick. “Now, we capture it in 4K 3D and send them at different resolutions and frame rates.” These include 3D at 24 or 48 f/s in 2K and 4K, and 24 f/s in HD.

Great compatibility

Blackmagic Design offered a unique and comprehensive set of products, which allowed creating different solutions throughout the project. “It was a challenge for our technical team to develop a system of signals that enabled this work dynamic,” continues Burdick. "Not many companies have built this type of compatibility into their products. Fortunately, Blackmagic Design took matters into their own hands."

The key to this dynamic was creating an impeccable method of displaying and reproducing content, despite the impressive amount of information required. “When incorporating new formats and techniques, it is essential that we do not cause a delay or interruption in any department,” explains Burdick.

Have the possibility to review multiple resolutions and frame rates in real time allowed the team to be aware of different problems that previously went unnoticed, and were only detected in post-production. “This is very important as we begin to shoot at higher resolutions, frame rates and dynamic range, with lenses that process details we are not used to seeing and with projector technology capable of showing all this and more to those demanding viewers.”

A fundamental role

Although Blackmagic Design has played a fundamental role in many stages, one of its simplest products became the workhorse in production. “The Teranex AV, although it seems to be an ordinary piece of equipment, did much of the heavy lifting for us,” highlights the Lightstorm team. The Teranex line of devices gave us the possibility of using a hybrid work dynamic HD at 24 and 48 fps on set. "Without this equipment, it would not have been possible to perform the real-time conversions and image transformations that our process requires. We were able to see what was possible very quickly by having the opportunity to mix and match key pieces of equipment and have support for uncommon formats on different devices across the product line throughout the R&D and production process."

Ultimately, how did this affect production? Not at all, which was the goal from the beginning. “At the end of the process, these technologies were invisible to the creative team on set,” Burdick acknowledges.