Reality........

THE YEAR AFTER

26^th November,a day to be remembered in these days just like 15^th august or 26^th January. Just an year ago,the November ending was a unique combination of fear,frustration,shame n arrogance. The people were stuck to their television sets,radios,newspapers and actually witnessing the fury of terrorism which somehow could inflict a deep blow into their hearts. People were watching the happenings at Taj,Nariaman,Oberoi like an unscripted drama as shown by the media.Just one year later, the memories were revised,few more candles were lightened,the police officers were glorified for their bravery,the nation-praising songs were organized,..the Mumbai attack has gained a lot of popularity and exposure. This attack has really helped India in building an image as a nation facing one of the worst threats of terrorism along with the west. It has served India as another tool to fire Pakistan for nurturing and expanding terrorism on their own soil. Even with the US army deployed in Pakistan, New Dehli could achieve some soft corner of Washington dc. Obviously it was not enough.

The opposition also tried to use the same issue for the parliament elections,started campaigning with Mr.Modi as a chief leader,accusing the government for neglecting even the basics of security. But actually the issue was interpreted in the wrong manner,depicting terrorism as a new form of war between the hindus and muslims. The campaigning could not glean the hindu electorate for BJP,the inflammable speeches reminded many muslims to vote for congress who had almost forgotten to do so in the past, both acted as a double edged sword for BJP to hurt themselves too badly to enfeeble their position in the parliament. Even from Gujrat,the degree of BJPs certainty, 10 out of 26 seats were sneaked away by the Congress. The attack also disclosed the futility of MNS clamour as no Marathi sena worker seemed to joined the operation of commandos to save Mumbai, making a statement that Mumbai will be needing support from all over India, Mumbai belongs to everyone. In short,the attack actually unified the country to some extent and the extremists,ideologists could find no place in Indian democracy.

The attention of the indigenous as well as the global media towards the attack on the international hotels has shrouded the extent to which India has engulfed in the terrorism imposed by the native people. The ferocity of naxalism is still not that much conspicuous to Indian media. The recent attacks on the patrolling police by the naxalites could not linger in newspapers for more than a couple of days. Those policemen,quite outnumbered by naxalites, resisted till the last bullet in their guns. They still are facing the shortage of ammunition,manpower,upgraded technologies just like what was highlighted about the Mumbai police at the time of attack. Media exactly knows the mind of common man in India for whom it is more pleasant to imagine himself in the well furnished rooms of Taj or on the luxury streets of Colaba than the dense forests and backward area of chandrapur n gadchiroli. So,these issues are still kept intangible,inarticulate by the media. Also it is easier to disdain the Islamic terrorism as the blameworthy targets are always available in the form of Pakistan or ISI. But whom the media will blame for naxalism? The government for neglecting the demands of their own people and conniving the rural developments? It is clear that media cannot work in restrictions with limited amount of people interested in the issue.

Just like the independence day,26^th November will also be making people to do the same jobs, recalling the past for one day with some sentiments and then forget everything for the rest of the year. The difference is,dealing with the issues in the wrong way and still remaining vulnerable in all aspects will certainly increase the probability of adding more such days in our annual calendar. Few people will lose lives,more will lose hopes,media will gain more attention.

Facts of modern cinema’s masterpiece

Look around you: Newspapers, Television News Channels & Entertainment Networks, Twitter, Facebook, every possible social and mass media platform online and offline is talking about only one thing in a unanimous voice. That is, how awesome ‘Avatar’ the 3D movie, rather the experience is. It is a foregone conclusion by now that at this stage no review or reviewer can influence the fate of this movie. Irrespective of what any reviewer writes, this movie will have its audience, followers, devotees all whom want to experience a slice of history.

The so-called intellectual elite when it comes to movies, the movie critics, for the first time seem totally irrelevant and outdated compared to what James Cameron has achieved with this one movie. This film is critic proof. Am sure most reviewers must have been stumped totally by not knowing what to write after they saw the movie, because it isn’t easy to comprehend what one has witnessed on screen. It’s like someone landing on the Moon and looking for street signs or a map to move around. There isn’t any map that exists. So in the same vein there needs to be a new language, new words that need to be invented to review a movie of such magnitude and technological advancement.

I doubt if most people who watched this movie really know what is so special about this film. I will try to put some things in perspective here so that all this makes some logical sense. In addition, I will also attempt to deal with the all-important question on everyone’s mind: Is this film going to change the way films are made from now on? That is what everyone has been hearing. The answer from me is both a part YES and a part NO. Are you puzzled? I will make my analysis of the movie and its impact a little simpler for everyone by asking a few questions which I shall also try to answer. In trying to answer this, I hope you can figure out if this movie will really change the future of cinema.

Let us now deal with each point in detail and understand why it is so important and special.

1. 3D Technology:

3D films have been around for quite some time and were quite a rage in the 1950’s in the US and there have been many attempts to use it for regular mainstream films but with very little success. Also in recent times, there have been movies like Polar Express and Beowulf, which pushed the boundaries further. Both being totally animated fares subsequently starting the trend of every CG film in the making now going to be a 3D film. There are no more CG films being made in 2D format, when I say 2D I mean the ones we see without glasses. So with regards to this it’s nothing groundbreaking about Avatar or so you might think. Earlier attempts at 3D in live action movies at best have been clumsy affairs, and rarely employed for the entire duration of the movie. For Superman Returns and Harry Potter 6 certain portions were in 3D. The results were not impressive, the characters looked like cardboards, and it didn’t involve the viewer into the action and relied more on gimmicks.

This is where Avatar succeeds big time over both the live action as well as the CG movie attempts that were made until now. It takes the audience into the world that is on screen. It’s totally unobtrusive and there is no strain on the eye. The colors are rich and there is believable depth in the scenery all of which were never right in the earlier movies. So this is definitely a first and will set the trend for many bigger budget flicks that will arrive in future.

Is it a game changer? - Yes, already the number of 3D screens worldwide is being ramped up due to this movie. After many years you now hear of advance bookings for a movie with waiting period’s up to a month. Unheard of and unimaginable till recently and once the norm earlier. So it is sure to revive the magic of viewing movies at the cinema once again.

2. Computer Generated (CG) characters:

Totally believable computer generated characters that can emote naturally have been the holy grail of every animation and visual effects enthusiast for many years now. There have been lot of unsuccessful attempts and the technology took a lot of time to develop, probably explains why James Cameron had to wait for 14 yrs to make his epic. The first signs of a fully believable CG character were that of Gollum in the ‘Lord of the rings’ trilogy. That set the ball rolling for further development and with Avatar the process has come a full circle. I will not dwell deeper into the technology used but will talk about the impact it has rather than the process employed.

The inhabitants of Pandora, Navi are all computer generated. They carry the whole film on their shoulders, no mean achievement. They emote so well that you forget that they are not real characters. The detailing is unbelievable and every single Navi and the various other creatures are so well designed, and animated with extreme fluidity, not giving even one chance for the audience to suspect that they are watching a CG world. The emotions in the main protagonist, their every feeling have been captured beautifully. What is noteworthy is that he has created a female protagonist who isn’t human yet so beautiful and sensual that you fall in love with her. I don’t think you can compare anything else to that feeling.

Is it a game changer? - Yes, and a dangerous and big Yes for a future where we finally see an actor who looks human but is entirely computer generated. The days of the star actor might get over. The animator will become the real hero. A digital star might never age and no one has to deal with his or her egos anymore. This might change the dynamics and style of filmmaking. Again, I say this with some caution as this style might not be a rule or a norm for all kinds of films, but has dangerous potential to rewrite many rules of big budget feature film making.

3. Pandora - The breathtaking CG world:

Pandora, a magical world envisioned by the master creator James Cameron. Every single thing you see on this planet is computer generated. And is at the same time an original creation, it’s almost like James Cameron one day decided to wake up and play god. And yes, indeed he is god here, because what he has created is so breathtaking that one has never seen anything as spectacularly beautiful ever on screen or in real life. The rich landscape of Pandora is filled with flora and fauna that is so intricately designed that it puts to shame the creations on earth. Makes you feel like Camaron has decided to compete with God, can you beat that? This according to me is the single most spectacularly appealing thing about the movie apart from the characters.

Is it a game changer? - NO, Highly unlikely that we might ever witness something as spectacular as this world. It’s like a modern day masterpiece of our digital age, something which can’t be replicated as ‘Monalisa’ by Davinci. Many might try to imitate but I doubt if any story would require a world like this, and if required, would be able to create a similar impact. This is a onetime phenomenon created for posterity.

4. Action, adventure and thrills:

Action and sense of adventure is the staple diet based on which many blockbuster movies have been made. They make the most compelling pieces of cinema. Be it Ben Hur, Mackennas Gold, Star wars, Indiana Jones, Rambo, Jurassic Park, Matrix, Gladiator, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or a Transformers, they all have terrific action adventure sequences which are talked about till today and ensure repeat audiences. Nothing compares to the adrenalin rush of watching a good fight or a battle. That’s what big screen movie magic is all about, mind blowing action. When it comes to Avatar, it wouldn’t be an anomaly to state that it has the best action that one would have ever witnessed on screen. Carefully look at all the names of the great movies I mentioned above, if you have already seen the movie try to think of each of the above movies and see where Avatar has bettered each one of them. In case you haven’t seen it yet, let me assure you, you will find the action a combination from all the above movies and more. You can’t ask for anything better and bigger than this, sure shot blockbuster material.

Is it a game changer? - NO, again a onetime phenomenon. Don’t expect to see the variety and scale of action again in one film.

5. Story:

All other things being equal, what ultimately matters is whether one has a compelling story to tell. No amount of visual effects wizardry can save a movie without a good story to tell. We have countless examples of big budget duds. On the one hand James Cameron has the budget he requires to make his visual effects extravaganza which is in the upwards of $300million plus which can get to any creative persons head to lose all track of logic yet he weaves a simple yet highly effective and emotional story never loosing the grip on the pulse of the audience. The story is simple yet has a very strong message and addresses a global concern, which is the need of the hour. A futuristic story yet has its soul intact and rooted to ground reality. In terms of complexity of story, James Cameron’s earlier movie ‘Titanic’ had a far more complex plot. There he had to tell a story of a Sinking Ship where most people die in the end, including the main protagonist who doesn’t get to save the world or the ship or anything like that, nothing heroic, yet he is able to create an instant hero out of the circumstances and also tell a compelling love story. Here the challenge isn’t that great. The setup is simple, nothing complex in the narrative, maybe deliberately planned that way so as not to interfere with the other happenings on screen in terms of visual appeal. It still works at its basic level and the audience can feel for the characters on screen. Nothing groundbreaking as far as story goes but for the relevance of the story for today and tomorrows generation, yes, this story had to be told, and told soon. James Cameron accomplishes it very well.

Is it a game changer? - NO, story is no doubt relevant to today’s world but will not have much change in the movies we make. Maybe it will sensitize few people to the perils of warfare on a foreign soil. That is all at the most.

6. Last Question: Would it have worked as well if it were just another 2D format movie?

Would the movie still work if it were not made in 3D? After reading the above few points what do you think? Of course, it would still be the blockbuster it is with so many positive things going in its favor. The 3D experience just enhances it many notches above what it would have been as a normal 2D experience. That makes the movie almost unreachable and unthinkable for any other filmmaker to even aspire to surpass it or leave alone matching it sometime in the near future.

Conclusion:

Finally, that sums up my interpretation of the Avatar Experience. Most of you who have already seen the film might see some sense from what i have tried to decode and for those of you who haven't seen it yet, you know what to expect. Go and experience it yourself. It’s once in a lifetime phenomenon.

Writing something about something is like pain in the ass(I hope you got what I said). Still people do it. Why we love this ass pain is a difficult question. I'm working on my recent fav topic, that's 3-D tech and CGI(Article of which was rejected by TOI still i like to write about it). Well while writing this so called boring thesis I realized that though its a shity work I'm loving it....people have all kinds of hobbies which are productive in many ways. Mine hobby is electricity and money consuming and till now nothing productive came out of it. This is my first step towards this productiveness. I hope it wont fail like my last article.

Rajeev Masand's take on AVATAR

Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver

Director: James Cameron

Why do we fall in love with the Star Wars films? What makes us embrace the inhabitants of Middle Earth, and relish The Lord of the Rings saga? Why do our hearts beat so fast when those dinosaurs chase the humans in Jurassic Park?

We know those worlds don't really exist, we're aware that what we're seeing is just hokum. And yet we go along for the ride anyway, because - let's face it - it allows us to have such fun.

Every once in a while comes a film that grabs you by the gut and throws you into an experience so profound that nothing else really matters. These are films that stay with us our entire lives; films that touch both heart and mind; films that make you surrender completely to the power of the experience.

James Cameron's decade-in-the-making sci-fi dream project Avatar is not only a groundbreaking film it's also the definitive cinematic event of this generation.

As every film geek in the world already knows Avatar, set in the year 2154, involves a mission by US Armed Forces to the planet Pandora, light years away from Earth. The fearsomely well-equipped army of former Marines has arrived on Pandora to mine a rare mineral named "unobtainium" in order to solve a devastating energy crisis back home.

The mineral cannot be obtained without the cooperation of Pandora's native population, the Na'vi, a tribe of tall, blue-skinned, nature-loving forest dwellers who pose no threat to Earthlings. Since humans cannot breathe on Pandora, they must use avatars, or genetically engineered Na'vi look-alikes that are mind-controlled by them while they're wired up in an unconscious state on the space-craft.

Jake Sully (played by Sam Worthington) is an ex-Marine who has lost the use of his legs, but signs up for the program because his avatar allows him to walk again.
Sully finds himself caught between two camps: the well-meaning scientists led by Dr Grace Augustine (played by Sigourney Weaver) who wants to connect with the Na'vi and persuade them to move from their traditional land to make way for the mining; and the mercenaries led by Colonel Miles Quaritch (played by Stephen Lang) who is happy to use brutal force and explosives to wipe out the natives.

Sully is a changed man once he tastes Na'vi life and falls in love with lissome warrior princess Neytiri (played by Zoe Saldana) who teaches him to shoot arrows, to tame and fly stubborn psychedelic creatures, and to fight off scary jungle beasts. Thanks to his deepening relationship with Neytiri, he begins to question the legitimacy of the mission he signed up for, and eventually joins the Na'vi side to help them win a battle against the greedy humans.
With Avatar, director James Cameron doesn't just deliver solid fan-boy entertainment, he pushes the boundaries of technology in a manner that seems to bridge the gap between imagination and the practical limitations of the day. From looking at the film, it is clear that almost anything that can be imagined and illustrated can be realized on screen now. There's evidence of that too - the lush forests of Pandora, lit up by fluorescent plants and luminous insects; the floating mountains; the snarling six-legged dog-like creatures, the hammer-headed rhino beast. Virtually all of this is created on the computer, using a new generation of special effects and CGI. Even the Na'vi characters are brought to life by actors wearing sensors and performing on an empty stage while motion capture techniques turn them into those absolutely realistic blue-skinned natives.

The 3D technology Cameron's been developing for years has finally allowed him to create a gorgeous, mind-boggling, dangerous, alternative reality that has never before been seen on screen. Even Peter Jackson had to fly his actors all the way out to those gorgeous New Zealand landscapes to create Middle Earth. Cameron merely filmed his actors on empty soundstages, and the computer turned the blank walls into Pandora.

Among the most breathtaking scenes in Avatar is a thrilling sequence in which Sully captures and tames a dragon-like beast on a mountaintop, and of course the film's climatic battle between humans and the Na'vi.

Much like his last film, Titanic, the basic plot of Avatar is simple and predictable even, but look out for the various allusions and messages that Cameron sneaks in. You cannot miss the film's obvious reference to America's wrongful invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, or America's callous treatment towards its indigenous races. The warning bells about the repercussions of destroying nature are also too loud to ignore.

Because Cameron paints in broad strokes, Avatar doesn't connect emotionally in a manner that Titanic did, but only the stone-hearted will be unmoved when innocent Na'vis are shot or brutally killed in the final battle scene.

Ultimately however, Avatar belongs to one man and one man alone. The man who dreamt it all up in his head, spent years creating the technology it would require to translate his dream onto celluloid, the man who convinced an army of cast and crew to participate in this ambitious dream, the man who never let his fans down.

You may argue that you've seen better films than Avatar recently, but try remembering the last time you enjoyed the movie-going experience so much.
I
'm going with an unprecedented five out of five and two big thumbs up for James Cameron's Avatar. Watch it in glorious 3D; that's how he intended for it to be seen.

It's films like this that make going to the cinema an out-of-the-world experience.

Rating: 5 / 5 (Excellent)

Ram Gopal Verma's AVATAR experience

The Second Coming Some people say less is more. I say, more is less and too much is not enough"- James Cameron. As I stepped out of Imax last night after watching AVATAR in 3D, I hated James Cameron for in comparison to the ultra futuristic vision of his, he made me feel like a pre-historic being of cinema in every which way. AVATAR in 3D is the most mind-blowing cinematic experience anybody can ever hope to have in their entire lifetime. Nearly 3 decades ago I remember being awestruck with Star Wars and now nearly 30 years later AVATAR to me looked 30 years ahead of its time both in its creative output and also in terms of James Cameron's sheer imaginative power. Some people said that it's low on the emotional quotient compared to Titanic but if at all, that could be because the visuals and the atmosphere of the film are so breathtaking that it takes you that much more time and effort to connect to its emotional aspect and its story when compared to a normal film with normal people. I have never believed in God but I think James Cameron is greater than God for the simple reason that he created a far more beautiful, far more fantastic and far more exotic world than what even God can ever hope to create.And all this he managed to do it in a paltry budget of 1200 Crores. Yes, I say it's a paltry budget considering we make films like Kambhakt Ishq and London Dreams for budgets nearly touching 80 to 90 crores which is nearly as much as 1/12th of the budget of AVATAR and then every shot of AVATAR looks 12000 times better than our entire so-called 100 crore films. I honestly feel that it is a crime to give away such a glorious experience as that of watching AVATAR for a mere 100 or 200 Rupee ticket to us common people.When someone asked me if the special efx of AVATAR will inspire other filmmakers, I said that, on the contrary they might have a reverse effect. What I mean is that we can only aspire to become someone when we can atleast have a belief that we can reach someone's potential but James Cameron in AVATAR created a bench mark so high that it will take years for us lesser folk even to comprehend it let alone attempt to execute it. It's like if you aspire to be a runner and somehow hope to run at a speed of 20km per hour which may be the world record and then when on the track you see a guy running at 200kmph you would rather give up and come back and make family dramas and TV serials and leave the running to James Cameron.Titanic was fantastic but it did not shake me up inspite of everyone else around me back then saying that James Cameron is God of cinema. But with his second coming "AVATAR" I have surely turned religious. I want to pray to him for making "AVATAR". I hate him for making all us so-called filmmakers in the world feel like ants. I love him for the passion and the patience with which he created new benchmarks in each and every technical aspect of the medium of films.And lastly, "I thank him for existing". P.S: I truly believe "AVATAR" will divide cinema as we knew it so far into a pre "AVATAR" and a post "AVATAR" era.Don't see it.... Experience it. (The above is 'The Second Coming' - RGV's Blog on James Cameron's new movie extravaganza AVATAR)

My take on 3-D tech and AVATAR......

3-D technology and CGI (Computer Generated Imaginary):

new Avatar of 3D technology

Today big producers and directors from Hollywood are attracted to 3-D technology. A 3-D film uses illusion of depth perception which makes the film objects as if seen in three dimensions. These are filmed by specially designed motion picture camera which records the subject from two perspectives and when seen from particular eyewear gives us the 3-D experience of object.3-D films have existed since 1890 but the technology was used on very small scale because of the costly hardware and processes required to produce and playback a 3-D film. Nonetheless, 3-D films were prominently featured in the 1950s and 1980s in American cinema and currently experiencing resurgence at the start of 21st century coinciding with the development of computer-generated imagery and introduction of high-definition video standards. Technology which was being used those days seems puny in front of today’s CGI and HD. In 2003 James Cameron and Emmy nominated Director of Photography Vince Pace made Reality Camera System which used the latest HD technology. This enabled use of CGI and HD technology in 3-D films. Starting from Cameron’s Ghost of Abyss, movies like Spy kids 3, Final destination, Up, Monster Vs. Aliens etc. are made using Reality Camera System.

Like 3-D technology, use of CGI in films has also increased recently. CGI is used for visual effects because CGI, ie computer generated imagery, has far better controllability over the one on reels, such as constructing miniatures for effects shots or hiring extras for crowd scene. It allows a single graphic artist to produce content without the use of actors, expensive set pieces etc. Use of CGI started in industry from mid 70’s but 1993’s Jurassic Park made a revolution in this area by perfectly integrating computer generated Dinosaurs into live action. Characters like Gollum from LOTR trilogy, King Kong from 2005 remake of King Kong, Davey Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and most recent Navi’s from Avatar are best example of characters made by using CGI.

So what’s new in AVATAR???

After a very successful movie of romance and survival, the Titanic, James Cameron introduces another would-be blockbuster film that features the entirely different world in Avatar. The movie is 40 percent live action shots and the 60 percent remaining are scenes realized using the latest computer-generated imagery (CGI). With a titanic budget (pun totally intended) of around $450 million USD, film was planned to be released in 1999 but got delayed by whole 10 years due to lack of finance and unavailability of desired technology. Movie is technical revolution in the world of 3-D and CGI. This includes innovation like “The Volume”, the performance stage, which is six times larger than usual stage. The masks used for CGI are made with tiny camera on the head to capture more than 95% of facial and eye expression. Film is realizing in both 3-D and 2-D on 18^th December worldwide.

-Pushkar Kulkarni

Student of Ramdevbada College of Engineering and a movie lover

Team India...I love you....you lost a match just when it was needed. This is becoz i was unable to see you live at stadium and i loved to see all my friends wasting there 1000 bucks on those tickets taken in black.