Although it is understandable that there are discrepancies regarding its narrative, it is difficult to deny that ‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’ offers one of the most impressive audiovisual shows that have gone through the big screen in recent years; something understandable if we take into account the years that have been dedicated to its production and the astronomical outlay of money that it has brought to 20th Century Studios, Lightstorm and TSG.
The logistical and economic deployment of what the highest grossing film of 2022, valued at about 250 million dollars, is justified by its complex shooting and development processes and by the use of state-of-the-art technology to work the miracle. However, between luxuries, ostentation and infinite possibilities, sometimes the most mundane things can become a lifeline that makes the difference.
Apart from the amazing fact that they used prosumer lenses —between the consumer and the professional— Fujinon MK, which adjusted to the needs of the team thanks to its sharpness at maximum apertures and its zoom condition —ideal to speed up the underwater process without having to change optics to obtain different focal lengths—, yes something catches the attention of the team used by DOP Russell Carpenter in the film are some plain old “ping-pong balls”.
all a hundred
When working on scenes with a strong aquatic component present, one of the most common obstacles that a cinematographer can encounter is the refraction. This physical phenomenon is described as the change in direction that a wave undergoes when passing from one material medium to another when it hits obliquely to the surface that separates both media, which must have different refractive indices.
When these requirements are met, the propagation speed of the wave varies, giving rise to different optical effects, some of the most recognizable being the one that appears to break a straw when submerged in a glass of water or, in the case at hand, the light scattering and the creation of “reflections” and “distortions” with different shapes and tonal variations.
In order to illuminate the many scenes captured underwater, Carpenter and his team projected spotlights onto the surface of the immense pool in which the film was shot, with the intention of simulate sunlight. The problem appeared when the effects of refraction made an appearance, making the light uncontrollable; something essential to bring motion-capture to a successful conclusion and to model shots without computer-generated characters.
Far from complex electronic devices and multimillion-dollar investments, the solution to the unforeseen happened cover the surface of the pool with a generous layer of some sort of ping-pong balls —This is how the DOP itself describes them— slightly translucent, which were tremendously useful on two counts.
On the one hand, these objects allowed control the light coming from the foci minimizing the effects of refraction when passing through them, in addition to serving as a diffuser element which softened the hardness of the dish in a similar way to the pieces of muslin that good old Roger Deakins loves so much.
On the other hand, the balls were an essential factor for safetymaking it possible for the actors and the film crew to surface at any time they considered appropriate without finding a difficult obstacle to overcome; something optimal considering that the cast was shooting freely.
As you can see, even in mammoth productions like ‘Avatar: The Sense of Water’, the most insignificant thing can end up becoming a key piece that not even all the money in the world could replace.