James Cameron
IFQ sits down with James Cameron as he discusses film and technology, the star system and his upcoming film, Battle Angel.
IFQ: You won an award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival [SBIFF]. How do you feel about it and explain to us what it is about?
James Cameron: Apparently, I got the “Attenborough Award” in honor of him [David Attenborough] because he was such a great natural filmmaker. I have done a few documentaries like Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep. So, the Festival [SBIFF] felt I deserved such an award. I’m also a resident of Santa Barbara County, so it’s great to be here.
IFQ: Wasn’t doing nature-oriented pictures your initial love and interest?
JC: Yes, I always loved exploration and diving. The exploration of the ocean has always been a passion since I was a kid, and I now I can do it and I can document it. Sometimes I have to make a film to pay for the cost of my explorations.
IFQ: How was it when you did Titanic [1997] and how would it be, if you were shooting Titanic in 2006?
JC: It was really tough and difficult for us to put together Titanic because it was so expensive and because it had no known names in the cast at the time. Leonardo DiCaprio was not the star he is today. So we had a lot of heat on us! Everyone in the industry waited for us to crash and burn, but it didn’t happen. It was a huge success. It gave me the confidence to do what is right. In terms of Titanic, what was right was to follow my love and interest for deep-sea ocean exploration. Today, if I had to do it again, the cost would be a fraction from what it was. With all the technology [of today], we would not have to build such massive sets and the boat. We would use a green screen and digitally re-create the environment around the actors. It would be cheaper and faster to make Titanic today, and that’s the big difference. I would use high definition to shoot the film and not necessarily film. It would look as good as the movie we shot way back [in 1997].
IFQ: Do you think that the star system has become a little bit ridiculous? It’s more about “Who is in it?” these days than “What is it about and who directed it?”
JC: It has not changed that much within the last 20 years. You have a handful, maybe 5 people, stars, who can open a movie. Everybody else is probably over-paid and you probably are better using somebody who is unknown. Other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, I have been working with people who turned out to be stars after my movies rather than working with people who are already stars. It has always been difficult for directors to get the actors they want because it’s an organic and natural fit versus the studio system wanting some names they think they need to market and promote a film. What has really changed in our business is the way to market movies. Before, you had 2 or 3 big TV networks and it was easy to secure some time to promote your films. But now with the diversity of media outlets, with the Internet and the phone, it’s really hard to push for a movie to be seen by people–to create an interest with people. So you need something that will act as a massive attraction for the media to pay attention and the audience to be aware about the distribution of your film. Stars are obviously a huge attraction and an easy one.
IFQ: The star system leads more and more to the gossip and the tabloid wars, but you were always able to downsize that aspect of your life and keep your private existence under the radar.
JC: I think it has been from the beginning, a business full of gossip and tabloids. Nothing has changed. But it’s true that in my case, I have managed to keep a low profile and keep my private life off the radars of tabloids. It has always been horrible out there. I don’t think it affects so much how a film does, unless it’s a huge scandal that involves a star of the film about to be released.
IFQ: What were your favorites films of 2005?
JC: I respond to performances. I think that there are some amazing performances [in 2005]. Heath Ledger is amazing, as well as Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. Also Joaquin Phoenix is great in Walk the Line. Crash is probably my favorite film of the year. It took me by surprise and it’s not what you think it’s going to be about and it keeps surprising you. It’s a great piece of acting and directing. I like the amazing looks that some films have like Memoirs of a Geisha and I like watching pictures that have a rich texture like this one.
IFQ: What are you working on right now?
JC: Well, I can’t talk about it because we are at a very early stage of production, but I’m working on a huge sci-fi thriller called Battle Angel. I’m very exited about it. Also, we will shoot it in 3–D. All the recent documentaries I have done have led to shooting this film in 3-D. I love 3-D because it surrounds the audience and puts you right into the heart of the action. 3-D allows you to take the audience and put them into another dimension where they feel they are part of it. It’s not for every film and some films don’t need 3-D but for this one, Battle Angel, it will be perfect. I have always wanted to create a world for people to lose themselves into like Aliens, The Abyss, [and] The Terminator, so 3-D for me is a great tool to just do that. I try to wrap you in my movies.