Exclusive: Fox Co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos talks Avatar! (ShoWest 2009)

Hi everyone, Michael here.  I caught up with Fox Filmed Entertainment Co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos after his keynote speech here at ShoWest.  We talked about Avatar - including its current status, the forthcoming poster and trailer, fan hype, 3D, and how Avatar will transport audiences to an incredible new world through classic storytelling.

Thanks very much to Mr. Gianopulos for his time!

Michael: We've been following Avatar very closely.  What can you tell us about it?

Gianopulos: I've seen the film-most of the film-and I think Jim's comment that it's like dreaming only you're awake...is enough. (laughs)-Is accurate.  I think it's a truly amazing film in the sense that he's created visual images, and a story, and a world, and creatures and experiences that I've just never seen in a cinema.  It's just truly amazing.  So, with the partnership of WETA and James Cameron, and a story that's been in his mind and developing all these years, combined with the technology to do it catching up, is just a trifecta beyond anything.

Michael: It's going to be mind boggling.  The hype-just judging by the fan base-the hype for this is unlike anything we've seen since maybe Star Wars: Episode I.

Gianopulos: Well, I don't think it's comparable to anything....

Michael: ...Maybe even higher.

Gianopulos: The other thing I would say is, you know, no one ever wants to see the hype of a movie built up and expectations that get out of control, but, you know, this movie delivers on a level unlike anything I've ever seen.  So I'd like to try to keep people's enthusiasm within rational levels, but I'm telling you I think this thing will surpass anyone's rational expectations.

Michael: When do you think we might possibly see the first poster, image, or footage?

Gianopulos: Oh, the poster will be out soon.  The reality, I think, for people, and especially people who understand the technology...you know, the film...Jim is essentially finished all of his shooting of the film, and it has been rendered, in working with WETA.  So now the film is at WETA being rendered in its photoreal images.

Michael: A huge final pass, rendering all the final images?

Gianopulos: It's much more than a pass.  It's taking it from its production images, to its photorealistic final images which Jim will continue to supervise in great detail as he does everything.  But it's unfair for him as a filmmaker to spend years doing this...  

Michael: ...To put something out that's not 100% done...

Gianopulos:  Yeah, it's not fair--it's not the final version.  There are great portions of the film finished in final form, but they are not of complete scenes.  So when we have a complete scene, when we have enough, it will come out and I think it will meet those expectations.

Michael: Another quick question - I know that Cameron had said, a while ago at least, that Fox wanted Avatar to be shown only on 3D screens.  Is that still a possibility?

Gianopulos: I don't think that's possible, because I think that would deny the movie to too many people in too many places in the world.  But most importantly, while the movie is amazing in 3D, it's such a brilliant film, it would be brilliant in any form.  It's like saying, did Titanic have to be in 3D?  Did Aliens have to be in 3D? They were truly great films.

Michael: Everything he has said - that he is focused on the storytelling, that he's not forgotten the lessons he learned on Titanic...

Gianopulos: ...Yeah, and another point that Jim's made repeatedly is that the old form of 3D was a gimmick that was intended to extend the life of a tired franchise.  So you have the monster, the monster returns, and the monster returns in 3D.  That was the 50's and the 60's and times past.  This is the greatest filmmakers in the world using this film medium to express themselves on the biggest pallet and in the biggest scale of any movie made, and it's an entirely different experience.  But - doesn't mean it's not a great movie in 1D if you have to show it that way!

Michael: (laughs) That's great.  Nice to meet you, and thanks so much for everything!

MarketSaw Exclusive: James Cameron Talks Avatar Trailer!!! (3D-Summit)

UPDATE: I talked to Vince Pace, and he confirmed that the pictures of the reels (including the one on the left) are fake.  He has never heard of them, and he said he'd be in the position to know if something was going around. Also, he seconded Cameron's comment that Monsters Vs. Aliens would likely have the teaser / trailer. Oh, and Vince also said that the 3-D Avatar footage he has seen has completely blown him away in a way he has never been before....and this coming from someone who pretty much invented modern 3-D.  Vince's enthusiasm and hype level for what is coming with Avatar was infectious.  Look for more from Vince and PACE here at MarketSaw soon!

Hey everyone, Michael here.  I just got to the pressroom after briefly speaking to James Cameron after his keynote with Vince Pace here at the 3D Entertainment Summit.

There was no footage of any kind shown during the discussion, but Cameron did shed some light on when we starving fans might get the first, long-awaited glimpse of the sure to be awe-inspiring Avatar.  Here's a summary of what he told me:

1. Cameron has quite a few lengthy scenes from various parts of the film completed, but he said that he simply does not have enough finished material from throughout the film to cut a representative teaser.

2. He has not spoken with Fox much regarding trailer placement, but sees many options over Spring / Summer 2009 in terms of 3-D movies in front of which the trailer could play.

3.  When I mentioned Monsters Vs. Aliens as a possible trailer destination, he said that it was definitely possible we could see the trailer in front of that.

4. He emphasized that people will definitely know the movie is coming, and that he has challenged Fox to market this groundbreaking film in appropriately groundbreaking ways.

5.  When I told him how humongous and fervent the fansbase anticipating this film already is, and how we've been pining for the smallest morsel of information since before he had even chosen Avatar as his next project, he emphasized that whatever we expect it to be, it is sure to be something completely different.

Many thanks to Jim for taking the time to say hello and chat.  I'll have more on his presentation with Vince soon.

Image of James Cameron at 3D Entertainment Summit courtesy of Meant to be Seen

I will be speaking to Vince Pace later today, so look out for that!

AVATAR Source: Teaser Clip Being Readied For Early December AND Our Exclusive Images Confirmed!

Jim here. A lot of excitement has been generated over the past few days about AVATAR and what is happening with this project. Security has been extremely tight, but that has never stopped us before right?

And so, I have been in contact with another source of mine (in a position to know) and he/she assures me of the following items:

1. The recent concept art from Jonay is not representative of what the Na'vi look like today and was his own work. Ok, fair enough - Jonay was clear about them being a way of getting a position with them and not the real deal. This also backs up this claim.
2. The silhouette version of the female Na'vi and the zoomed in close up of the male Na'vi in this exclusive high resolution shot ARE real. We should expect the female Na'vi to be extremely attractive to most, but the males will be very sinister and dark.
3. Ney'tiri herself will be exceptionally attractive and sexy.
4. James Cameron WILL HAVE a a video teaser ready for early December and it will have visual effects and CGI! We are not certain if it will be shown before Day The Earth Stood Still (DTESS), but the actual footage portion will be 2 minutes and 15 seconds long. I am guessing that the additional time will be filled with perhaps Cameron talking about the project and how awesome it will be, or even past box office successes from Cameron - we all know that the teaser containers said 3 minutes and 57 seconds. Or we could actually see the full 3:57 - the big message here is that we should expect to see this teaser. I still am hazarding a guess for the 3D Summit in LA or a teaser trailer for DTESS.
5. Weta is having a hard time pleasing Cameron on pieces of AVATAR. JC sometimes doesn't like what he sees (we know this already about him - he is a perfectionist) so Weta struggles at times with it. Not overly surprising, but still - Weta knows what they are doing!
6. Cameron has a great marketing plan in mind - no one knows what it is yet though!
7. The AVATAR footage that Jon Favreau saw was 90% pre visuals.

Interesting stuff! Nice to hear that the silhouette and high resolution zoom of the Na'vi is REAL. Many of you thought that Weta has borrowed something from KING KONG for the design of this sinister creature - you may be bang on. Apparently the Ney'tiri character will be a knock out and will be talked about a lot by guys everywhere! And how about seeing that teaser - he assures us that a large block of special effects and CGI has been readied for early December! Peculiar that he says that is only 2:15m, but hey lots of things could be put in to round it up to almost 4m. Man I hope it is revealed at the 3D Entertainment Summit, but it looks as though DTESS will be the vehicle to launch the first official teaser trailer based on the clip being ready in December.

I have asked some follow up questions and I will let you know more when I do... I hope this guy/gal continues to send us stuff, because the insight into AVATAR is amazing.

Awesome New 3D Movie "Poster Clips" Launched

We knew it was coming and now its here. A Canadian company by the name of RabbitHoles Media has come up with a way to display six to eight seconds of 2D OR 3D movie clips and print them on to a poster that "moves" as the viewer walks past them.

New 3-D Technique From RabbitHoles Makes Posters Pop via kwout

I have already seen a prototype of similar technology on a television show from Canada called "Dragon's Den" although I think it was a different company. I have no doubt there are others coming up with this "poster clip" ability. The advertising opportunities are endless. You can bet your bottom dollar that James Cameron will be using similar tech for his "Avatar" posters - like this spy one that has already been leaked:

Source: Wired

SAME DAY UPDATE: James Cameron DID IN FACT inquire into this company's technology back when they were known as XYZ RGB. So we will most likely be seeing Avatar 3D posters with this technology sometime in 2009! Steve Jobs has also expressed interest in this company and their products. (Source canada.com)

Here is the image that they will be showing off at Comic Con soon - remember that this moving "poster clip" is on a flat piece of media!

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