In order to achieve the maximum possible realism in Avatar: The Road to Water, James Cameron pushed his cast to train their resistance, thus breaking some freediving records.
The theatrical release of Avatar: The Way of Water is getting closer and closer and with it the curiosity about the project. Based on the statements released to date in this regard, James Cameron’s new film promises not only a new and exciting story, but also a series of technological innovations that perhaps will have an impact on the industry itself.
In order to increase the realism of some spectacular sequences, the cast he had to prepare himself physically before the commitment on the set, even establishing gods freediving records.
Avatar: The Water Route consists of many scenes shot in Pandora’s ocean, and therefore underwater, Cameron and his team have developed a new technology to film in total immersion without any problems. This choice obviously influenced the production of the film, leading to some delays due both to the means employed and to the performances of the actors, who were asked to recite while holding their breath.
The most interesting results, in this sense, have been achieved by Kate Winslet, who for her role in the awaited sequel surpassed the apnea record obtained by Tom Cruise for Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Sigourney Weaver also lent herself to underwater exercises for her character scenes, joined by Zoe Saldaña who amazed everyone in the training phase.
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In a recent chat with the New York Times, Cameron and the cast recounted their workouts for Avatar: The Water Way and their personal freediving records, revealing that Winslet held her breath for over seven minutes, Weaver reached six and a half, while Saldaña was almost five minutes: “I was scared. I come from generations of islanders, and the one thing people don’t know about life on settled islands, is that a large percentage of the people in those places can’t swim. Through folklore you are taught to love the ocean like a goddess, a goddess you learn to fear”Saldaña said, while Weaver said that during that type of underwater shooting “Spend several minutes simply trying to align your body with the element of water, allowing the earthy feelings to dissolve.”
Continuing with the interview, Cameron explained that filming was also assisted by the presence on the set of professionals from the submarine sector, ready to help actors less accustomed to this kind of experience. Even if shot in motion-capture, the sequences in the water were built by the director in realistic environments with the use of suitable equipment, and by having the cast train in order to obtain the realism that Cameron himself holds dear.
Avatar: The Water Way: The cast broke some freediving records with underwater workouts