Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500189
32 M PS E . O R G testament to her skill as an actor. VRS: What were your biggest sound challenges in working on Avatar: The Way of Water? How long did you work on it? GYW: We worked on it for about a year and a half, on and off. The way Jim [Cameron] works is mind- bending. I can't even begin to explain the production workflows that went into the film. For security reasons, there was no lined script, so looking for alternate takes, or supporting audio was an adventure. The biggest technical issue was working with water, which is always difficult for sound. The production recordists, Julian Howarth and Tony Johnson, did amazing work in that any of it was useable, but there were still plastic balls in the big tank to contend with. We used traditional ADR, FPR (Facial Performance Replacement—Jim Cameron type of ADR) and MAL, the miracle program designed by people at WingNut— Marty Kwok and Emile de la Rey—the magic program that makes overlap and noise issues disappear. According to a Hollywood Reporter article in 2008 about Jim Cameron's FPR: "On Avatar, the system Cameron has developed is called Facial Performance Replacement and it's similar to ADR, but for CGI faces." Jim Cameron: "We changed the words and [actor Laz Alonzo] redid the dialogue. We didn't have to recapture ( his body performance) and he didn't have to put the performance-capture suit on again. We were just creating new words, and we were creating a new face." Again, referring to the idea that Cameron is simply editing the film for the remaining 16 months, this technology allows him to change dialogue or facial reactions without reshooting any of it." VRS: How is working with Cameron different than working with other directors? How were you able to establish a trusting relationship with him? GYW: It's a matter of time. I have worked with him since Terminator 2. He loves sound, and does as much of his own sound work as his time allows. His "temp" is an excellent roadmap of what his intentions are— following that and improving upon it is what he expects. He is very loyal to his crews, I believe that is because the trust is there, the vernacular has been established, and we know how to anticipate based on his temp. He is as hands-on as he can be. Some directors want fresh ears for a playback, they don't want to know the minutia, Jim loves the minutia. VRS: What is your favorite scene from Avatar: The Way of Water? GYW: I love the scene where Lo'ak and Payakan meet—the shot from underneath where he's holding his fin. Just breathtaking. And Zoe's performance after Neteyam dies. It's all her performance in that moment—not ADR. She's a fighting machine. VRS: How was it working with child actors? GYW: The kid actors were amazing! And they all grew! Tuk, played by Trinity Bliss, was only 6 when they Lo'ak and Payakan, Avatar: The Way of Water, Photo: © 20th Century Studios