The historical significance of ``The Abyss.'' It is “an encounter between James Cameron and CG”

A pioneering work in the CG movement

Although the theatrical version of ``The Abyss'' did not do well at the box office, its visual effects, including CG, were highly praised and won the Visual Effects Award at the 62nd Academy Awards. Cameron saw the expressive power of CG shown by ILM, believed in its potential, and took a big gamble. Most importantly, we were able to build a relationship of trust with ILM's CG team led by Dennis Mullen.

When Cameron was planning his next film, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), he came up with the T1000, a humanoid enemy made of liquid metal, a character that could make even more effective use of the CG used to create the pseudopods in The Abyss. ILM, which continued to be entrusted with the CG production of the film, responded to the high demands placed one after another by Cameron, and applied the morphing technology that the company had developed for " Willow " (1988) to create various humans and knives. Complete the visual effect of T1000, which smoothly transforms and mimics inorganic objects such as the floor.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day 3D” preview

The depiction of the T1000 in the blockbuster hit ``Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' not only astonished audiences, but also convinced top directors of the potential of CG. Following ``Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', ILM's CG work won the Academy Award for Visual Effects for the third consecutive year, along with Robert Zemeckis' `` Death Becomes Her' ' (1992) and Spielberg's ` `Jurassic Park '' (1993). . In other words, it brought about a situation in the film industry that could be called a CG movement.

``Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' had a huge impact on the spread of CG in the field of entertainment movies, but it was ``The Abyss'' that first convinced Cameron of the potential of CG. Looking back from the present, Cameron's encounter with ILM's CG and his decision to introduce CG were important events that would later change the history of film. ``Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' sparked the CG movement, and ``The Abyss'' can be seen as a pioneering work in that movement.

【reference】

DVD “The Abyss Complete Edition” 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan

“James Cameron: The Man Who Looks to the Future from the End of the World” Written by Rebecca Keegan Translated by Shuntaro Yoshida Film Art Publishing

"James Cameron's Visual Dynamics" written by Ryohei Takahashi Victor Music Industry

Text: Ikuya Takamori

Freelance writer, English-Japanese translator. Mainly contributes movie reviews and columns to web media, and translates news articles. The translated book is ``Science of Star Wars--Thorough verification! From the true nature of the Force to intergalactic travel” (written by Mark Blake and John Chase, published by Kagaku Doujin) and others.

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