In this episode of Editors on Editing, host Glenn Garland is joined by Steven Rivkin, an editor on James Cameron’s latest cinematic epic, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Building on his extensive experience with the Avatar franchise and various other films like The Hurricane, Ali and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Rivkin outlines the complex editorial and technical processes behind creating the immersive world of Pandora. They discuss how innovation in performance capture and virtual filmmaking techniques reshape modern storytelling in large-scale productions.

Rivkin talks about how the production’s performance capture spanned approximately 18 months, and emphasized that Avatar is “live action by other means,” and is not a traditional animated film. Instead of conventional cinematography or lighting concerns, the initial capture phase focused solely on performances, where actors in suits outfitted with sensors captured facial expressions and movements in extraordinary detail that truly makes a difference.

“The performances of the actors are absolutely paramount to the storytelling,” Rivkin said while explaining how performances are stitched together digitally, enabling director James Cameron to shoot scenes repeatedly in virtual environments without actors present.

The two also discuss the challenges associated with managing multiple characters, integrating live action with CG elements and the partnership between James Cameron and late producer John Landau.

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