The Influenced of James Cameron on the Movie Industry and Culture - Research Paper Example

James Cameron: the Movie Industry and Culture With the reputation of a hard taskmaster, James Cameron is a self-professed "obsessive- compulsive filmmaker" (1994 interview, Los Angeles Times). A look at his film career and the masterpieces thus evolved, is enough to mark his uniqueness, both as a director and a special effects artist. The director who resurrected the thrill of science fiction, giving Hollywood a new high, is a visionary who dared to think beyond the main stream. Credited for creation of legendary movies with unforgettable characters and special effects, James Cameron in his 31 year film career, has churned out epic blockbusters, breaking his own box office records. Right from the heart wrenching soft romance in 'Titanic', to breathless catastrophes in 'Terminator', his films have enchanted and captivated audiences worldwide. Throughout his career in the film industry, James Cameron has left an indelible mark on the history of entertainment, combining captivating special effects with inspiring and unforgettable storylines. A prominent entertainment figure, honored across the world by prestigious organizations, and listed in TIME magazine's top 100 influential people of the 20th century, James Cameron has greatly revolutionized and influenced the movie industry and culture, deserving even higher accolades, honor and recognition. Describing James Cameron's days as a young boy, Tom Shone, author of Blockbuster: How Hollywood Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Summer, writes: As a boy in Chippawa, Ontario, James Cameron once sent some mice over the edge of Niagara Falls in a small submersible made from old mayonnaise jars, an Erector Set and a paint bucket. Another time, he made a hot-air balloon out of a dry-cleaning bag and some candles, floating it down the street until someone reported it as a U.F.O. and called the Fire Department. Together with the young Steven Spielberg’s experiments in civic alarum-raising — locking himself in the bathroom until the Phoenix Fire Department was summoned — Cameron’s excursions suggest two interlocking propositions: (1) If you want to know who is going to grow up to be a box-office titan, check out the rec­ords of your local Fire Department. And (2) nobody should be surprised if Balloon Boy turns into the proud auteur behind Terminator Resurrection: This Time With Feeling. (Shone) I am the king of the World James Cameron, lifting his Oscar Statuette for the movie 'Titanic' on the night of March 23 , in the Shrine Auditorium, shouted, "I am the King of the World". The highest grosser worldwide, Titanic went on to win 11 Academy Awards. The movie's successful run at the box office worldwide breaking all records, set all naysayers to rest. Being the most expensive movie ever made, going $100m over budget, it was speculated that the movie was doomed to flop. Contrary to his other movies, which were mostly sci-fi, with hard action and thrill, Titanic was different from his previous works. "Titanic, however, was something else altogether, and, particularly in its appeal to women, almost unfathomable in its emotional power" (Goodwin). The movie's overwhelming success established James Cameron as the king of Hollywood, leaving the audience crooning 'My Heart will go on'. A Visionary "An audacious visionary who developed new film technologies midstream in order to turn his creative visions into film reality, director James Cameron was credited with single-handedly resurrecting a once-dead science fiction genre, thanks to the timeless success of "The Terminator" (1984) and "Aliens" (1986)" (Yahoo movies). True to his reputation, James Cameron could bring the dead back to life in his movies. Beginning with ' Xenogenesis', followed by the ' The Abyss', 'Aliens', the 'Terminator' series and then 'Avatar', Hollywood science fiction has finally arrived. Avatar, a 3D digital movie, was his ambitious foray into 3D film making, a genre still in its nascent stage, where many other successfull directors feared to stray. Breaking Titanic's record, this movie went on to become the highest grossing movie of all time, and was yet another milestone in Hollywood sci-fi. Cameron is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and also is a member of the Mars Society, a non-profit organization that is lobbying for the colonization of Mars. In June 2010, Cameron met with the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss ways to handle the 2010 BP oil spill. Cameron offered to help BP plug the oil well, but the company declined his help. The spill eventually was stopped using methods similar to what Cameron had suggested. (Cameron) Cameron's dedication towards scientific progress and advancement stands witness to the fact that he is not only an imperative asset to the Hollywood film industry, but also to the world. He has a great scientific prowess and a great mind, as Keegan puts it in her book, The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron, " Cameron’s brain is formidable, fascinating and equally developed on both sides" (Keegan). James in person and his imprint on US culture James Cameron has always aspired to make a difference. In an interview in person, describing his childhood, James says, "I look back at, you know, I was at (sic) ten years old or nine years old, and I'm the same person now, you know, and in essence -- in wanting to build things and wanting to get a lot of people together and do some grandiose thing, whether it was build a fort or a tree house, or an airplane. Once we built an airplane. Not intending it to fly, just hang from a tree but, you know, that sort of thing. And I realize I'm just doing the same thing now. I'm just getting a bunch of kids to help me build a fort, except that now it takes $100 million, and the kids are all my age" (Academy of achievement). His movies mirror the american instinct, of breaking barriers and setting new heights. His movies have left a deep impact on the US culture, especially on American youth, realising newer possibilities in science and technology. The movie, 'Titanic', mirrors America and the sentiments within. As John Gay writes in an article: Titanic is a story about America. Though glorious in its day, she is sinking. Incompetent leadership and greed have allowed her to sail blindly. All the while, though, others have been too caught up in their own version of morality and truth to notice the impending collision. Generally speaking, for decades the United States has been steered by incompetent leadership, greed, situational ethics, relative morality and truth, cynicism of rules and authority, and postmodern thought. (Gay) Known for his tough attitude and temper, Cameron has earned the repute of being a hard taskmaster. Reportedly, the Terminator crew printed T-shirts with the comment, 'You Can't Scare Me — I Work for Jim Cameron'! A demanding and uncompromising director, James Cameron is stringent with the crew's work timing and performance, earning a bad repute among crew members. Feared by studios and producers for crossing the budget almost always, Cameron seems to have a penchant for over-the-edge work ethics. However, many actors go on the defensive, crediting the success of his movies to his perfectionism. Over the years, James Cameron has made his mark, making Hollywood a global language by creating movies of international appeal. Making it to TIME magazine's list of top 100 most influential people, Cameron has greatly earned his repute owing to hard work and determinism. Ringing in a 3D revolution with Avatar, shot with Fusion High definition video cameras, Cameron has raised the bar for Hollywood sci-fi, and more is yet to come. Owing to his skill and prowess, and his influence on the movie industry and Hollywood culture, he deserves worldwide recognition and respect forever. Works Cited Academy of achievement. 10 April 2011 . Cameron, James (1954-). UXL Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2011. Student Resource Center - Gold. 10 April 2011 . Gay, John. The U.S. Titanic. 10 April 2011 . Goodwin, Christopher. 10 April 2011 . Keegan, Rebecca. The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron. n.d. Shone. 10 April 2011 . Yahoo movies. 10 April 2011 . 10 April 2011 . 10 April 2011 . Read More