According to The Hollywood Reporter, Zoe Saldana wants audiences to appreciate the skill and talent behind motion capture performances, such as those in James Cameron’s Avatar series.
The Oscar-winning actress mentioned that Cameron “is thinking about a documentary on the making of Avatar, allowing us to meticulously explain why performance capture is the most empowering form of acting.”
In a recent chat with Alicia Keys, Saldana, who portrayed Neytiri in the 2009 and 2022 Avatar films, stressed the importance of recognizing this work, stating it credits actors with full ownership of their screen performances.
Saldana explained, “With animation, you might only need a few studio sessions for the entire movie. You just dress as you like and lend your voice. But performance capture means Avatar wouldn’t be possible without Sigourney Weaver, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, myself, and the entire cast putting on those dots. We wear the unitard with dots, step into a ‘volume’—our set—rigged with cameras that track us and feed data into the system creating Pandora.”
A strong advocate for motion capture, Saldana has previously criticized the Academy Awards for overlooking these performances.
“It takes about seven years between each Avatar film,” she shared. “From mastering archery, martial arts, free diving, scuba diving—to hold your breath for over five minutes—to learning a language Cameron invented and training with gymnasts and acrobats to walk like extraterrestrials. That’s all us, aided by incredible stunt actors making our characters feel bionic. With the tech Jim develops, he empowers artists with full creative ownership. It’s wonderful.”
Cameron’s Avatar won three Oscars, including best cinematography, visual effects, and art direction.
Saldana will reprise her role as Neytiri in Avatar: Fire and Ash, set to release in theatres this December.
