Exclusive: James Cameron talks Titanic 3D

James Cameron has spoken exclusively to our sister site TechRadar.com about all things three-dimensional.

The Avatar director was sharing his passion at the IBC (International Broadcasting Centre), and the guys at TechRadar got chatting to him about the upcoming 3D re-release of Titanic .

On the 3D conversion, Cameron said, “I really don’t enjoy the process.

“While Vince [ Pace – co-founder of the Cameron-Pace Group for 3D tech ] and I sit gleefully watching our 3D images being shot, a conversion is the exact opposite.

“It’s a mind numbing process of creating depth subjectively.

“I am five months in so the artists are becoming good and starting to read my mind a little, so it has become easier, but I still sit there with the jog wheel and look through the movie frame by frame and make notes on depth.

“That should be closer, that should be further back, there's not enough full depth here, there is not enough volume on that shoulder, a little more volume on that urn in the background, see that chair in the background on the left, no the other one on the left, that one needs to come forward another six inches… when the captain stands up we have to do an interlocular dynamic, da da, da da, da da… it's fricking endless!

“It's a mind-numbing process; it's like mowing the lawn with a toenail clipper.”

Cameron was keen to point out how much time (and, of course, money) he was investing in deepening the Titanic experience, adding, “We are spending $18 million on Titanic and giving the project a year.

“[Clash Of The Titans] was a classic mistake. They tried to make 3D a post-production process like sound editing and that doesn't work. The film-maker has to be involved and it takes time and good money to do a proper conversion.”

Titanic gets a 3D release on 6 April 2012.

For more from Cameron, on everything from Avatar and the BBC to the future of 3D, mosey on over to TechRadar.com .

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