This talk provides a comprehensive look at the innovative technology and workflows developed for Avatar: The Way of Water. We cover the planning and approach for the R&D effort years prior to beginning actual shot production; and how the teams came together to develop a fundamentally new pipeline for the show. The talk addresses how Wētā integrated AI systems into artist workflows without sacrificing full artist control; and the importance of data management. Specifically, we cover on-set innovations including new capture systems and the neural-network driven depth compositing workflow, as well as Wētā’s new facial system (APFS) and the integrated multi-physics integrated solver Loki. We also discuss how these tools connect with existing artist workflows; and how innovation at this scale is only possible with a holistic vision for how all the pieces come together to enhance shot creation.

Paper in the ACM Digital Library