James Cameron

• 1. From Ontario To Hollywood

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  James Francis Cameron was born on the 16th of August 1954 in Kapuskasing, Ontario. He grew up as the eldest of five children with two brothers and two sisters. His father Philip worked as an electrical engineer while his mother Shirley was an artist and nurse. Summers were spent on a grandfather's farm in Southern Ontario where he built things that went into the air or deep water. At age 17 he moved from Chippawa to Brea California. He attended Sonora High School before transferring to Brea Olinda High School. Classmates remembered him not as a sportsman but as someone who enjoyed building complex objects. After high school he enrolled at Fullerton College in 1973 to study physics. He switched subjects to English but left the college by the end of 1974. During this period he worked odd jobs including driving trucks and cleaning high schools. He frequently consumed cannabis and LSD while writing in his free time. He learned about film technology by reading student work on optical printing and front screen projection at the University of Southern California library. The release of Star Wars in 1977 changed everything for him. He quit his truck driving job immediately after seeing the film. This decision marked his entry into the film industry.

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• 2. The Terminator And Aliens

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  Cameron began directing in 1978 with a short film called Xenogenesis. He borrowed money from dentists to fund it. His career progressed through roles like production assistant on Rock 'n' Roll High School in 1979. He became an art director for Battle Beyond the Stars in 1980. By 1982 he directed Piranha II: The Spawning though critics later called it marvellously bad. In 1982 he wrote the script for The Terminator inspired by John Carpenter's Halloween and a nightmare about a robot hit man. Gale Anne Hurd bought the script for one dollar on the condition that Cameron direct. Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast as the cyborg villain instead of Lance Henriksen. The film earned over $78 million worldwide exceeding expectations set by Orion Pictures. George Perry of the BBC praised Cameron's direction for lacing action with ironic jokes while hinting at terror. The film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2008. Cameron then wrote and directed Aliens in 1986 featuring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley. Despite conflicts during production including replacing James Remar with Michael Biehn the film generated over $130 million. It won awards for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. Time magazine featured both Weaver and the film on its cover in July 1986.

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• 3. Titanic And Commercial Peak

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  Cameron co-founded Lightstorm Entertainment in 1990 with Lawrence Kasanoff. He produced True Lies in 1994 which cost at least $100 million and earned $146 million domestically. His next major project was Titanic released in 1997. The production budget reached $200 million making it the most expensive film ever made at that time. Cameron took dives to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean starting in 1995 to capture footage of the wreck. A replica of the ship was built in Rosarito Beach where principal photography began in September 1996. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet starred as star-crossed lovers from different social classes. The supporting cast included Billy Zane Kathy Bates Frances Fisher and Bill Paxton. The film premiered on the 19th of December 1997 after months of delay. It became the highest-grossing film of all time holding the position for twelve years until Avatar beat the record in 2010. The Washington Post considered the CGI graphics spectacular while critics praised the costumes and sets. The film received fourteen Academy Award nominations tying a record set by All About Eve in 1950. It won eleven awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Film critic Roger Ebert called it flawlessly crafted and spellbinding. In 2017 the film became Cameron's second movie selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

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• 4. Avatar And Technology

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  Cameron returned to mainstream filmmaking with Avatar released in 2009. He had written an 80-page treatment for the project in 1995 but waited for technology to improve. The story is set in the mid-22nd century with an estimated budget exceeding $300 million. Sam Worthington Zoe Saldaña Stephen Lang Michelle Rodriguez and Sigourney Weaver formed the cast. The film used live-action footage mixed with computer-generated animation using advanced motion capture techniques previously seen in The Polar Express. It was intended as 3D-only before adapting for conventional viewing. Avatar premiered on the 18th of December 2009 after delays allowed theaters to install 3D projectors. It grossed over $2.74 billion worldwide becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. It was the first film to earn more than $2 billion globally. An extended re-release generated an additional $33.2 million in July 2010. Vanity Fair reported that Cameron earned US$257 million making him the highest earner in Hollywood that year. As of 2022 Avatar and Titanic remain the only two films to gross over $2 billion worldwide. Cameron announced plans to direct three sequels simultaneously starting in August 2013. Principal photography began in New Zealand on the 25th of September 2017. Avatar: The Way of Water premiered in London on the 6th of December 2022 standing as the third highest-grossing film of all time.

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• 5. Deep Sea Exploration

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  Cameron's interest in deep-sea exploration grew from his work on The Abyss and Titanic. He became a National Geographic explorer-in-residence in 2011. On the 7th of March 2012 he dived five miles deep to the bottom of the New Britain Trench using the Deepsea Challenger submersible. Nineteen days later he reached the Challenger Deep the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. He spent more than three hours exploring the ocean floor alone becoming the first person to accomplish this trip solo. During the dive he discovered new species including sea cucumber squid worm and a giant single-celled amoeba. Unmanned dives had preceded him in 1995 and 2009 while Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh were the first men to reach the bottom in 1960 aboard the Trieste. In 2016 Premier Exhibitions filed for bankruptcy owning many RMS Titanic artifacts. Cameron supported bids by UK museums but an investment group acquired them instead. Following the Titan submersible implosion Cameron criticized OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush for using carbon-fibre composite construction which lacks strength under pressure. He stated that pressure hulls should be made from contiguous materials like steel or titanium.

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• 6. Autocratic Vision And Innovation

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  Cameron is regarded as innovative yet difficult to work with on set. Radio Times described him as the king of hi-tech thrillers. Andrew Gumbel of The Independent called him a nightmare to work with due to his uncompromising manner. Ed Harris who starred in The Abyss said Cameron behaved autocratically making everyone around him miserable. Orson Scott Card novelized The Abyss stating Cameron's unkindness did not improve the film. Kate Winslet admitted she was genuinely frightened of him during Titanic production. She noted he had a temper like you wouldn't believe. Sam Worthington said if a mobile phone rang during filming Cameron would nail it to the wall with a nail gun. Composer James Horner recalled having to write music quickly for Aliens and did not work with Cameron for a decade afterward. Despite this reputation Sigourney Weaver praised his perfectionism saying he risks his own life for shots. Michael Biehn added that Cameron cares more about movies than other directors do. In 2021 Cameron acknowledged past demanding behavior calling himself a tinpot dictator during a MasterClass session. He expressed regret over working relationships and admired Ron Howard's approach to complimenting crews.

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