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Igrewuponasteadydietofsciencefiction.Inhighschool,Itookabustoschoolanhoureachwayeveryday.AndIwasalwaysabsorbedinabook,sciencefictionbook,whichtookmymindtootherworlds,andsatisfied,inanarrativeform,thisinsatiablesenseofcuriositythatIhad.Andyouknow,thatcuriosityalsomanifesteditselfinthefactthatwheneverIwasn'tinschoolIwasoutinthewoods,hikingandtakingsamples--frogsandsnakesandbugsandpondwater--andbringingitback,lookingatitunderthemicroscope.Youknow,Iwasarealsciencegeek.Butitwasallabouttryingtounderstandtheworld,understandthelimitsofpossibility.Andmyloveofsciencefictionactuallyseemedmirroredintheworldaroundme,becausewhatwashappening,thiswasinthelate'60s,weweregoingtothemoon,wewereexploringthedeepoceans.JacquesCousteauwascomingintoourlivingroomswithhisamazingspecialsthatshowedusanimalsandplacesandawondrousworldthatwecouldneverreallyhavepreviouslyimagined.So,thatseemedtoresonatewiththewholesciencefictionpartofit.AndIwasanartist.Icoulddraw.Icouldpaint.AndIfoundthatbecausethereweren'tvideogamesandthissaturationofCGmoviesandallofthisimageryinthemedialandscape,Ihadtocreatetheseimagesinmyhead.Youknow,wealldid,askidshavingtoreadabook,andthroughtheauthor'sdescription,putsomethingonthemoviescreeninourheads.Andso,myresponsetothiswastopaint,todrawaliencreatures,alienworlds,robots,spaceships,allthatstuff.Iwasendlesslygettingbustedinmathclassdoodlingbehindthetextbook.Thatwas--thecreativityhadtofinditsoutletsomehow.Andaninterestingthinghappened:TheJacquesCousteaushowsactuallygotmeveryexcitedaboutthefactthattherewasanalienworldrighthereonEarth.Imightnotreallygotoanalienworldonaspaceshipsomeday--thatseemedprettydarnunlikely.ButthatwasaworldIcouldreallygoto,righthereonEarth,thatwasasrichandexoticasanythingthatIhadimaginedfromreadingthesebooks.So,IdecidedIwasgoingtobecomeascubadiverattheageof15.AndtheonlyproblemwiththatwasthatIlivedinalittlevillageinCanada,600milesfromthenearestocean.ButIdidn'tletthatdauntme.IpesteredmyfatheruntilhefinallyfoundascubaclassinBuffalo,NewYork,rightacrosstheborderfromwherewelive.AndIactuallygotcertifiedinapoolataYMCAinthedeadofwinterinBuffalo,NewYork.AndIdidn'tseetheocean,arealocean,foranothertwoyears,untilwemovedtoCalifornia.Sincethen,intheintervening40years,I'vespentabout3,000hoursunderwater,and500hoursofthatwasinsubmersibles.AndI'velearnedthatthatdeep-oceanenvironment,andeventheshallowoceans,aresorichwithamazinglifethatreallyisbeyondourimagination.Nature'simaginationissoboundlesscomparedtoourownmeagerhumanimagination.Istill,tothisday,standinabsoluteaweofwhatIseewhenImakethesedives.Andmyloveaffairwiththeoceanisongoing,andjustasstrongasiteverwas.ButwhenIchoseacareerasanadult,itwasfilmmaking.AndthatseemedtobethebestwaytoreconcilethisurgeIhadtotellstorieswithmyurgestocreateimages.AndIwas,asakid,constantlydrawingcomicbooks,andsoon.So,filmmakingwasthewaytoputpicturesandstoriestogether,andthatmadesense.AndofcoursethestoriesthatIchosetotellweresciencefictionstories:Terminator,AliensandTheAbyss.AndwithTheAbyss,Iwasputtingtogethermyloveofunderwateranddivingwithfilmmaking.So,youknow,mergingthetwopassions.SomethinginterestingcameoutofTheAbyss,whichwasthattosolveaspecificnarrativeproblemonthatfilm,whichwastocreatethiskindofliquidwatercreature,weactuallyembracedcomputergeneratedanimation,CG.Andthisresultedinthefirstsoft-surfacecharacter,CGanimationthatwaseverinamovie.Andeventhoughthefilmdidn'tmakeanymoney--barelybrokeeven,Ishouldsay--Iwitnessedsomethingamazing,whichisthattheaudience,theglobalaudience,wasmesmerizedbythisapparentmagic.Youknow,it'sArthurClarke'slawthatanysufficientlyadvancedtechnologyisindistinguishablefrommagic.Theywereseeingsomethingmagical.Andsothatgotmeveryexcited.AndIthought,Wow,thisissomethingthatneedstobeembracedintothecinematicart.So,withTerminator2,whichwasmynextfilm,wetookthatmuchfarther.WorkingwithILM,wecreatedtheliquidmetaldudeinthatfilm.Thesuccesshunginthebalanceonwhetherthateffectwouldwork.Anditdid,andwecreatedmagicagain,andwehadthesameresultwithanaudience--althoughwedidmakealittlemoremoneyonthatone.So,drawingalinethroughthosetwodotsofexperiencecameto,Thisisgoingtobeawholenewworld,thiswasawholenewworldofcreativityforfilmartists.So,IstartedacompanywithStanWinston,mygoodfriendStanWinston,whoisthepremiermake-upandcreaturedesigneratthattime,anditwascalledDigitalDomain.Andtheconceptofthecompanywasthatwewouldleapfrogpasttheanalogprocessesofopticalprintersandsoon,andwewouldgorighttodigitalproduction.Andweactuallydidthatanditgaveusacompetitiveadvantageforawhile.Butwefoundourselveslagginginthemid'90sinthecreatureandcharacterdesignstuffthatwehadactuallyfoundedthecompanytodo.So,IwrotethispiececalledAvatar,whichwasmeanttoabsolutelypushtheenvelopeofvisualeffects,ofCGeffects,beyond,withrealistichumanemotivecharactersgeneratedinCG,andthemaincharacterswouldallbeinCG,andtheworldwouldbeinCG.Andtheenvelopepushedback,andIwastoldbythefolksatmycompanythatweweren'tgoingtobeabletodothisforawhile.So,Ishelvedit,andImadethisothermovieaboutabigshipthatsinks.(Laughter)Youknow,Iwentandpitchedittothestudioas'Romeoand