TITANIC may have cost $200 million, but with the amount of work necessary to make such an enormous motion picture it may seem like a bargain for the end product. James Cameron even gave up all profit percentages and directors fees just so the production companies wouldn't throw more of a fit over the budget. The crew built from scratch a huge studio down in Mexico, including three large stages, one of which was the outdoor tank featuring the full scale model of the Titanic; built in two pieces and supported on massive hydrolic systems for the necessary shots of the sinking of the great ship. "Titanic is not just a cautionary tale - a myth, a parable, a metaphor for the ills of mankind. It is also a story of faith, courage, sacrifice and above all else, love." - James Cameron, Writer/Director Directed by James Cameron Written by James Cameron Cinematography by Russell Carpenter Music by James Horner Production Design by Peter Lamont Costume Design by Deborah Lynn Scott Film Editing by Conrad Buff IV, James Cameron, Richard A. Harris Most of the model and computer graphics work was done by Digital Domain, James Cameron's own special effects house. However, when the number of CG shots needed started reaching the 350 mark, Digital Domain had to farm out several key sequences to numerous effects houses including ILM, VIFX, and Banned from the Ranch. If you really want to know all the details of the special effects involved, go out right now and buy the latest issue (number 72) of Cinefex. 180 pages of amazing articles and pictures. To obtain a copy, you can write to them at Cinefex, Box 20027, Riverside, CA 92516. "Nicknamed the '100-day studio', Fox Studios Baja began construction on May 31, 1996, the same day that Titanic's hull was launched into Belfast Harbour at Harland and Wolff's shipyard 85 years previously. Key to the project was the 17 million gallon oceanfront tank in which the near full-size exterior ship set was erected, providing almost 270 degrees of uninterrupted ocean view." - From James Cameron's Titanic Here are some interesting bits of information about the production that you may not know: Many of the paintings in the movie are authentic, such as Pablo Picasso's "The Guitar Player" flown in from the Musee National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris. Also, most of the decor on the ship - from the carpet to the chandeliers were reconstructed by, or under the supervision of, the original companies which furnished the Titanic. Contains real footage of the Titanic, shot on location beneath the sea by James Cameron himself, using a unique underwater camera system developed by his brother. Jack's sketch of Rose wearing the blue diamond discovered by Brock was actually drawn by Cameron, and the hand shots of Jack Dawson drawing were actually shots of Cameron's hand. A 90% scale model of one half of the Titanic was constructed on a beach in Mexico. In the scenes portraying the ship at the Southampton dock, all shots were reversed to give the appearance of the port side of the ship, as it was actually docked in 1912. This required the painstaking construction of reversed costumes and signage to complete the illusion, which was achieved by a mirror process in post-production. More information is available at the Internet Movie DataBase: Titanic.

Michael Sherman <mset@cmu.edu>