The next revolution (my theory...)

Avatar was a groundbreaking film. Not for its plot. Not for its story. But pretty much for its advancement in visual effects. It amped up the movie-going experience with Cameron's Real 3D-capture technology. And, yes, many movies have incorporated this effect into their productions, but honestly, no movie compares to Avatar's execution. Also the fact that such a lush, detailed world was created entirely by digital artists with such seamless quality and care, Avatar set a very high standard for all visual effects studios.

But the biggest issue people are having with the Avatar saga is its repeatedly delayed release dates for the sequels. So one must wonder, what kind of revolutionary work is the mad film-scientist conjuring up for the sequels that will not only raise the bar higher than the original Avatar, but will captivate audiences into believing that the saga itself will still even be relevent? Already, and for some time now, critics and movie enthusiasts have been steadily losing interest in the franchise, as the original story does not live up to the cavalier visual effects that made it the highest-grossing film of all time and holding that title for the past near-decade.

What we need to keep in mind is that James Cameron is an artist of revolution more than he is a good story writer. He has proved this with every epic he has released. When the stories can sometimes lack originality, he always manages to tell it in such a colorful way that it entices audiences in awe-striken grandeur. Every feature under his name is monumental, undoubtedly for his masterly film engineering.

Now then, we have been waiting for the saga of Avatar to continue. And the few fans who have not yet jumped his ship for fear he may sink his own "titanic" career, there is a fair reason. We know he is cooking up a new revolution.

I can't say anything about how the following films will unfold in a narrative sense. And honestly, I really don't care to. I'll let Jim tell his story. I'm personally more interested in how the Grandmaster is going to once again change the way we watch movies. And that brings me to my theory:

VR.

Yes.
Virtual reality.
360 degrees of being entirely immersed with the world of Pandora. (Perhaps even the future Earth.) This technology is nothing new. We see countless 360-videos peppered throughout our newsfeeds on social media. Usually a minute-or-so long clip from movie scenes and concerts. But imagine going into theaters where you for once are asked to keep you smartphones turned on. And we all put on the recyclable cardboard boxes to fit our phonescreens at the entrance of the cinema. Security has heightened to an nth degree so that no one attempts criminal activity in such an accessible setting to do so. The lights go down and everyone is asked to put on their VR gear. Of course, they'll still have the original "basic" frame available to watch on the big screen for those who don't have the VR gear (because not everyone will find interest in it...) As the film rolls, the theater hosting VR-availability will stream the images through amplified WiFi signals, and the audience members will be able to experience a the movie in all directions of view. They will feel like they are actually there.

So yeah, this kind of experience is comparable to first-person video games, but what sets it apart is you are still watching a recorded movie. But you'll get to see the settings in full 360-degree glory as the scenes play out. Every experience of watching a movie would be, visually, completely new because there would be so much to see...

Of course, the more I talk about this, the sillier it sounds. So maybe Cameron is really just perfecting 3D imaging that doesn't require the special glasses while trying to make sense of the next four screenplays that have enough subtextual tree-hugging propaganda to save the world. Sigh.... it's fun to make theories though!