A Brief History of Movie Special Effects

Avatar — 3-D
In 2009, director James Cameron didn't necessarily recreate the wheel, but he did recreate the camera. For Avatar, Cameron teamed up with Sony to pioneer a specially designed camera built into a six-inch boom that allowed the facial expressions of the actors to be captured with sensors and digitally recorded for animators to use later. Tucked into tight bodysuits speckled with tiny reflectors, the actors were filmed as infrared light bounced off the reflectors, which was then captured in 3-D by up to 140 digital cameras positioned around the set. Nicknamed the "holy grail," Cameron's camera system used lightweight, dual-lens and hi-definition digital imaging to create an insanely advanced 3-D picture.

• James Cameron's Best Special Effects