The World of Communication & the Creation of One of the World's Most Succesful Films: Titanic
Have you ever wondered what goes into the making of one of the world’s most successful films? In Titanic: The World of Communication & the Creation of One of the World's Most Succesful Films, James Cameron, director and producer of the film Titanic talks about his 20-year quest to make his dream project come to life. His process starts with writing, refining and production leading to post-production and marketing, including distribution deals and premieres around the world - all of which are explained in detail in this book by Jim Cameron himself.
What did they know?
The team behind the film Titanic knew that their film had to be perfect in order to be a success. They also knew that they had to communicate their vision to everyone involved in the project, from the actors to the crew. They did this by being very clear about what they wanted and by making sure that everyone was on the same page. This attention to detail paid off in a big way, as Titanic went on to become one of the most successful films of all time. It has broken just about every box office record out there and is still going strong 20 years after its release. No wonder director James Cameron thinks it’s his life’s work.
Throughout its lengthy production, Cameron insisted on absolute perfection. He became so obsessive about not allowing any error go uncorrected that he would often spend 18 hours per day filming or editing footage for the movie- even when he wasn't directing any scenes.
Communication was key to ensuring perfection throughout the production process. Cameron often used handwritten notes with sketches drawn directly onto them to describe exactly what he wanted people working on specific parts of the movie to do. He would then have these sketches translated into digital renderings before passing them along to other members of his team so they could execute his vision accordingly. In addition to using physical drawings, Cameron also had fax machines set up at different points around the world so he could send updates and receive feedback from anyone who was stationed at another location.
He made sure that all of his employees were always aware of what the goal was so they wouldn't get lost in the details and forget about the overall objective. For example, each day on set someone would yell What are we doing today? over and over again until everyone heard him. Then those who were scheduled for a break would shout back We're rehearsing! or We're shooting! which alerted others to how far ahead they were in their tasks. Even though the production schedule was long and difficult, communication within the group prevented any mishaps or miscommunication that might have occurred otherwise. Every person on the crew was aware of where they fit into the process and understood their responsibilities because Cameron communicated clearly with them at every stage. When Tom Hanks expressed concern over whether he should shoot a scene where Jack draws Rose nude, Cameron explained why it was necessary to complete such an intimate moment between two characters during this pivotal moment in their relationship. Hanks agreed with Cameron's reasoning and completed his part without complaint while Cameron continued to direct other cast members elsewhere on set during breaks in shooting.
Cameron took care to emphasize that communication shouldn't only occur verbally; sometimes gestures can be enough if you know your audience well enough. He would often draw a line in the sand with his foot to indicate the point at which he wanted a camera operator to stop or start rolling. He would use his hand to signal that a camera needed to be adjusted and would give thumbs up or thumbs down depending on how he felt about the shot.
Cameron's awareness of what was going on around him allowed him to keep everything running smoothly and prevent any problems from happening. He had an innate ability to read people, anticipate their needs, and offer them solutions without saying anything at all.
Communication is more than just speaking aloud; it's about being mindful of what's happening around you and understanding what everyone needs so they can be more efficient in their own roles.
Who was the audience?
The film Titanic was created with a very wide audience in mind. It was meant to be a story that would appeal to people of all ages, genders, and cultures. The film was also created with the intention of being a blockbuster hit. This meant that it needed to have mass appeal and be able to make a lot of money. It was both an art and a business decision for the creators. As such, they were committed to making sure that the final product would work for as many people as possible - not just one specific group or country. They aimed for universal appeal so they could reach as many viewers as possible on different continents and languages. In addition, they wanted everyone who saw it to enjoy it - even if they didn't get every single detail of what happened during filming or understand some elements like British humor or historical references. There are certain aspects of the film which are easier to relate to for some audiences more than others. For example, dialogue spoken by the Irish actors is much easier for audiences from Ireland to understand than someone from America or India. However, because there are subtitles throughout the movie, these audiences can still fully appreciate everything else about it without having any knowledge of Gaelic vernacular. Furthermore, the style of filming and editing is designed to keep things clear for anyone viewing the movie. Additionally, because there are several retellings of events before finally arriving at the conclusion that led to their deaths, those unfamiliar with this narrative device will easily be able to follow along with its usage. While care was taken when writing lines for extras so that it would appeal to them too (in order to make the set seem more realistic), no attention was paid towards how it might affect particular nationalities or social groups. If a character spoke French, then they spoke French regardless of where they lived. A song sung in Hindi by Celine Dion would be subtitled for the sake of clarity. Special effects were sometimes made to look better for certain audiences but not for others depending on what was feasible within budget constraints. Any violent scenes were edited out or toned down in order to protect younger viewers. Many different steps were taken to ensure that it appealed to a global audience as well as maximizing revenue potential around the world. The large cast allowed for the filmmakers to include various accents while remaining authentic to each region. Even though a variety of shots were used during filming, there was always a concern that they may not show up well enough on TV screens so close-ups and panoramic shots were utilized whenever possible. CGI was only used when absolutely necessary - otherwise the filmmakers preferred using physical sets and props wherever possible in order to create realism. Sets weren't built until cameras had been tested in advance so that camera angles would work with the space available as opposed to wasting time constructing sets with long corridors or narrow doorways.
Why was this message repeated so often in so many different ways?
The world of communication is a constantly changing and evolving landscape. In order to be successful, you have to be able to adapt and change with it. The team behind the film Titanic was able to do just that. By using a variety of different channels and methods, they were able to get their message out there loud and clear. As a result, the film went on to become one of the most successful films of all time. Whether or not the film would have been so successful without such an extensive marketing campaign can't really be answered definitively, but in today's always-connected society, it is certain that nothing succeeds like success. Their various efforts included press releases, trailer showings, articles, billboards and magazine advertisements. Of course they weren't alone in this endeavour - they had some help from a rather unusual source.
Hearts may go on breaking from time to time but hearts don't really break anymore at least not for long because we are able to communicate our pain more quickly than ever before - which also means we're better at getting over it more quickly too! So as long as people want to hear about disasters or share their lives with each other we'll continue finding ways to make these happen faster and easier than ever before! And thanks to events like last year's Communications Week, we now know how important it is to keep communicating through new technology and sharing experiences together online. For instance, while the post-Titanic media circus continued with near-constant updates on how life aboard the ship must have felt (complete with actors reenacting scenes), the victims' families who had escaped stayed silent and unreachable by journalists. The story of this disaster is not just a story about loss and tragedy - it's also a story about how technology has changed our relationships with each other both personally and professionally, how business will never again be conducted as usual when everyone has access to everyone else, even if only virtually! The communications revolution is here and its scope is almost unimaginable. We no longer live in isolation from one another; we are joined up and connected. We cannot hide what goes on inside us any more - everything comes out eventually, and quite often quicker than we'd expect it to! Communication has opened up whole new worlds for us. It has given us unheard of levels of transparency in terms of getting our messages across, regardless of whether or not those messages might have negative consequences. When the communications revolution first began to take shape during World War II with the creation of propaganda posters designed to encourage people to buy war bonds, little did anyone realize that it would eventually evolve into something much bigger: A powerful form of public relations where companies could sell anything under the sun by effectively tapping into human desire.
Where else did this tactic succeed?
Titanic is a perfect example of a film that succeeded because of its marketing campaign. The studio behind the film, 20th Century Fox, spent an estimated $200 million dollars on marketing alone. And it paid off. The film went on to gross over $1.8 billion dollars worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of all time (at the time). In the United States and Canada, Titanic became only the second film in history to surpass $600 million in box office receipts. The first was also produced by Twentieth Century Fox-Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
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