Avatar: The Way of Water has premiered globally, delivering an immersive cinematic experience that lasts over 180 minutes, with visuals meticulously crafted under the artistic direction of filmmaker James Cameron. This attention to detail is one of the key factors that helped the film quickly gross $1.5 billion just three weeks after its release.
Notably, Cameron and his production team employed a variety of advanced filming technologies. Among these, the Performance Capture method stands out, allowing the full range of actors’ facial expressions to be captured and integrated seamlessly into the animated characters on screen. Additionally, underwater scenes were filmed in large water tanks to achieve the highest realistic quality for Avatar: The Way of Water.
However, not everyone can enjoy this visual feast without some discomfort. According to writer Dais Johnston in Inverse, while James Cameron’s latest project is indeed captivating, it can also induce feelings of dizziness and nausea, akin to motion sickness. It turns out Johnston is not the only one experiencing this sensation after watching Avatar: The Way of Water, especially in 3D or IMAX formats.
Avatar: The Way of Water and Motion Sickness
Why might someone feel dizzy while sitting still in a theater, not moving or swaying? According to Bill Yates, a sensory scientist at the University of Pittsburgh, motion sickness can stem from conflicting signals transmitted between the eyes and the inner ear when viewing fast-paced films with significant action sequences, especially on large screens.
In an interview with Inverse, Yates explained: “The sensory systems in the inner ear can detect movement, and the visual system can also send signals about motion to the brain. However, when films have high resolution with many action scenes, particularly when projected on large screens, they can provide overwhelming visual signals that can make the viewer feel like they are in motion (along with the characters in the film), while the inner ear reports that the body is sitting still.”
In simple terms, motion sickness while watching Avatar: The Way of Water occurs due to conflicting signals between the viewer’s ears and eyes. While the inner ear perceives the body as stationary, the visual stimuli can make the brain feel as though it is traveling through the vibrant landscapes of Pandora. The result is that this sensory mismatch can lead to feelings of nausea and discomfort.
However, not everyone who experiences motion sickness will feel dizzy while watching Avatar: The Way of Water or any other film. Behrang Keshavarz, a cognitive scientist at the KITE research center, states that the experiences described by Johnston are associated with what is known as visual-induced motion sickness (VIMS).
VIMS is a type of motion sickness that arises when we do not create any real physical motion, such as when playing video games or using flight simulators. This is also why some individuals may experience discomfort when using virtual reality headsets for extended periods or watching films on large screens. Keshavarz describes this phenomenon as “motion sickness induced by visuals.”
In fact, the first Avatar film, which debuted in 2009, also caused numerous viewers to feel dizzy, particularly in 3D formats. A year later, The New York Times published an article discussing this phenomenon, noting that studies indicated 3D visuals could lead to headaches and nausea in viewers. Thirteen years later, with significant advancements in filming and animation technology, the immersive experiences in Avatar: The Way of Water continue to highlight the captivating yet sometimes overwhelming nature of modern cinema.
Moreover, Keshavarz points out that motion sickness can occur with any type of film, regardless of whether it is in 3D or 2D. “VIMS can be influenced by many different factors,” he explains. “But certainly, even 2D films can induce this condition. In fact, I often use 2D films to study VIMS in my experiments.”
It turns out that not all high frame rates are beneficial
Alongside VIMS, high frame rates can also contribute to a viewer’s discomfort, as experienced by Johnston and others. Director Cameron previously mentioned that certain scenes in this film would be projected at a frame rate of 48 frames per second instead of the usual 24 frames per second. Logically speaking, with such a high frame rate, the images will appear more vibrant, realistic, and immersive, but they may also provoke feelings of nausea or dizziness.
However, for those prone to motion sickness, encountering VIMS alongside high frame rates can exacerbate the issue. Avatar: The Way of Water has been praised for its realistic and vibrant visuals, immersing viewers into the lush world depicted in the film. Yet, Johnston noted that at about one-third of the film’s runtime, she was only able to sit a little farther from the screen, which helped alleviate her dizziness and discomfort.
Vibrant visuals combined with high frame rates can make the images strikingly lifelike, increasing the brain’s engagement with the on-screen action while the inner ear remains stable. This discrepancy between the two sensory inputs can intensify the viewer’s experience of motion sickness or discomfort, especially if they are prone to such reactions.
In conclusion, while Avatar: The Way of Water offers incredible visual storytelling and technological advancements, it also highlights the potential challenges posed by modern cinematic experiences, especially for those sensitive to motion sickness. The advancements in film technology are continually evolving, providing stunning visuals that make viewers feel more connected to the narrative, yet they can also lead to discomfort for some. This phenomenon serves as a reminder of the complexities involved in experiencing immersive cinema today.
Source: Inverse, 20th Century Studios
