James Cameron has embraced technology in his pioneer filmmaking over the years. From films like "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" to "Avatar," for decades Cameron has been at the forefront of visual effects and is one of the key driving forces behind 3D films. That doesn't mean he loves all technology, though.
In a new interview with USA Today talking about his love of deep sea exploration and his upcoming project "Deep Sea Challenge 3D," Cameron doesn't hide his dislike for the modern world of personal tech and social media. In fact, he actually hates it. Like, almost all of it.
"I was the first person I knew to have a cellphone in my car in 1983," Cameron says in the interview. "At that point it was intriguing. Now I just see it as a ball and chain."
He says when he goes to the airport and sees everybody absorbed in their tiny screens that they are oblivious to the world around them.
"They don't live in the moment," he goes on to say. "I've made a conscious choice to not spend all my time ... looking down at a device. I refuse to do it. So there you have it. I'm a Luddite. But I'm a high-tech Luddite."
Judging from his previous quote you can probably guess how he feels about social media. He says he doesn't want to share every single thing he does.
"I hate it," Cameron says about Twitter, conceding that he has tweeted before. That doesn't mean he liked it, however. "I hate everyone else's tweets, too. They're boring. What can you say in 140 characters? I can't even clear my throat in 140 characters." Don't worry; he dislikes Facebook equally, saying that he doesn't even have a Facebook account.
He does however, own an iPad, saying that the tablet more than earns its keep on the set of a film, as he can have shot previews and cuts loaded onto it while also easily checking the newest special effect shots that have come in. He also is in no way hesitant to embrace new tech for his films, like building an elaborate camera rigging system to mount onto a submarine for documenting his underwater explorations.
So there you have it. If a piece of tech can help Cameron make his filmmaking easier or better he is on board with it. Just don't expect him to tweet about it anytime soon.
