http://www.titanicmovie.com/
http://www.corona.bc.ca/films/details/titanic.html

Titanic (1997)
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/titanic.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/TitanicAstonishing.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/articl19.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/articl32.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/jcresp1.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/article3.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/paxton1.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/paxton2.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/interviewJCpremiere.htm
http://www.multimania.com/mogwai/articles/interviewcineliveJCtitanic.htm
Title at http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/albion/abyssmain.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/4939/kathy_bates.html

http://www.jps.net/chambers/titanic/history.htm
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/mollybrown.htm
http://www.shadowofthetitanic.freeserve.co.uk/
http://www.angelfire.com/ms/ebart2/index.html
http://members.aol.com/peacebrat/strauss.html
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/United_Kingdom/Arts_and_Humanities/Humanities/History/By_Subject/Maritime_History/Ships/Shipwrecks/RMS_Titanic/

Retrace the real Titanic story with pictures!
 

Directed by:
Written by:
Music by:

Released on:
Running Time:

Budget: $ million
Box-Office: $ million in the U.S., $ million worldwide
Rentals: $ million in the U.S.
 
 
 

While editing, James Cameron had a razor blade taped to the side of the editing computer with the instructions written underneath: "Use only if film sucks!"

James Cameron became the first director to film both a $100 million (with True Lies in 1994) and a $200 million dollar, with this movie which he jokingly refers to as « his 190 Million Dollar "Chick Flick."

His total income derived from the movie have been estimated north of $115 million!

"Ghosts of the Abyss", produced by James Cameron, started shooting in August 2001. The large-format 3-D film following a six-week underwater expedition to explore the wreckage of Titanic and the German WWII battleship Bismarck, begins shooting next week. "Ghosts" will run about 45 minutes, the standard length for large-format films. It will be expanded to 90 minutes, though, for ancillary distribution on television, video and DVD. Several actors, including Bill Paxton, who appeared in Cameron's blockbuster movie, will join the director as observers on the expedition. "We have been preparing for this expedition for three years, putting together the technology to go beyond what's been done before,'' James Cameron said in a statement. "Now that we're going, everyone's pretty excited. We have a very good team, many of whom were with me on the Titanic expedition.''

Asked if she thought she made a mistake by refusing the role that of Rose in Titanic, Gwyneth Paltrow replied "No, I don't think so. I have no regret."

It took approximately 14,000 workers to build the Titanic. It cost $7.5 million in 1912 -today it would cost nearly $400 million.

Titanic was one of the first ships to have a swimming pool. On board were also 1,750 pounds of ice cream and 4 tons of potatoes!

"The sound of people drowning is something I cannot describe to you and neither can anyone else. It is the most dreadful sound and then there is dreadful silence that follows it."  Ms. Eva Hart, Titanic survivor (died February 15, 1996, age 91)

One of the most memorable moments on James Cameron's movie Titanic was the scene when Rose boards a lifeboat leaving Jack behind.  After several moments and tears shed (in the audience as well as the actors) she leaps from the lifeboat as it is being lowered to be rejoined with her true love, Jack.  "You jump, I jump".  Well, interestingly enough, this is an adaption of an actual event that took place that fateful night.  Ida Strauss, wife of Isidor Strauss (founder of Macy's department store), turned back to be with her husband after entering a lifeboat.  She ignored others as they tried to persuade her to go, and stayed with her husband.  Sadly, Isidor Stauss and his wife both died during the sinking. Mr. Strauss's body was recovered, however, Mrs. Strauss's was not. Isidor and Ida Strauss are memorialized with a monument on which is inscribed: "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it."
 
 
 

MSN Online Tonight interview with James Cameron from January 21st, 1998.

Q: E-mailers seemed personally touched by the casting Kate Winslet as Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack. Genuinely. They identified closely with them and were very emotionally involved with the ending... What made you cast these newcomers especially Kate Winslet in a movie, which had so much at stake?

James Cameron: Well, the interesting thing it was given from the beginning we would not have big stars. Rose was 17 and jack was 19 so this was the function of a plausible age of a survivor now. With that as a given I searched for the young actors and actresses based on merit.  I was looking not only for the individual skill set as an actor but the chemistry between them. Kate struck me as the one of the young women that I saw having the most potential.

Q: Everyone has his or her own interpretation of a film but for you was Rose dreaming at the end of the picture or was that the start of her afterlife.

James Cameron: (laughing) That would be telling!

Q: The Titanic has images of huge engines, pistons and big businesses indifference to people alongside images of hands drawing, making pottery and holding hands. Why was this contrast important to you and by the way, were the hands drawing the picture of Rose your hands?

James Cameron: People have asked me if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future and my answer has been recently that I am pessimistic about systems and optimistic about individuals. It occurs to me that the contrast of big business and technical systems with the human touch is symbolic of that philosophy and yes, to second part of the question that is my hand! (laughing)
Well, I didn't write the scene imagining I'd end up doing the drawing but I wound up doing the drawing. Then I had to perform the drawing for the film so that the style would be consistent. In fact Leonardo is right handed and I am left handed!

Q: Although Titanic is a 3 hour plus movie, were there scenes that you wished to have kept in the final cut? If so, what were they? There were rumours in Japan and the US that there were plans for a 5 hour version of Titanic...

James Cameron: I couldn't do a five-hour version. I could do a version that would be about a half-hour longer. What would be restored would be little historical pieces. What you would see is the receiving of the ice warning in the Marconi room and them ignoring it.

Q: Your films seem to be bathed in blue light and you say that many of your ideas come from your dreams. What is it about the depths of the sea that you find is so eloquent, like in The Abyss and Titanic and what is the "Heart of The Ocean" for you.

James Cameron: My relationship with the ocean goes back to when I was a teenager and has remained with me my entire life. I don't like being in boats because it makes me seasick! I love being underwater, but I don't like being in boats

Q: Is this the first film you have made with romance at it's heart? How did that effect your gut-motivation for the making of the film.

James Cameron: Those of you who know my earlier films know that I have done love stories before, most notably The Abyss. My primary motivation for making this film was to make a love story. In fact my first film The Terminator was a love story, a kind of gothic romance.

Q: Your work often presents a theme of people interacting with technology: The Abyss, Terminator, Aliens... Does technology impact on your life and would you describe yourself as a tech addict?

James Cameron: I've always had a love-hate relationship with technology my mind is drawn in by technical problem solving but my stories usually deal with the pitfalls of misuse of technology. I suppose then, I'm not truly a technoholic. I use the Internet for research rather than recreation.

Q: Were the underwater shots of the Titanic on the ocean floor mostly real? Did you feel at risk being in the submarine at that depth?

James Cameron: I love diving and being in the submarine was a peak experience of my life. I made twelve dives we were the only expedition that was able to send a robot vehicle inside the ship. Most of the exterior shots of the Titanic are real, with only a few model shots.

Q: Spielberg said about his film Jaws: "OK. It's just a film about a shark..." Is your film just about a ship?

James Cameron: No, I think that films are about people. You can interpret this film at a surface level, as a love story or you can interpret it at deeper levels - for its broader metaphorical levels

Q: With all the history and memories involved in the story of Titanic, how did you feel about your mix of poetic licence and being true to the facts? Were you aware how real people remember things "all mixed up"?

James Cameron: Yes, I believe that history is just a consensus hallucination the more research I did the more I realised that there were many grey areas in the history of the Titanic. Despite that we tried to be as historically accurate as possible. The history of Titanic is like the 3 blind men and the elephant everybody who was there experienced something slightly different.

Q: Did you meet any survivors and was it fascinating listening to them?

James Cameron: I believe there are 6 or 7 survivors right now. Unfortunately, they were very young when they were on the ship. They were under a year old so their experience is second hand so the first hand accounts of survivors who are now dead are much more compelling source of information.

Q: What inspired your final tragic scenes?

James Cameron: It’s impossible to do a film about Titanic without exploring the emotion of loss and grief. So, this is the necessary conclusion of the relationship - within the context of this historical event.

Q: Is there any reason that you tend to use actors over and over again i.e., Arnold, Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton?

James Cameron: Yes, it proves that I’m not the jerk everyone thinks I am!

Q: Your Crew wear T-Shirts with "You don't scare me, I've worked with James Cameron". Now that Titanic is such a huge success, what T-Shirt would you wear in reply ?

James Cameron (laughing): That's funny! How about: "Trust is a beautiful thing"

Q: What do you think about all those journalists that were against Titanic because of the budget and now have completely changed their minds?

James Cameron: I would say, "next time see the movie before you go off!"

Q: What made you so interested in the Titanic your entire life, enough to dedicate three years of your life to make an epic film out of it?

James Cameron: Actually, I wasn't interested in it my entire life. I got interested in it about 10 years ago when I was researching The Abyss. I was interested in the technology used to explore the wreck. Since then, I became fascinated by the history and the people who were on board and one thing lead to another.

Q: What will happen to the model of Titanic and all the props and sets and costumes - will there be a museum?

James Cameron: We didn't call it a model, we called it a set the set was 100% scale but not the complete ship there was a section that we did not build, which is why it was not the full length. That full size set has been torn down it doesn't exist anymore. It was torn down to make room for the Bond film which was using our studio in Mexico. Bond obliterated the Titanic last summer and we obliterated Bond this year!

Q: Was Leonardo DiCaprio scared of all that water?

James Cameron: Leo was never scared he just doesn't like water. I should amend that Leo doesn't like to be in water fully clothed. He likes to be underwater in scuba gear. We did some underwater shooting and he loved that!

Q: What did you feel the first time you saw the ship?

James Cameron: Hmm ...sheer terror - we almost crashed into it! The first dive you don't have your acoustic navigation grid in place, so subsequent dives were more controlled. There's no light at that depth whatsoever any exposure you see in the film we had to supply. We used some specially designed deep submergence lights and mounted them on submarines.

Q: How did you deal with the executives at Fox and Paramount when you went over budget on the film? What did you say to them? Did you allow them onto the set?

James Cameron: Yes, as the budget overrun increased the relationship became more tense but of course they were always welcome on the set and we always behaved as gentlemen. We were prepared to go down as gentlemen.

Q: Do you want to return to the ship again, now that the film is done?

James Cameron: I don't feel a need to go back there personally. I have closure for Titanic.

Q: Did James Cameron cry the first time he saw the completed, final cut of Titanic?

James Cameron: I occasionally as I watched the film, have an emotional reaction to certain scenes not so much a response to the film-making more imagining the event itself.

Q: Many of the emails told stories of people having a very strong emotional response and crying at the end. Not just younger people but older men and couples.

James Cameron: It seems to be a film for all age groups.

Q: Were there any true elements to the story of Jack and Rose?

James Cameron: Well, Rose was my maternal grandmother's name so that's made up and unconnected to the Titanic. No, they are fictional characters butt for example, Rose steps back from the lifeboat onto the ship and that actually occurred when Ida Strauss stepped back onto Titanic to be with her husband.

Q: Will you go back to the action/sci-fi or does Titanic mark a new direction for you?

James Cameron: Yes, it's strictly Hallmark cards from this point on. I love science fiction and I'll always return to it. There are several other projects I am considering that are science fiction/action films.

Q: What is your next project? Will it be Avatar or Spiderman or Terminator 3? Have you cast it yet?

James Cameron: Okay there are a few questions there. Terminator 3? No, not involved. Spiderman, I don't own the rights but I would like to do it. I have a script. Avatar, I am not doing. Next project is not decided.

Q: What did you think of James Horner's soundtrack as you watched the completed film?

James Cameron: He's talking to his 2nd favourite director then! I love it. I think it's exquisite, it has a timeless quality and it doesn't sound like every other over-produced period movie score. Here's one for you. I've been told that 14 year old girls are buying the soundtrack and sitting around in a circle and having sobbing parties.

Q: Did you ever think in your wildest dreams you'd create a film that touches a person in such a way that they are compelled to see the film again and again? Will there be a director’s cut?

James Cameron: It was impossible to predict the outcome that we are experiencing right now even though I always believed in the film. It looks like this film will probably be at a minimum the number 4 highest grossing films in history! The Director's cut will not be soon because the film still has so much life left in theatres. Also, people must realise they are already seeing the director's cut this is the best version of the film.

Q: Was the Californian incident omitted or cut?

James Cameron: I did not focus on the Californian because I was primarily interested in events on Titanic and ultimately the Californian did not save anybody or make a difference. However, we did shoot the scene where the Californian wireless operator tries to warn Titanic, and is ignored.

Q: Where you afraid that with all the deaths and drowning in the movie, that it would be given an R rating?

James Cameron: The only issue that gave the ratings board pause was the nudity, which they ultimately deemed to be artistic.

Q: Were you aware at the time of writing the script that there was a J. Dawson - Jack Dawson aboard the ship?

James Cameron: You're good historians! One of the bodies recovered buried in Halifax Nova Scotia was a J Dawson. I've seen his tombstone. But the script was already written when I found out!

Q: What is your favourite film of all time or at least the most influential?

James Cameron: Those are two different things my favourite film is The Wizard of Oz and the most influential film for me was 2001 because at that point in my life it gave me a great deal of curiosity about the film making process.

Q: Would you like to direct Arthur C. Clarke's novel of 3000, the follow up to 2001, 2010 and 2064?

James Cameron: No. 2001 meant a great deal to me when I was 16 or 17 years old and sparked my interest in film-making but it doesn't hold the same interest now.

Q: Is there a connection between outer space films and inner space films?

James Cameron: I my mind there's absolutely a connection because they both simultaneously deal with the unknown and the exploratory urge and with human psychology in extreme conditions and they both require technology to travel there. And there be dragons!

Q: And Monsters…

James Cameron: Yes…and there be monsters there!

Q: Did you find that researching and making this movie changed you? If so, how?

James Cameron: Well, in emerging myself in the story of Titanic, I think I discovered the truth of it's lesson which is all you have is today the future is impossible to predict.

Q: Would you have gone down with the ship if you were on it?

James Cameron: I like to think I would have been clever enough to swim for one of the lifeboats before they rowed too far away.

Q: Titanic has been compared to the great epic Gone With The Wind. How do you feel about such comparisons? Historical epics, love stories that last?

James Cameron: I think the comparison is valid to the extent that the Titanic - my film Titanic - is an intimate story against an epic setting. I think it's also valid in that this film resurrects a kind of intentionally epic film making which we haven't seen in a while. And believe it or not, that was the pitch to the studio.

Q: The parallels between the Titanic herself and Rose are quite intricate. Is there any part of that (connection) artistry which you think we might have missed?

James Cameron: Well here's my answer - I don't quite understand this question! The intention of Rose's character was to show a woman becoming aware of her potential for the first time. Titanic on the other hand certainly did not live up to her expectations. Not the movie - the ship!

Q: Why are you interested in doing Spiderman?

James Cameron: Because Spiderman rules!

Q: Did you make ANY money on this incredible movie?

James Cameron: Thank you for your concern. I made my script fee but I gave up my directing fee and my producing fee and my profits. In order to protect the quality of the film.

Q: If you had 200 million dollars to play with again then what historical event would you like to shoot? Maybe Ben Hur or the Crusade?

James Cameron: I don't have anything else compelling interest in history and I do not intend to spend that kind of money again. I do not enjoy the media scrutiny. The lowest budget film I've done was the first Terminator, which was $6.5 million. If I was to make that film today exactly the same way, it'd probably cost 30 million.

Q: Is it true you sold the movie to the studios for $1 dollar on the understanding that you would direct?

James Cameron: No, that’s not true. I sold it to Gale Ann Hurd for $1 dollar.

Q: Who inspires your creation of such outstanding female roles of strong-willed, intelligent, pro-active women?

James Cameron: The women of the world.

Q: How did this great project affect your personal life?

James Cameron: Well, there was no personal life while I was making it. I had to struggle to spend some time with my 4-year-old daughter at the weekend. Film-making and family life are really mutually exclusive.

Q: Is true that you want Leonardo to play Spiderman if you do the movie? Have you talked to him about playing the role?

James Cameron: Yes, I have and I think he would be amazing in the role. He's much more physical than people think.

Q: What is your advice to aspiring scriptwriters and directors? Who are your film making heroes? Who is the best of the new crop? Did the sheer scale of Titanic mean that you had special difficulties in your script?

James Cameron: That's like, several questions! Advice to directors is different to scriptwriters. My advice to directors is just direct anything - no matter how small. Shoot it in 16mm or video if you have to. Because once your name is on something that says Director, everything after that is just negotiating your budget.

Q: Have you gone to see the movie along with "the public" to see the reactions?

James Cameron: Yes, I've gone many times in different theatres and the response is always very similar. It was the same virtually from our first test screening in Minneapolis to our unveiling for the Royal Film Performance in London.

Q: What did Billy Zane bring to the part of Rose's fiancée?

James Cameron: Well, Billy gave the part a certain dimension when Cal could have been a cardboard villain he gave the character vulnerability.

Q: Do you think the Titanic will scoop some prizes at the Academy Awards later this year? Or are you just not thinking that far at this point?

James Cameron: I don't want to think about it! I've worked on this film for 3 years, I sort of want it to be done and not hanging over my head for another 2 months. But if it did happen, I think it would be just peachy!!

Q: Do you have any other artwork that we can see from you like the rose sketch and the others?

James Cameron: Yes, I've been an illustrator for many years and I've stayed to stay current with the drawing skills. In case the directing thing doesn't work out!

Q: If Titanic had flopped would you still see it as one of the best films you had ever made.

James Cameron: I think there's a difference between the intrinsic quality of the film and it's commercial success. The best example in my personal experience is Strange Days, which I still like as a film even though it made no money.

Q: Have you heard that there were an writer onboard the real Titanic who had written a book about a ship called Titania that also sunk on it's maiden voyage? The writer is said to have died that terrible night too.

James Cameron: The facts are slightly scrambled here. There was a book called "Futility" which was written in 1899. It was a story of a triple screw steamer, like Titanic, called The Titan, which hit an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage. The writer was not on board the Titanic. My favourite conspiracy theory I saw in a cartoon the other day. It was called Oliver Stone's Titanic and it showed a second iceberg. My theory was they could have saved everybody by putting them off onto the iceberg - as the iceberg wasn't about to sink.

Q: Do you think Titanic has catapulted computer and digital imaging to new heights? and do you feel it has set a new standard for this type of work?

James Cameron: I think every year that passes sets a new standard and advances the artistry and the technology of digitial film-making but I will say that the photo-realistic images of Titanic were about ten times in an order of magnitude more difficult to create than my previous films.

Q: I have seen many pictures of you holding the camera while you film. Do you always do that or do you sit behind the monitor and let the cameramen do the work?

James Cameron: It depends on the shot. I shoot most of the hand-held myself but I work with one of the best Steadicam operators in the business and he does beautiful work.

Q: How important would you say the special effects were to Titanic?

James Cameron: I think the visual effects were extremely important in creating a sense of time and place in creating the ship itself and the event of its sinking. Of much greater importance was the love story and capturing the intimacy of those moments.

Q: Were all the extras accounted for at the end of the movie?

James Cameron (laughs out loud): In any endeavour this large, you have to expect losses! No one was ever reported missing.
We had very complex safe guards against people being injured in the water. We utilised a buddy system and had a headcount after every take. It's important, sometimes we had 200 people in the water. There were also 30 lifeguards wearing costumes interspersed amongst the extras and stunt people.

Q: What about the Rose giving the finger going down the elevator? Historically inaccurate?

James Cameron: [This question was asked by someone living in] Niagara Falls - my hometown! I can't believe I'm being dissed by someone from my own town!! (laughing) My understanding is that that gesture was evented by the Romans to taunt their enemies - its called the Digitus Inputicus

Q: How soon before you and other directors begin to produce fully realistic computer animated movies? Is it closer than we think?

James Cameron: Well, the effects budget on Titanic was $40m and it accounts for about a half hour of the film.

Q: Did you keep any of the props of the Titanic film yourself - for example - the picture of Rose you drew?

James Cameron: Well, I kept the drawing because I drew it and they'd have to wrestle me for it and I kept the ship's wheel from the bridge because I know what it’s like to be at the helm of a sinking ship!

Q: I'm assuming all the computer generated effects were done at Digital Domain. Any idea what software was used?

James Cameron: Oh, we used there were so many different software packages. The one that was the most interesting was Arete. Most of the effects were done on the Windows NT platform as well as the silicon graphics. Correction: it's interesting that some of the effects were done on the NT platform as well as silicon graphics.

Q: What is the primary thing that attracts you making a particular movie?

James Cameron: It varies. For example on True Lies I was interested in the character where Arnold shows vulnerability and comes unravelled for love and I was also interested in the comedy potential in True Lies. With Titanic, I was attracted to the opportunity to work with the full emotional spectrum.

Q: There are tales that superstitions prevented many from joining the voyage. Others arose from the unexplainable events that took place during the building of the ship. Are you superstitious?

James Cameron: Well, I like to think I’m not but I find myself occasionally being superstitious. For example, the date originally set for our first test screening for the film was the 13th and I said, “No”.

Q: Are you happy with the fact that so many are now more aware of the Titanic?

James Cameron: The more people that know about Titanic, the more we collectively stand to profit from the warnings of history.
 
 
 
 

August 2001
THE SUN: Pearl Harbor was supposed to be bigger than Titanic. Did you see the movie?
James CAMERON: I actually thought it was pretty good. But whether a film jells, and whether a film captures the public imagination is determined by factors that have nothing to do with how many ships and airplanes are in it.

THE SUN: What are the factors?
CAMERON: No two movies that have been mega-blockbusters have ever had really that much in common with each other. Figure out what those titles are -- you've got Gone With The Wind, E.T., Titanic... E.T. and Titanic don't have anything to do with each other, in any way, except that they were both something that people didn't expect.

The second you start to think you can anticipate what the next phenomenon will be you can be pretty assured that you will be wrong. Pearl Harbor made money, but it wasn't the next film to capture the public's imagination.