‘Avatar’s’ out-of-this-world cinematography

Cinematography

“Avatar”

Mauro Fiore

In tribute to the film’s groundbreaking visuals -- a combination of live-action and computer-generated images -- the award for best cinematography went to Mauro Fiore for his work on director James Cameron’s “Avatar.” The film was shot using high-definition digital cameras and a system for creating 3-D effects invented specifically for the film.

“I want to thank the academy for this unbelievable honor,” said the 45-year-old Italian-born Fiore, who received his first Oscar nomination for “Avatar.” He then referred to Cameron as “visionary.”

Backstage, Fiore said the victory for “Avatar” marked “the first time a film has won that has so much computer-generated imagery and live-action together, so this is a huge revolution for the industry.”

The award also came at something of a midpoint between the back-and-forth Oscar battle between “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker,” with “Locker” cinematographer Barry Ackroyd among the other nominees in the category. Also nominated were Bruno Delbonnel for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Robert Richardson for “Inglourious Basterds” and Christian Berger for the black-and-white “The White Ribbon.”