Avatar: The Way of Water, the highly anticipated sequel to James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster Avatar, has won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony. The film was widely expected to win the award, given its groundbreaking use of technology and stunning visuals.

According to David Conley, the VFX producer at Wētā FX, Avatar: The Way of Water was the biggest visual effects project that the company had ever undertaken. The film required nearly 3.3 billion thread powers to render, which is a staggering amount of data. To cope with this massive amount of information, Wētā used the services of cloud storage company Amazon Web Services.

The use of cloud storage allowed Wētā to access an unlimited amount of computing power and storage capacity, which was essential for creating the intricate and detailed world of Pandora. The VFX team used a range of cutting-edge techniques, including motion capture, virtual camera work, and complex simulations, to bring the film’s stunning visuals to life.

Avatar: The Way of Water has been a huge commercial success, grossing over $2 billion at the box office worldwide. The film’s groundbreaking visual effects have been widely praised by critics and audiences alike, cementing James Cameron’s reputation as a master of visual storytelling.