The INSANE Titanic Movie Set (1997)

In 1997 Fox Studios produced the blockbuster hit 'Titanic' and to bring the ship to life on the Big Screen they spent millions on constructing elaborate sets and models. The sets are some of the most impressive seen on film; crowded with extras and designed to sink just like the real thing, the results were visually spectacular. Today I explain how the set worked and the engineering and film-making mastery that went into it.
Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels- from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!
#titanic #movie #sinking #history #ships #engineering

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

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[@DakotaOleary]

This was amazing! I always wondered how they made it look so real. Thank you!

[@randyjohnson9760]

Great video. You should do a similar video on the Gangs of New York. One of the last movies to build giant hand made sets.

[@A.Netizen.Since.2010]

..Oh ABSOLUTELY!!!...Excellent presentation blended with actual facts...Thank you so much... . 🙏🏼💙

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

This was fascinating. Thank you.

[@rick_terscale1111]

The speed is too fast. I dropped it down to .75% and it sounds better.

[@COASTER_CHASER_1]

James Cameron’s attention to detail on this is amazing. They looked for companies that worked on titanic and if they were still around they used them. The davits, furniture, plates/dishes, rugs and decorations. A lot of these just weren’t replicated but made by the original companies that made them for Titanic. They were as authentic as you can get.

[@quillmaurer6563]

The only way to be more authentic would be if actual pieces of, or items used aboard, Olympic were used on set. I wonder if that was done, pieces of Olympic exist all over the place on display or in various collections. A couple weeks ago I visited the Molly Brown House in Denver, Colorado, in the gift shop they had a binnacle (compass housing) from Olympic in the corner. Stuff like that could have been borrowed or bought for use in the movie.

[@presidentkiller]

@@quillmaurer6563 They didn't use actual items or decorations from Olympic, but they did visit the places where Olympic's wood panelling and other ornamental work were and studied them for months to replicate them for the film. In fact, the Titanic's interiors on the movie are actually Olympic's, since few photographs were taken of the ship's interiors before she sunk.

[@OldStreetDoc]

It was absolutely mind boggling to see that level of detail. Often the TINIEST of details… but man ohh man that resonated with me. I cannot even imagine how difficult that must have been. It does make it all the more enjoyable to re-watch the movie & notice little things here and there that I completely missed in all the times I’ve watched ‘Titanic’. Probably missing it because I was fascinated about another tiny detail I picked up the last time. Just insane.

[@quillmaurer6563]

@@presidentkiller Ah, good info. I could imagine the actual Olympic artifacts being seen as too valuable to risk possible damage using on the film set.

[@DrummingWriterTrekfan84]

Another awesome video!!! I have a thought and/or idea for a future video. In a hypothetical scenario, let's say a cruise ship or ocean liner of today we're faced with the exact same circumstances as the titanic in the same location, ice field and ice bergs too of course. Would a ocean liner or cruise ship of today be able to avoid the ice berg all together, or if it was unavoidable would the ship sink or float and survive? I think it would be a very interesting topic to look at in(respectful) contrast to the Titanic.

[@bonnieblue9185]

That’s why this movie holds up so well. It looks better then any movie made today with green screen. The use of practical effects and attention to the details of those pieces really paid off, it’s a timeless masterpiece.

[@Immortalcheese]

I recently rewatched Titanic and I was surprised at how well it still holds up, and how convincing it is. This was truly a marvel of practical film making

[@Robert-cu9bm]

Convincing because it's not CGI. Nothing beats old school models and puppets.

[@shazanali692]

They will re release it in February 2023, for the 25th anniversary, so let's rewatch it again on the big screen

[@nyox999]

@@shazanali692 wait fr? You mean a remake or remaster?

[@lesclaypoolonbass9431]

@@nyox999 remaster in 3d on valentines day

[@jayive34]

@@Robert-cu9bm It was back when CGI was used to enhance practical effects.

[@sd80mac]

We as Ocean Liner enthusiasts really need to be incredibly thankful that this film exists. The fact is, there is not a single piece of media (and there likely never will be) that tells the story of the Titanic better than this movie. James Cameron is a lot of things, but I personally applaud his perfectionism and his willingness to go the extra mile with this movie. It was an incredibly monumental achievement!

[@jeremycuddy2778]

I beg differ a night to remember is far superior to the movie titanic

[@DlcEnergy]

@@jeremycuddy2778 I'm sure it's good. But the 1997 movie is no doubt the best version there'll ever be. 1. It features the song "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion 2. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet 3. It was directed by James Cameron 4. It's in color 5. It's called "Titanic"

[@melissasheppard6674]

I personally liked A Night to Remember better, but the 1997 movie had the ship breaking in half, which the older one didn’t (bc they didn’t have evidence of it then).

[@Gvlogs200]

@@DlcEnergy now please explain to the world what the song, the acors, and the name has anything to do with watching the movie? in fact, a night to remember is not filled with cringy love stories, it does not have you distracted by famous actors, and it is more similar to what life would have been like due to the old fashion voices etc.

[@emmettmccann2214]

@@Gvlogs200 music, acting, cinematography and overall story of a film is very important in cinema lmao. There's a reason James Cameron's film won 11 oscars... just because it's not a replica of the exact historical events doesn't mean its worse lol. There's a lot more to a film then what an accent sounds like...

[@steelhammer103]

The practical effects of the Titanic is a major reason why the movie holds up so well today. The same goes for movies that have come before and after. No offense to CGI, but a lot of people can tell with the naked eye the difference between CGI and practical effects. Thanks Mike for the insight!

[@PatrickJoergensen]

Look at Starship Troopers from 1997, compared to the aliens from e.g. The Tomorrow War. Or even the first Pacific Rim from 2013 and the sequel from just a couple years later - the first one felt realistic even with all the CGI, compared to the second one.

[@libertas12]

true, CGI is way overused nowadays. As much as possible should be practical effects in movies with the CGI adding only the final touch.

[@BritanniaPacific]

I say the same about Independence Day

[@grizwoldphantasia5005]

It's more accurate to say bad CGI is easier to see, same as bad modeling. How many ship movies have you seen where the visible splashing drops give away the small model size? Good CGI and modeling are, by definition, good enough that you don't notice.

[@mbogucki1]

@@grizwoldphantasia5005 Especially when you mix good CG and modeling. LOTR and Weta Works come to mind.

[@zariballard]

Here's a little tidbit of my family trivia....the Titanic, in a big way, shaped my destiny. I am Armenian and my grandfather, Oscar, was 11 years old when my great-grandparents sent him to England from Armenia to stay with relatives. This was to protect him from what my great-grandfather saw as an upcoming war between Armenia and the Turks (boy was he right!). The goal was to get Oscar by ship to Ellis Island from England sometime in the next months where other family members who had already migrated there would meet him. My great-grandparents planned to come later (and they did). At some point, the English relatives purchased a ticket on the Titanic for my grandfather for the ship's maiden voyage to get him to New York. Because he was an immigrant boy, he would be staying down by the cargo hold and they knew that. Well, as part of the Titanic's boarding protocol for male passengers and especially the male migrants, a doctor would go up and down the line checking the eyes with a flashlight for infection and vision. My grandpa, from when he was a little boy all the way until he passed at 89, was famous in the family for his bad vision and big coke-bottle glasses and for whatever reason, he was not allowed to board the Titanic that day and he and the relatives sadly watched the gigantic ship leave the dock, Oscar crying like a baby. He did make it to Ellis Island on the next ship out and the rest is history. I doubt he would have survived the sinking if he had been allowed to board and I wouldn't be here.

[@MotorbikeDesign]

Incredible story! Great that he didn’t got on the ship

[@Nothingtoya]

That's an incredible story and it's amazing at the paths that have been taken, to get to us.

[@jen6879]

My great grandmother was forbidden by her father to follow her siblings to Canada following the sinking of the Titanic. She was 11 at the time and due to follow in their footsteps. Then the disaster happened and put fear into the family, meaning she had to stay in England.

[@Trouble-Clef]

Great story! I bet your granddad never complained about needing glasses!

[@davehoward22]

Destiny can change instantly,in your case for the better.

[@magnificus8581]

My mom worked as an actress on the film for 6 months and during a Thanksgiving break, I was able t ok visit the set when hardly anyone was around. I can truly say it was amazing and the way they constructed it, so close to the sea, you could stand on the upper deck and look west and see nothing but ocean. It was surreal as I imagined this is what it was like to be on board. I have many, many stories about this set and how spectacular it was.

[@Nathan93Baker]

In a way, you were on board the Titanic.

[@Emeralds11]

Who did your mom act as?

[@magnificus8581]

@@Nathan93Baker I was indeed!

[@magnificus8581]

@@Emeralds11 on Titanic she was in all 3 classes, from the 3rd class dancing scene, to first class dinners. You can actually see her in many of the clips of this video. She did play Molly Brown in the follow up film, Ghosts of the Abyss where she was credited.

[@Amory98]

@@magnificus8581 wow that's incredible!

[@russellpuff1996]

A lot of people on the internet joke about this film ("there was enough room for Jack to climb onto the door"). But when I watched it my second time ever the other day, I realized just how amazing the film was from a historical and artistic perspective. I personally love the story that was told with Jack and Rose, because it allowed the audience to grow attached to a character that was doomed, which made the sinking feel much more gut wrenching than a happy ending for the two protagonists. And knowing that they weren't real passengers on the ship, I liked how they went about acknowledging this in film. Jack got on with someone else's ticket and Rose changed her name after the sinking, so of course we wouldn't have known them in real life because the documents wouldn't exist for their names. I just thought that was clever writing. Not to mention all the ways the audience was able to learn about the ship through Jack and Rose. Like the not enough life boats dialogue for example. Also like the little details such as the lady who overheard the Captain. And the smaller historical events before and during the sinking are pretty accurate too. It's a good telling. I'm a year older than the film, but it's certainly one of the most appreciative films I've seen in my life.

[@quillmaurer6563]

What I find really well done is how they were able to tell a very complete tale of the ship and sinking from Rose's perspective, in a way that surely no single real passenger actually saw or experienced all of. She dined with the wealthy in 1st class, and partied with the poor in third class. She was lowered in a lifeboat, and rode the ship down into the water in the final plunge. She witnessed the iceberg collision firsthand (might argue even contributed to causing it). She was trapped below decks finding a way out of the sinking ship. She explored every corner of the ship, from the very stem to hanging off the back of the stern, and everywhere in between - including areas not supposed to be accessible to passengers such as the boiler room and cargo hold. This doesn't feel hugely realistic, but it's a good way to show all these different experiences through one character that we can get to know and care about. Of course there were scenes that Rose wouldn't have been able to see or know in reality (scenes in the bridge or engine room) but they had her there for as much of the action as possible. And even embellished or unrealistic portions can be excused to some degree by considering the whole movie was really an elderly woman reminiscing about her youth. So even if the plot feels a little cheesy at times, it serves a purpose to tell the story of the ship in a way that is complete but mostly focuses on a main character.

[@captainchaos3667]

I never buy that criticism. Jack _tries_ to get on the raft, but it nearly capsizes. It makes perfect sense that he wouldn't endanger Rose by trying again. The size isn't the issue, it's that he can't get on it.

[@LRM12o8]

@@captainchaos3667 the issue was buoyancy (or lack thereof). A few years ago some university students calculated whether Jack could have been saved and they found out that the only way the door could carrie both of them would have been if Jack and Rose removed their live vests and put them underneath the door for barely enough extra buoyancy. Now imagine if _that_ was the actual ending of the movie, NOBODY would believe it! 😂 Half of the audience doesn't even understand that the door could indeed not carry both of them, 99,99% of the audience would not understand how putting the life vests underneath changes that and the 0.01% who understand both facts would probably realize that a poor, uneducated hustler and a bored upper-class maiden in 1912 would never have the deep physics knowledge to think of such a clever and unintuitive solution under the extreme distress they were in.

[@steviesindahouse4903]

And so interesting that Kate, a.k.a. Rose all these years later is in James’ latest production in cinemas right now. I get pretty emotional contemplating the fact that this film exists at all. Now we have benefit of hindsight, but when it was made so much was new territory. Truly mind boggling, and a team effort, as many commenting here have direct connections to the production, or to someone who was. Profoundly moving. 😊

[@plonkster]

The "not the better half" comment from Rose's fiance also sticks in my head and I think of it every time someone makes a comment about how some percentage of death is acceptable. Eg when people say "what's the fuss this virus has a 96% recovery rate" :-)

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

As a Irish man from Belfast, I admire the love you have for the Titanic and in our city it holds a special place in our hearts. So thank you for holding her at a high regard.

[@OceanlinerDesigns]

I got to visit in 2018 and loved it. Everybody was so friendly and went out of the way to make this Aussie feel at home! Love your town 😎

[@Oakleaf700]

Belfast is a city I'd love to visit {Son has been there , and saw Harland and Woolf Shipyard} Belfast also made some pretty amazing Stable fittings of Mahogany and Iron, Musgrave's of Belfast, and also Stoves. I have wondered if some Musgrave stuff was fitted into Titanic and other ships?

[@Oakleaf700]

@@OceanlinerDesigns My Brother also visited...and partook too well of hospitality on night before leaving that he was poorly on the ferry back to mainland ..I said ''Were you seasick?''..he was honest and said ''No..Too much Guinness''

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

@@OceanlinerDesigns That's really good to hear you enjoyed yourself in Belfast, hopefully you got the time to fully explore the Titanic building and slip way. If you ever return, I can surely meet you to show you things the tour doesn't tell you. I visit a local shop in Belfast City centre and it was actually supplier of food for the Titanic. Also they don't tell you to visit the merchant Hotel because this is were Mr. Andrews had breakfast every morning before going down to the docks. Little details like this you won't be told on those tours. Keep up the great work.

[@victoriagibby8069]

​@@OceanlinerDesigns LLC a Delaware Valley 😅 opo to get to pay 0😅😊😊

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

This movie was/is a masterclass on how to make a legendary film. From the preparation to the sets, all the way to the cinematography. This movie ticks every box. The passion James Cameron has for the Titanic translated on screen in a way that only select films throughout history has done. The care he took with the ship to get it right (to the best of their knowledge at that time), the details throughout the ship, the significant moments that happened and bringing the emotion out of the sinking scene - is top notch directing. As someone who has spent their life fascinated by all things Titanic, this film left me stunned. I remember being in the theater opening night. The excitement and sheer awe of seeing the REAL ship at the beginning. The moment the movie introduced the ship in all its glory. The laughter that rang out in the softer moments and the tears that fell in the emotional moments. I also remember the dead silence when Jack & Rose were in the water and the lifeboats finally came back to look for survivors. Never have I ever had a theater experience like that before or since. James truly took one of the most mesmerizing ships of all time, as well as one of the saddest tragedies of all time, and made us all EXPERIENCE the ship and FEEL that moment in history. And whether or not you think Jack, Rose and the story set on the ship was cheesy, is whatever. This movie is still a masterclass of cinema. And the passion that went into it behind the scenes is the reason why. Lots of hard work, but it paid off. Not only for Cameron & his team, but for us that are fascinated with the Titanic and moviegoers in general.

[@schrodingersmechanic7622]

I agree. I remember seeing the book Robert Ballard published at a book fair in elementary school. I was a small child when the wreck was discovered. I was captivated by it. I'll never forget the experience seeing it in the theater. In a time when movies were 2hrs long tops, this one was 3. I also remember how bad I had to pee at the end after downing a large coke, but I refused to miss a second of it. I think they even turned the air conditioning down to give you the cold feeling like you were out there with them in the boats. The use of real props also stands out against the CGI of modern films. Such an unforgettable experience.

[@KatelynDawn]

Nobody dislikes the movie Titanic. They may dislike the Jack/Rose storyline, but no sane human being could watch this movie and not be COMPLETELY blown away by the visuals, attention to detail and just WOWness of this film! It is one of a kind.

[@belaali4191]

قصة حب متخيلة على متن سفينة تيطانيك،زادت الفيلم جمالا وبهاءا....شكرا لكل من ساهمت في انجاح هذ الفيلم

[@M3A1Stuart]

While I agree the visuals are absolutely stunning in this film the thing that impressed me the most was the Foley work. I saw the film several times in the theater and hearing on a movie theater sound system every creak, groan, snap, pop and moan as the ship settles slowly into the water is absolutely incredible. The ship is dying and those sounds really drive that home. It's far more terrifying than the water rushing up the boat deck or the break up. Unfortunately that effect is completely lost on the small screen as all the subtle sounds and vibrations are lost.

[@DerpyPossum]

This is exactly why I never want movie theaters to die

[@steviesindahouse4903]

And that, as I understand it, so much goes into making the sounds believable; that re-enacting and recording what you’re seeking to convey is often far from convincing. And then to put it all together, with all the other aspects of the film. Definitely an art. 😊

[@mattaustin2128]

A terrific presentation of a fascinating production. As a 25 year-old in 1997, having grown up on a solid diet of technology history, the film was so exciting to anticipate, in the early days of the internet during the year or so before its release. I ended up seeing it eight times at the movies, soaking in the technology, tolerating the love story, and being blown away by the attention to detail. Oh, the engine room scenes just made it perfect! Thanks for this reminder, Mike!

[@JohnJohansen2]

Totally agree with you, Matt. Including the love story. The one movie I found totally destroyed by the f...... love story, is "Pearl Harbour"." I so would have liked that to be just a little more documentary.

[@kevinb9830]

They could have made it a lot better without the love story tbh, but yes I was 18 in '97 and frankly I haven't watched a new film since 2018. It's all CGI shite and superhero stuff now.

[@arronjones6985]

@@kevinb9830 I was 18 too. Looking back now and seeing what really went in to it is absolutely incredible. We just don't appreciate what was involved back then. Just made it super authentic. I absolutely love this movie warts and all.

[@Mikebuster]

\I remember buying the VHS early in canada in 1997 and it had 2 tapes the second tape starts pretty much exactly at the sinking I always used to watch the second tape lol

[@richardfilanderer]

“Tolerating the love story”, you and every new and old Titanic aficionado lmao.

[@theminingassassin16]

I’ve always been a fan of James Cameron, because he always goes above and beyond to make his movies look as stunning as possible. True legend.

[@andriandrason1318]

Yes Piranha II: The Spawning is a real masterpiece.

[@theminingassassin16]

@@andriandrason1318 Even the best have pieces they're not proud of.

[@digitalblunt]

@@andriandrason1318 Uh right, like you can expect every first directors film to be a masterpiece.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

The story in the movie was more of a run of the mill romance, but even Cameron admitted that it's not about the story but about the ship itself. He and his crew managing to pull this off was quite a feat. You can tell that Titanic was a true labor of love for Cameron. Especially when you consider his own funded expeditions to film the wreck and draw attention to its conservation. You can feel the love he has for this subject in the attention to detail and insistence on pragmatic authenticity of the ship and the sinking. He later reconvened with them to find out the most plausible way the Titanic sank based on the wreck and the data they had. It was released by Nat Geo as Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron and I highly recommend.

[@pilotvc]

That is true. If you watch it again, every scene with the two main characters served a grander purpose to showcase different parts of the ship, with their story simply giving an excuse for them to be there. Seriously the two of them went to practically every part of the ship.

[@mattboy5296]

​@pilotvc And to go off your point, the two main characters also served the purpose of giving the audience a personal/emotional connection to the disaster. That's why Jack had to die in the end, because his death and how it effected Rose and by extension the audience, encapsulates the feeling of loss, sadness and trauma that the real Titanic survivors felt. Almost every survivor lost someone or multiple people close to them that night, but since it happened so long ago by the time of the film and especially today 25 years after that, it was all a part of history to many. There's several degrees of separation from the horrific reality and the historical recounting of events the further we get away from when it happened. You can even see this during the modern day scenes of the movie when old Rose is telling her story to Lovett and the salvage crew. They originally only saw the facts of the sinking and the wealth and fame they would get if they could find that necklace, but by the end Rose's recounting of events made the reality dawn of them that there was real people with hopes, dreams, and goals for the future that had their stories abruptly end in a such a terrible way. It made the human aspect of the disaster hit them and us the audience like a gut punch.

[@04taylorj]

I appreciate how far CGI has come, but there's something about using a real set and real pieces that can't be beaten. The reactions in the actors faces, the real horror of sliding down a ship, fully embracing what happened that night - it's part of what made it such a phenomenon. A fantastic film which has stood the test of time

[@dianeluke1746]

I was 23 when this movie came out. I saw it twice in the theater and it blew everyone away. There is so much they got right, not only the ship but the costumes! I also remember when they announced they found Titanic back in the 80’s. National Geographic published an amazing spread of photographs and that was the first time I saw her resting on the bottom. Before than she had been shrouded in such mystery, and in many ways she still holds that aura of mystique.

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

My dad had a subscription and the ones about Titanic being found and Bismarck is why I'm a ship nerd now. I wish I still had them.

[@dianeluke1746]

@@user-lv7ph7hs7l Me too! I can still see the cover in my mind!

[@1928ModelA1931]

As well as being probably one of the most incredible sets ever built, the news around the construction of the set (like you could hide it) started the promotion and anticipation of the film long before trailers sold it. Just hearing of what Cameron was doing generated more interest in the movie than any other before it. ps. At nearly 60 years old and someone interested in history and also the Titanic story, as a kid in the 70s getting info on the Titanic after reading Lord's novel wasn't easy so what you did get in books etc. you studied to death. Later we all got a copy of National Geographic when Ballard found the ship and then studied that to death. So when this movie came out, James Cameron being one of us I believe, knew the images had to be accurate, This wouldn't be just a stunt car changing years between shots to criticize. This would be every detail studied for comparison by amateur Titanic historians. In my opinion Cameron did an excellent job even combining the fictional story with the real. He brought our imagined images to life.

[@NYWF]

Wow! I too am almost 60, and I was 13 in 1977 when I saw the 1958 film "A Night To Remember" as the Friday Late Night Movie on CBS right after the school year had started. That was all it took for me to immediately get hooked on the history of Titanic! The next day I couldn't wait to head to the library so I could find everything I could about the Titanic. I found Walter Lord's book that the movie was based on and read it several times! I also found "Raise The Titanic" by Clive Cussler and also read it several times. Ocean Liners became my main interest for a long time after that. I agree that James Cameron created the ultimate ttribute to a great ship which is a cinematic masterpiece that will most likely never be equaled.

[@1940limited]

The skill and engineering that went into this movie set is mind boggling just about as much as building the original ship. That said, to this day my favorite Titanic movie emains "A Night To Remember." You can bet Cameron studied that movie closely and learned a lot from it.

[@lisasharf1442]

And don’t forget, Cameron was up close and personal with the real ship over 30 times.

[@diannebdee]

Great video again Mike. An interesting association between the film and one of the actors who was in it. Actor Eric Braeden who played the part of John Jacob Astor was born in Kiel, Germany under the name of Hans Gudegast. In his autobiography "I'll Be Damned," Eric writes that he was one of the children who was rescued and taken to "safety" when the MV Wilhelm Gustloff was attacked and sunk. In that scene at the top of the Grand Staircase in "Titanic", Eric says when you see him afraid as Astor, he was really afraid as he knew what an actual sinking of a ship looked like. I just thought that was an interesting tidbit. Thanks again for everything you bring us. Doesn't matter what it is. I could watch you geek out over anything. Take care and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

[@JoshuaC923]

That's a cool story

[@thomaskositzki9424]

Wow, that's one story for me... My grandmother tried to get on the "Gustloff" in the mayhem that was the Soviet Winter offensive of 1945... She was rejected because of overcrowding and took a later ship. That is basically the reason why my dad was born and I am here. Less than 10% of the passengers made it from the "Gustloff".

[@ChefDeRavioli]

I do wish films still used these practical sets, not only is it believable on screen but it’s believable for actors, and even then the sets could probably be converted into an interactive museum for the public

[@nursestoyland]

That would be a great idea!

[@quillmaurer6563]

This had to really be true of the Titanic sinking scenes, even though actors knew it was a movie set and they were safe it had to be terrifying, making their panic feel all the more real. There was massive amounts of real water pouring in. And I recall once hearing that said water was, though still far warmer than that into which Titanic sank, uncomfortably cold, thus "you didn't have to tell people to try to get out of it." CGI will never feel quite as realistic as reality, another example that comes to mind of over-the-top practical effects in recent years is Mad Max: Fury Road. All the stuff smashing or blowing up felt super realistic because it was real.

[@lisasharf1442]

I was able to go to Rosarito and tour some of the sets shortly after the movie came out. The scale of the ship was mind boggling. They also let us tour some of the soundstage sets. Incredible amount of detail, and some fun movie tricks (like the gigantic mirrors they used to enlarge the engine room).

[@jakewinlow]

The special effects of Titanic have always been a favorite of mine. Not only because of how well they’re executed but also because they add to the movie instead of getting in the way of it which seems to be so common in more recent movies.

[@quillmaurer6563]

It almost feels more like the plot was there just to give characters to tell the story through, a story told mostly through the spectacular sets and effects of the ship itself. So it's more like the movie existed for the special effects rather than the other way around, and this was a situation where that really worked.

[@batshtcrazy5293]

James Cameron is a member MENSA, and is an incredibly intelligent person, with a great regard for the ocean and environment. Titanic facinated him, and he did a top job of recreating both the beauty, and horror of it's creation and demise. He continued to research the craft, even after making the movie. He's gone so far as to invent further innovative tech for deep sea dives. One of my great grandmothers died on Titanic, so I've always had a morbid facination wth it. When I saw this movie at the theatre, I cried like a baby, and had a deep appreciation for the work and research that went into it. It was breathing and emotional to behold. Thank you for this video.

[@pastorcoreyadams]

Great video, Mike. It is hard to believe that next week will mark 25 years since the film came to theaters (December 19, 1997). I was not able to go until January of 1998 to see it, but the theater was packed. Not a single seat was left and I was left in awe as I traveled back in time to 1912! The sets they built were incredible and they really sold the reality as they put the fictional characters along with the historical characters onto the Ship of Dreams!

[@reptongeek]

It's also the 25th anniversary of Tomorrow Never Dies which was released on the same day. And crazily did not start its first day of main unit filming until three days after Titanic wrapped. They used the tank too for model shots

[@ElvisRose_]

This is a well made movie. It's no wonder that it was the first billion dollar movie. Also, I love their attention to detail on making sure the actors cast as actual people were scarily similar.

[@19019212]

$2 billion

[@ElvisRose_]

I love LAke

[@randomly_random_0]

​@@19019212 it earned $1.8B in April 1998. It only reached $2b in 2012 when it was rereleased in 3D

[@backup_peter]

Around 2001 I was in elementary school in Ensenada and the principal took us to the studio as a field trip. They took us to the room where Jack was handcuffed and the furniture where Rose took a practice swing was still there. They handcuffed the principal to the pole and gave the axe to his wife and they recreated the scene (without the axe swing). The corridor with the rats was nearby too, the rats were trained to go from one end to another on command. They also had sets from other movies that were made there and they taught us some movie magic like green screens and fake weapons or fake glass. It was my favorite field trip I took as a kid.

[@teleboxyt7070]

One of my absolute favourite things about this movie is the crazy effort that went into the movie. I love that you have brought it up on this channel! Good job Mike!

[@quillmaurer6563]

A lot of people crap on this movie for the plot, but it truly is a masterpiece of everything else. Not only the visuals, but the actors reactions to everything would have been so much more genuine. I have to imagine filming most of this would have been terrifying even when actors knew there was safety protocol in place. This movie and A Night To Remember are surely why Titanic is so well known now, while many other historic ships and maritime disasters are known only by ship nerds. Without said movies, Titanic would have faded out of peoples' awareness and been forgotten like her sisters - most people have no idea that Titanic was second of three very similar ships. While the plot may feel cheesy and sort of implausible, it served a very important purpose in telling The story of Titanic and all aboard her. It told a very complete tale of the ship and sinking from Rose's perspective, in a way that surely no single real passenger actually saw or experienced all of. She dined with the wealthy in 1st class, and partied with the poor in third class. She was lowered in a lifeboat, and rode the ship down into the water in the final plunge. She witnessed the iceberg collision firsthand (might argue even contributed to causing it). She was trapped below decks finding a way out of the sinking ship. She explored every corner of the ship, from the very stem to hanging off the back of the stern, and everywhere in between - including areas not supposed to be accessible to passengers such as the boiler room and cargo hold. This doesn't feel hugely realistic, but it's a good way to show all these different experiences through one character that we can get to know and care about. Of course there were scenes that Rose wouldn't have been able to see or know in reality (scenes in the bridge or engine room) but they had her there for as much of the action as possible. And even embellished or unrealistic portions can be excused to some degree by considering the whole movie was really an elderly woman reminiscing about her youth. So even if the plot feels a little cheesy at times, it serves a purpose to tell the story of the ship in a way that is complete but mostly focuses on a main character. Had they focused on numerous "main characters" in different roles and outcomes who never interacted with each other, audiences wouldn't have felt the same connection to any of them. Had they shown a realistic story of any one passenger or crewmember, many parts of the Titanic story would have been missed. This was the only way to show everything while also having a character-driven plot rather than just being a documentary.

[@lovelydiva06]

If they create a plot there wouldn’t have been a movie cause all we know of it is when it set sail where it went who got on and its demise what else would there have been to fill in to give us a movie

[@fabiendalmasso]

It's nice that you highlight that practical set. In my recent video about Avatar 2 (in french), I actually stated that nowadays full-CGI effects are quite impressive, but does not stunned our minds like when it was done with real material. For today's visual effects to impress me again, they would have to do the same with more practical effects and background actors. So, from a Titanic fan to you, a ship expert, I salute you, and look with affection at my collector VHS box I bought in 1998 :-)

[@dwaveryn]

I agree, Mike. The technical aspects of making the film are fascinating. The whole Jack and Rose story doesn't interest me in the least, but I love watching the film. I worked with the late David Warner (aka Lovejoy) a couple of years after the film's release and we talked about it in the make-up trailer. He didn't like it! Still enjoyed talking to him though. 😄

[@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester]

The only actor I believe to have been in two versions of the Titanic

[@Pez1979]

@@jean_mollycutpurse_winchester Well if you count Raise the Titanic - Michael Ensign makes two, he played Benjamin Guggenheim in Titanic and also played a Submersible Pilot/Technician in Raise the Titanic 🤔

[@Matt5bm]

Bernard Fox played Archibald Gracie in the '97 film and the lookout, Frederick Fleet, in a Night to Remember :)

[@douglasgriffiths3534]

@@Matt5bm Bernard Fox also played Dr. Bombay on "Bewitched". (Jan Griffiths).

[@pressffordoubt8253]

The love story in the movie really adds to it in my opinion, and I am a huge titanic nerd! Why doesn’t it interest you? It really adds an emotional element to the film.

[@Skateandcreate9]

I’ll never forget seeing Titanic in Theaters with my grandparents during Christmas holiday of 1997!

[@TheRibottoStudios]

Titanic is a testament to dedication, attention to detail, and passion. Cameron's passion for more knowledge of the shipwreck, from both victims' families, the blueprints, and actually going to the wreck itself, his attention to detail in the practical and computer generated effects, and his dedication to his craft are why this film's visuals are so impressive. Even with STUNNING CGI with Thanos, Davy Jones, and everything in Avatar...your mind instinctively KNOWS what's REAL, and what's NOT. You look at Titanic, and your first thought isn't "ah well the CGI is good BUUUUUT." your first thought is "Holy FCK that is an impressive looking recreation of the Titanic." because that IS what you are seeing; a full on recreation of that ship. Some shots are CGI yes, but most of it is REAL. I'll say it. Titanic's visuals even to this day, are DAMN near unmatched.

[@sinisterintelligence3568]

OMG! Soooo much to unpack in this video. As someone who has autism, this movie REALLY got me into Titanic and the other early 20th century steamships. I would geek out over how they [Cameron and his team] toiled day and night to build this masterpiece. One of my favorite aspects of this movie is the models. As someone who has always loved building things, once I saw the movie I IMMEDIATLY wanted to get my hands on a Titanic model, but it took nearly 20 years to get one (I'm building a 1/350 Titanic kit with my own custom-made light kit accurate to the movie). Even though I'm a person of color, I've always wanted to have been a part of this movie. Man, I live this movie so much....

[@__-fm5qv]

I'd absolutely love a video on the models used if you ever get round to it, as well as the southampton set (being my home town I'm a bit biased there). The amount of work and detail put into the production of this movie was incredible!

[@skyhawk2958]

Stern rapidly falling - breaking the mass of water away like rolling thunder, was my favorite SFX. THE BEST

[@warrengday]

This fiom got me into the TITANIC, I'm probably just one of many. A true masterpiece of film-making.

[@dylanhutson374]

Finally someone makes a comprehensive video on the technics of the movie TITANIC! Love this video. Side note: that little eye roll at the end was almost too cute! 🙃

[@eandatoo]

I’ve always said that the 1990s cranked out some of the best movies in cinema history. So many of them that I could watch over and over again to this day. Titanic was just over the top with such awesome effects and production. I don’t think any other movie comes close to this masterpiece.

[@rogiermaas]

I've just stumbled upon your channel a few weeks ago and next to Veritasium, you're one of my most favourite channels. You're doing a truly amazing job in explaining the workings behind what the history books tell us. I really like the details you keep throwing at us. No matter how small, it counts and make us better understand the inner workings of these massive vessels. Keep up the excellent work!

[@TheJojo01902]

Mike, I love when your inner nerd takes your viewers into the weeds and the details. Thank you for this in-depth study (and reveal) of the mechanics of how the movie was made. Superb video!

[@AndyHappyGuy]

This is why I hope another Titanic replica would be constructed! Looking at all those scenes where actors casually walk around the frickin Titanic, it's almost unreal. It's not everyday that you see people walking around a ship with wooden decks under their feet and 4 funnels towering above them. Those necessary inaccuracies don't matter much to me, I love the movie's sets either way.

[@quillmaurer6563]

I feel like seeing a real historic ship would be an equal or greater experience, such as the RMS Queen Mary. The film set probably didn't feel quite as real up close and off camera. Still quite spectacular though.

[@tallyhallguy]

An amazing video on one of my favourite movies! Your dedication to the work is amazing. Thank you.

[@r_shan2506]

People can say what they want about Jim Cameron but gosh what a visionary. Dedicated to his work and love of Titanic. This set is incredible

[@ReForceofficial]

I think this is my new favourite channel on KZbin, I've always loved the Titanic and ships in general so you content is amazing!

[@philrabe910]

One of the things that got me was Cameron's subsonic soundtrack. The break-up scene just reminded me of the deep grinding groans deep inside a metal beast that was pulling itself apart. Irwin Allen's The Poseidon Adventure rotated a giant ballroom 180° and Kubrick's 2001 Jupiter spaceship drum were nicely revisited in Christopher Nolan's Inception. Albiet on a much smaller scale. i was a theatre apprentice on a show with Dyan Cannon and she gave me a copy of the making of 2001, which got me into the FX biz.

[@shamy4]

This is still one of my all time favorite movies and as a fellow Titanic nerd I am not ashamed to admit that. I really enjoyed this video and wish that movies were still made like this now. Now I have to go watch Titanic! 😄

[@Serdrix]

YES! This is the exact kind of video I have been waiting for! You have a talent of finding video and pictures of things I could not find about this set! Thanks!

[@the25thdoctor]

This video was only posted four ago, and it already has around 10k views. Congrats Mike!

[@iainbarlow7977]

I never thought I would be interested in the subject of Titanic and ships in general, but the way you put it across is very interesting, keep up the good work

[@xXMrPersieXx]

I personally love the Titanic movie and I really dont know why many historic Titanic fans dislike it. Tbh. this is the only movie that shows us the ship in true color and historical good replica. You dont need to like the fake love story even though I personally think is great, but everything else about the Ship on the movie is incredible. I dont know why many people want to compare the 1997 Titanic with a night to remember. Both movies are great but with Titanic 1997 I can really see how the Titanic looked like.

[@DerpyPossum]

It’s the little inaccuracies for them, I suppose, but it’s not entirely unwarranted; It could be boiled down to “you get all this stuff amazingly correct and beautiful, you went to the wreck itself, yet you miss the [insert something about windows or deck machinery or interior decor]”. It’s probably humorous at first, but gets more annoying for them as these things build up over the course of the film. But I think what they’re most frustrated by are the purposeful inaccuracies. Things like rooms being much bigger than they were (Rose’s suite, for example), widened somewhat disproportionately for the sake of a look (like the grand staircase and corridors), full-on making things up (like some portions of the 3rd class areas’ layout), etc. for the sake of the movie. Some of these are made for functional movie reasons, others are made just to dramatize. I really like the film, but I’m kinda on the bandwagon of disliking unnecessary dramatization more - not just in “Titanic”. And then, of course, there’s the blatant misrepresentation of historical figures. I mean, how would you feel if you did everything in your power to save lives that night, only to be portrayed on screen as a dazed and useless leader/a mustache-twirling rich guy/dying comatose in the smoking room/straight-up murdering two people and offing yourself/etc.? It’s a really good film. Not perfect, though. Some folks may exaggerate it’s faults, but the faults do still exist unfortunately.

[@Andrea-sg7qp]

I don't get the comparisons either. A Night to Remember is based off the accounts of survivors, Titanic is more focused on the technical aspects and the ship itself. They're similar in a lot of ways but each provides their own unique perspective of the events.

[@GaryDoyle-fd3cf]

Ever since watching titanic in 1997, I've been fascinated by this story as it really was the state of the art VESSEL in it's very short time

[@SaturnCanuck]

The attention to detail in Cameron's films is exquisite. Oh and don't forget the boarding sequences were filmed backwards --- left to right.

[@TheModelBoatGuy]

Always thought this film was just spectacular. I sort of wish I could have seen the set. I suspect it’s as close as I’ll get to seeing Titanic in real life! Brilliant fact about the Welin Davits, how nice that the company got to make the replicas too! Great work as always Mike 🙂

[@kimkauffung7687]

Absolutely fantastic Mike from a fellow Titanic nerd. Love your channel. Keep up the great work.🙂

[@S.E.C-R]

Ive watched a lot of the making of Titanic videos and yours is by far the best, thank you for actually describing how it was done. Most other videos are just that, behind the scenes video with no explanations!

[@unconditional--love]

Thank you so much for this video! I have re-plunged into my fascination with the Titanic after visiting its LA Exhibit on Dec. 19th. I just realized that was the same day as the movie's 25th anniversary! It reminds me of when I also unintentionally saw the 3D version of the movie in theaters on April 15th, 2012 --the same day as Titanic's 100th anniversary. Returning home from the theater, I remember looking up at the night sky, thinking about the real event from 1912. Very soon after, I saw a vivid shooting star soar across the sky (and its hard to see stars in LA!). I made a wish. I prayed for any soul that died on the Titanic that night to transition into peace if they had not already done so. That moment of sending them love under the night sky felt very powerful for me. I suppose the story of Titanic presents itself during purposeful moments in my life. Being a 1997 baby, this movie holds a very special place in my heart. For me, this movie ages like a fine wine. It is incredibly well written, beautifully filmed, and personally, I truly believe it exuded deep respect for the real tragic event. This movie gave people the opportunity to experience deep empathy and connection to people who lived in an era so different from ours today, that it almost feels like two separate realities. We even gain a feeling of love for the nonliving, yet magnificent ship, Titanic. Even scenes from the movie that were created for secondary-drama; which some people may find unnecessary, 'cheesy', unrealistic, or perhaps even offensive to the real Titanic tragedy, I personally find them meaningful, respectful, and truly believable. The purpose of the drama around Jack and Rose was to allow the audience to gain a deep sense of connection to them, their situation, and a realization that we do not want any tragedy to be thrust upon them. Why? Because we love them. We, the audience, soon realize that this love toward Jack and Rose quickly spreads for the rest of the souls onboard the ship as well. We take this love with us even after the movie finishes. It ends up spreading toward the real souls who were on Titanic. For a movie to move us this deeply, regardless if people view it as critically acclaimed or not, I believe it's safe to say that this film is pretty special and important.

[@Ricklet0ons]

I never knew those lights that point up onto the funnel never existed in the real Titanic, neat!

[@nahnahb7753]

Something about the blend of practical and computer effects around that time has made some of the most visually stunning movies. Just look at the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the heart and soul that went behind making it look believable. I wish more movies today took this kind of time and effort

[@adamheywood113]

I could nerd out all day about LOTR production trivia, but one of my favourite ones is how they built the Hobbiton set a full year before any cameras, any actual filmmaking took place, and let sheep graze on it in the interim.

[@smaze1782]

Some amazing engineering went into that set. Fantastic video. I could listen to this man’s voice for hours.

[@kevinyates9917]

I've just found your work here and I must say I am enjoying it. There's so much there that you unpack for us. You bring much to different aspects of this tragic tale. Much like all tragic tales, there are many back stories. To open these portals and present them as you do makes me want to write a song or two. Great work

[@jeeither]

This must have been such an amazing set to work on. Not hard to get into the story with this kind of set around you.

[@deadllama4622]

Great Video ! I would love to see more on the topic. There are many more things to say about this production. Like, how did they recreate the engine room, What became all the interior sets etc, and of course, the use of all the models...

[@kimmer6]

The engine room scenes were filmed on the SS Jeremiah O'Brien, a working museum ship in San Francisco. It was built during WWII in June 1943 as a Liberty Ship transport and actually operated during the D-Day landing. Its triple expansion steam engine still propels the ship around the San Francisco Bay during events like Fleet Week and the Blue Angels air show. There is only one steam engine on the Jeremiah O'Brien so James Cameron worked camera magic to look like two engines. The existing railings around the engine were removed and 1/3rd scale railings were put in place. That, along with low camera angles made the O'Brien's engine look huge. There are a lot of videos on YT showing the engine on the Jeremiah O'Brien running. The public is allowed to be in the engine room. I was standing by the low pressure cylinder crank shaft and the massive thing was churning 2 feet from me ready to rip my arms off if I got too close. So when I watch Titanic, I marvel at how Cameron made the engines look huge. That's live steam turning the engine during filming. I hope you get to see the engine operating on the SS Jeremiah O'Brien someday.

[@deadllama4622]

@@kimmer6 I remembered it was shot in a liberty ship's engine room but I didn't knew all of these details ! Thanks ! This must have been something very interesting to see.

[@someoneout-there2165]

Titanic will always be my favorite movie ever. And the shot of Leo laying back on the bench, looking up at the night sky before Kate runs by, with his big, beautiful eyes.. is the most beautiful looking shot of a guy I've ever seen in any movie. 💕

[@owellafehr5191]

Amazing! I'm super impressed by how much of this was real; it must have been an incredible experience (if not a bit terrifying!) to be a cast member or extra on that set. It's also great to see another Titanic buff genuinely appreciate the 1997 movie for its ambition and attention to detail!

[@shadowtrooper4435]

I was just looking at clips of the filming of Titanic the other day. I'm looking forward to this. Though ocean liners and ships are interesting, they can dull out and be boring given the wrong commentator. You, my friend, have a way of taking ships from time's past and making them fun to listen about with interesting commentary and exceptional visuals. You deserve more subs!

[@claramullen]

I am happy that I found this video I am a Titanic fan not only for the movie but for the history. James Cameron produced the movie perfectly while combining the story of Jack and Rose to the history of the Titanic together so you could actually be interested in what and how Titanic was doomed from many aspects that were overlooked. Thank you I would definitely like to see more things like this.

[@robertforster8984]

It was the golden age of visual effects in that they didn’t use that much of them yet.

[@arkroogs90]

I don't know if any other director could have done a film like this justice other than James Cameron. His passion for Titanic comes through in the immense amount of research and attention to detail in the film. Idk if any other director would have gone down to the actual wreck for footage.

[@lisasharf1442]

He’s now been down to Titanic more than any of the scientists studying it (something like 30 times)!

[@andrewmurray1550]

@@lisasharf1442 and not just for the film but his extra curricular interest in maritime history.

[@Andrew-vo9tg]

Great presentation! I was an extra in that film and you brought back some very fond memories. I remember watching the sets getting built week after week. Thanks for a great presentation.

[@piperofsimms]

I had a fabulous time on the set of "Titanic". I was a Stoker and 3rd class passenger. It was a thrilling night as I was on the Poop Deck when it went 90* degrees ! I was taking it all in and feel fortunate to be a part of it all.

[@delerics21]

The best movie ever made for me. Im 6 yrs old when this came out. They dont want me to watch this in the cinema because I was too young and there are some intimate scenes. I cried and cried until they let me watch it there. This movie made me an ocean liner lover. ❤

[@conaly082]

Titanic sometimes seems to be one of the most hated movies. I on the other hand love it, partly for the reasons you just mentioned with the huge effort they went through to make it look as good as it is, but also because it's just an very well written movie with great actors, showing how a dream like the Titanic became one of the worst imaginable nightmares. Even with some technical or historical inaccuracies with all the knowledge I have today about the real ship, it still can enjoy it from beginning to the end. When the movie came out in 1997, I was too young to watch in the theater, so the first time I saw it was on VHS some time later. However, when it was re-released in 3D in 2012, a friend an I went in right away, and boy does this movie hit different, when you watch it on a huge screen with an awesome sound system. No flat TV and home hifi system at that time could compete with a real movie theater. It was a whole new experience watching that movie, that I've seen like a hundred times already.

[@Matt5bm]

The more popular something is, the more haters you'll also get. It's all percentages. The awards and money it made says enough 😄😊

[@quillmaurer6563]

The plot did feel a little bit cheesy, and I think a lot of people couldn't see past that. But the plot was necessary for the movie to do what it did - show all possible experiences of Titanic passengers from a single character's viewpoint, in a way that no single real person would have experienced. It probably worked better that way than it would have been if they had shown numerous characters who had no relation to each other and the audience not relating to any of them, and would have missed out if it only showed a realistic story of any single perspective.

[@lovelydiva06]

People keep saying that yet I haven’t actually met anyone who hates it so are you guys talking about the online community or something

[@oldkingspook]

The amount of work that went into making this movie makes me respect it all the more. Yes, it takes effort to create CGI, but it's no replacement for practical sets and effects. Being an extra on that set, watching the water coming up would've been terrifying.

[@arronjones6985]

Absolutely incredible! The attention to detail is awesome! We will never see a film created like this ever again. 😞

[@Pigjes]

Would love to see the 2 other possible vids you mentioned! Great job, as always.

[@AngelTails97]

One of the most common criticisms I hear about the movie is that "it's not realistic and just a made up love story"! And to a degree, that's true. The story of Jack and Rose and many of the characters around them is made up and they did take quite a few creative liberties with the ship itself and the stories of the people who were actually aboard. But I say, that's just fine. What I always say you have to remember is, it's a movie not a documentary, and movies always take creative liberties when it's based on some kind of source material, whether that be real events or a book. The result of which is a damn good movie that still looks great today. The depiction of the sinking of the Titanic is probably still the best we've ever seen on screen, looking incredibly realistic and reminds me how terrifying it must have been to actually be there that night. The love story aspect of the film isn't that bad either. Sure it could have been written a little better and there are moments it didn't really feel that believable but overall it was good enough and compelling enough that I still genuinely enjoy it. I find myself routing for Rose and Jack, especially on the night of the sinking and feel real sorrow when the inevitable happens at the end. In the end, haters are always going to hate, as they say. But personally I love the movie, flaws and all, as many people do. It's what first got me interested in both the Titanic and history in general, which has since spiralled into me learning as much as I can about the ship and others like it it, and watching videos by creators like this one on the regular. It's an annual tradition of mine to watch the film every year on the 14th April, often while playing one of the many "real time sinking animations" on KZbin. Amazing video as always Oceanliner Designs, you're making great content and I'm not exaggerating when I say you're one of my favourite creators on this platform. 🥰

[@lisasharf1442]

If you go back to the movie again, time the scenes from 1912. It’s 2 hours and 40 minutes. Cameron did that on purpose.

[@lovelydiva06]

I don’t know what they wanted from this movie they had to fill it in with some kind of story otherwise it would’ve been just the ship setting sail hit a iceberg then sank, then movie over, wouldn’t have even been an hour long

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

Can you do the same for A Night To Remember? Sure it's not the visuals of Cameron's film but I think it's very impressive for 1958 and still holds up. You can kinda tell when it's a model but they are highly detailed. I wonder if artifacts remain from the movie.

[@renesagahon4477]

That movie was very well done and still has held up well. Still considered the most accurate of what happened on the sinking

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

@@renesagahon4477 It's also my favourite. Some things are inacurate but in the book they are actually discussed. Lord mentions that there are reports of her breaking up but in the end he went with the results of the inquiry for the movie. I also like that Ismay isn't villified, he's shown helping and only gets into pretty much the last boat with no one else around. And Smith is shown trying to hail Californian instead of just doing nothing and staring into the distance. And Carpathia is a big part of the movie. What's not to love. I wish Cameron had just remade A Night To Remember with the shooting techniques they used. He made plenty of movies that are fiction and he can add all the Rome & Juliet rip offs he wants but Titanic was actually a historical well documented event with 2208 real stories to tell. Why fill 70% of the movie with Jack and Rose and fuck up Murdoch's reputation, who wasn't even on the side of the ship where shots had been fired. He saved by far the most lives, actually filling the boats somewhat to capacity.

[@jvincemusic]

@@user-lv7ph7hs7l I get what you are saying but attaching the love story is what attracted the mainstream public and generated record numbers…I’m going to be generalizing here but guys loved the ship but the girls were there for the story

[@user-lv7ph7hs7l]

@@jvincemusic Still it could have been easily 30-40% of the story instead of 65-80%. And there were plenty of real love stories to be shown in between. And if it's just about the love story why go through all the effort with the ship only to barely show its operation and crew. And lots of that was still filmed but cut in favour of Jack and Rose. If you watch the directors cut it makes a lot more sense and much more history is included. So my main gripe with movie is the theater/cassette/DVD cut. The footage is all there. Instead the love story should have been cut down. But the best cut available is the whole love story and the deleted scenes which turns it into a 4 h movie. That's definetly not suited for theaters, people already complained the original was long.

[@alisonmanifold2933]

Oh that moment when the ship broke in two! It was utterly take your breath away incredible. Just seeing the snippet in your video left me breathless. You are so right - this was such incredible film making. I haven’t watched the movie in so long but other moments just flooded into my brain… better go watch it again to try and see all the things you pointed out!!

[@Ascertivus]

As of the writing of this comment, I've never seen the film, but man, the craftsmanship and engineering of the sets seems incredible indeed. Wow.

[@SwissArmyTin]

The only problem with the film, in my opinion, is the Jack and Rose subplot, but quite literally everything else about it is absolutely phenomenal. The level of technical achievement just for a movie is absolutely mind-boggling, and you can tell Cameron and his crew genuinely loved that ship. There were several takeaways the historians gained from working on the film as well, such as when they flooded the Grand Staircase set, all the wood of the staircase kept wanting to break loose and float, despite it being anchored just as well if not more so than on the original ship, potentially explaining why there's absolutely no trace of it left on the wreck.

[@robinpage2730]

There's a fan cut of the movie on KZbin with almost all Jack and Rose scenes removed. It's even better for it than the original and still has a full 110 minute runtime.

[@briancisco1176]

"A Night to Remember" is still my favorite TITANIC film because the ship itself was the star.

[@OldStreetDoc]

Outstanding video! I’ve always been a bit of a ‘Titanic Nerd’ as well. The movie actually is one of my favorites to go back and re-watch. To this very day there are things that I notice for the first time, every time we watch ‘Titanic’. Cameron has such a great ability to make the viewer feel immersed inside his films. Perhaps it’s the sense of scale along with the amazing level of detail he captures in camera, but there are just SO many moments in this film especially, where I feel more like a ‘fly on the wall’ rather than someone sitting in an cinema audience or watching at home. Very few directors seem to achieve that these days. Digital effects or ‘CGI’… in my view anyway, seems a double edged sword. Amazing things are now able to be created on screen, or removed, or modified, etc. But for whatever reason, many of today’s films leave me less able to ‘suspend my disbelief’ (or whatever the expression is) to the same extent or possibly in the same way. They often seem to just go that little bit too far with the effects. Becoming almost overwhelming. Some of the ‘Marvel’ movies, even though I’ve enjoyed them overall, become almost ‘simply fun to look at’ rather than enjoyable as a story/movie. I don’t know how much more economical it is to digitize more and more, but it does make me appreciate very much when filmmakers are able & willing to get it done ‘in camera’ as much as they can. Not too long ago I heard someone compare modern filmmaking to today’s music. It’s become routine for recording artists to use all manner of digital gizmos to modify or ‘fix’ things like the pitch of voices & instruments, as well as the timing and tempo, essentially laying the different tracks perfectly in their computer almost like a graph. Removing all the tiny mistakes and inconsistencies that make the end product feel ‘human’ to the listener. Which I’ll admit, leaves me preferring older music. Appreciating whether I realize it, or why, at the time or not - the ‘humanity’ that comes across as I listen. It seems an apt comparison to think that perhaps it’s those tiny mistakes & inconsistencies in filmmaking that I appreciate so much. Not that you want so many ‘bits of humanity’ that the film is a train wreck… but enough to remind you, consciously or subconsciously, that humans in the end can create and express things practically in film or music that just seem to resonate a bit more, or at least differently, than through digital effects. Again, amazing things can and are being done with CGI that we all love & enjoy. I just hope that we don’t lose the abilities of practical movie making in the end because of cost or because it’s just too hard to do. Or sadly, that it’s so rarely done anymore that it becomes another ‘lost art’. Wow… I certainly seem to have strayed away from ‘brevity’ there. Just wanted to pass on that I REALLY enjoyed this video! And I’m really glad to know that others are appreciating & expressing some similar thoughts on both this film & the making of it, but also of the Titanic herself. I appreciate that VERY much. Well done. Well done indeed. 👏🏼 Ohh… and one more tiny thing: THERE WAS ROOM FOR JACK ON THAT DEBRIS TOO, ROSE! I know you were terrified, and justly so, but that was SELFISH of you, young lady! MURDEROUSLY selfish! 😉🤣 Thanks again. All the best to you & yours. Merry Christmas 🎄🎁

[@Marcus51090]

“It’s been 84 years, and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used. The sheets had never been slept in. Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was”

[@Robutube1]

Hi Mike: in his end-of-2022 episode, Max at the Tasting History channel mentioned his hope to make more Titanic themed episodes in 2023. A collab between you two could be fun and synergistic.

[@thealcohologist8624]

I swear, they could have turned this into a mini theme park and people would have visited. Yes, would love to see a video on the models

[@sookieb_88]

I actually just rewatched Titanic (the 1997 film) yesterday afternoon/evening for the millionth time JUST because of the intense dedication by James Cameron to the underwater wreck footage and meticulous attention to detail in replicating the ship as authentically as humanly possible for the film… my obsession with The Titanic began when I was 3 years old on a weekend holiday in the Blue Mountains, the weather was awful, my brother was suffering severe asthma so my parents had to look after him constantly, and I learned to read and write when I was 3. There was a big common area lounge with a fireplace and a massive coffee table where I spent most of my time, and one of those coffee table books was on… The Titanic. I became INSTANTLY fascinated, read that whole thing, and when we got home I got my mum to cut some A4 paper in half, stack the papers on top of each other and staple the middle so I could write my OWN book on the Titanic 😂 I was mostly fascinated by the concept of this ‘unsinkable’ ship going down on her maiden voyage, thé laissez faire attitudes of first class passengers sitting in deck chairs or going inside again as the ship was sinking, and the band that played until the end. It was the first book I wrote (I went on to do a Bachelor’s of Creative Arts majoring in Creative Writing at Macquarie Uni when I graduated high school so this was the start of a lifelong dedication to writing for me) and I STILL have that book I wrote on the Titanic now, at age 35. After that I devoured everything I could research on the Titanic. It became an obsessive passion. When the film came out in 1997, my mum took me out of school for the day to go see the first screening session at the cinema. My interest has always been with the design, construction, and failure of the ship but Cameron’s film just indulges me now and then to immerse myself in the (most accurate possible) reconstruction of the ship. Any Aussie is familiar by now with Clive Palmer’s now-scrapped attempt to build ‘Titanic 2’… and any Australian familiar with Mr Palmer was probably dubious about his project from the outset, and unsurprised by the calamitous scandal and failure of his project. On the plus side, his demented political ambitions were put to a stop since he’d misappropriated campaign funds. I’m glad I’ve found another Aussie who shares my lifelong obsession though here! 😂

[@Runicen]

Always happy to see the winning combo of practical and digital effects get a shout out. Great video!

[@justsomeone89]

Its sad that the model isn't there any more. It would be a huge tourist attraction i would think. It was until today the only almost full scale replica of the ship. All later attempts to make a replica of the ship failed. It would have been very interesting for sure. Sadly the set is gone, but the large water tank it was built in, still exists to this day. Probably used for various other movies in between but the big hole for the front section and the parts where people could fall safely into the water is still clearly visible on Satellite pictures.

[@CeruleanFilms]

I was in Mexico when they were filming Pearl Harbor there. They had a full size battleship built where the Titanic was.

[@dinoslavski]

Great vid, the story in the movie was a run of the mill romance, but even James Cameron admitted that it's not about the story but about the ship itself, he had an entire team dedicated to just making the ship as accurate as possible, he later reconvened with them to find out the most plausible way the Titanic sank based on the wreck and the data they had, it was released by Nat Geo as Titanic: The final word with James Cameron, I really recommend for anyone who hasn't watched it to go and do it right now.

[@Truecrimeresearcher224]

I watched that and to this day still impressed. He took the time and effort and hired experts for a movie and had his own experience and research. Most filmmakers dont do that anymore

[@lisasharf1442]

Agreed. Final Word was excellent.

[@sambone8213]

Need more videos about the making of Titanic. I had NO idea they went to this length to make the movie. Absolutely fascinating. Still remember seeing it in the cinema when I was 13 years old. Those were the days.

[@ardiffley-zipkin9539]

Well done, Mike. Your production. narration and expertise, as usual, make your videos informative and interesting.

[@annetteelliott1494]

What a mammoth task making this movie was.....brilliant Mr Cameron.....

[@greghanson3495]

I live in San Diego, about 30 miles north of the studio. In the mid-90's, I often made trips between San Diego and Ensenada with bus loads of cruise ship passengers who, thanks to the Jones Act, were not able to embark or disembark in San Diego on cruises to Hawaii. Thus, I saw the set built and the ship "sunk" over course of several months - as well as some of the other ocean type movies shot there ("Master and Commander" - the HMS Surprise used in the filming is part of the San Diego Maritime Museum - and "Pearl Harbor" being two of the more prominent. Due to the prevalence of computerized special effects now, the tank is rarely put to use any longer, but the studio is still open.

[@lisasharf1442]

Yup. Me, too!

[@cheesyllama]

The more videos I watch (on this channel and a few others) the more i nwrd out as well. I get super excited to see a notification for a new ocean liner channel video. Keeo doing the nerdy geeky stuff, Mike!

[@fotogme11]

Excellent video. Thanks! This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I had no idea how many of the scenes were filmed.

[@KXXULADavidOC]

Great and really interesting video, its truly amazing the amount of work and detail that went into making this film and all the practical interior and exterior sets, the level to detail is just fantastic and it really does hold up today so well. It is a real shame they dont make movies this way anymore as the results of doing it this way really speak for themselves and stand the test of time.

[@andrewdrabble8939]

I've been interested in the Titanic ever since I was a kid and this film is positively superb

[@jasonmarange5973]

I've always liked the movie. Saw it with my girlfriend in Jr. High. But this video gave me a whole new respect for it. The genius, workmanship and and labor to do this is unmatched in any making of a movie I've ever seen. What an absolutely amazing set they've built. I had no idea they used actual props not cgi etc for most of what we see in the movie. Stellar crew and great execution! Also, my new favorite channel subbed!!

[@harryfarmer3847]

This was the first video of yours I've watched. And I gotta say it was a great informational video. Keep em up.