James Cameron is the renowned director of my personal favorite movie, “Titanic.”

He is also behind legendary films including, "The Terminator," "Aliens," "The Abyss," and “Avatar.” Cameron’s movies are among the most expensive ever made. “The Terminator” cost $100 million, “Titanic” exceeded $200 million, and “Avatar” was $237 million, and “Avatar 2” blew them all out of the water with a reported $460 million in expenses.

Cameron’s films may be expensive, but they are extraordinary.

Over the years, he has revolutionized cinema time and time again. Cameron contributed greatly to advancements in underwater filming and remotely-operated vehicles, including inventing an apparatus for a camera operator to move easily underwater.

Today, the use of 3D and motion capture effects can be found in many films, but Cameron is credited for inventing many of the tools and techniques that make for an immersive viewing experience.

Ultimately, though, Cameron understands that no amount of technological advancements can carry a film that doesn’t have a compelling story. When he was starting out at age 24, Cameron directed his first movie with $20,000 that he raised from a consortium of California dentists.

“The technology has changed but the basics of the job haven’t,” he says. “It is still about storytelling, about juxtaposing images, about creating a feeling with images and music. Only the technical details have changed.”

Here’s what we can learn from Cameron about creativity, character development, and the sacrifices that come with great success.

(Photo Credit: Everett Collection/Getty)

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