James Cameron says that during the making of TITANIC they only chose brief extras to make the ship seem bigger

Director James Cameronthe film Titanic is about to be released on a remastered 4K home video release, and in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the director talked about what it was like making the most expensive movie of all time and some of the behind-the-scenes tricks they used enhance some aspects.

Variety reports that the complex engineering and resources required to create unprecedented sets and sequences contributed to the film’s high cost of making. Cameron said:

“The scale of it all was beyond anything we could have imagined in terms of our previous experience. At the time we thought, wow, there’s no way this movie will ever make its money back. It’s simply impossible. Well, guess what?”

In an effort to keep the budget under control, producer Jon Landau they said they saved $750,000 by demolishing an entire set that had to be tilted at a three-degree angle. Instead, they stuck to two other sets: one for the pre-iceberg scenes and the second tilted six degrees, replicating the sinking ship.

They also strategized with the casting to ensure the ship maintained its massive appearance. Cameron explained:

“We only chose short extras to make our set seem bigger. Anyone over five feet seven inches tall we didn’t choose. It’s like we got a million dollars more from casting.

Titanic was released in theaters on December 19, 1997 and became the highest-grossing film of all time, until Cameron broke his own record in 2009 with Avatars. Cameron added:

“If the studio had their way, they would have cut the entire sinking ship. The smartest thing we did was sink last. It wasn’t out of strategy, it was simply because you sink the set last because otherwise it doesn’t look as good the next morning when you restore it.

The two discs Titanic The 25th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray and limited edition box set are available in stores now.