An innovator of movie technology and worldbuilding, James Cameron has brought to life some of the world’s most iconic franchises through his imagination. With Titanic and Avatar, he directed the first two films in history to gross more than $2 billion worldwide. Titanic also landed him three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing.

Over his 40 years in the business, he’s worked on high- and low-budget films, pushed cinematic boundaries, and broken box office records. What he hasn’t done before is shared his creative process or the tricks of the trade that he’s learned in his career. Now, for the first time ever, he’s teaching you his techniques and showing you his approach to epic storytelling.

James Cameron’s movies have banked more than $6 billion at the box office worldwide.

Now, the director behind blockbusters including “Avatar,” “Titanic” and “The Terminator” will teach his first-ever internet class on filmmaking — available on e-learning site MasterClass as part of the site’s $180 annual membership starting today.

In his class, Cameron promises to share a behind-the-scenes look into his creative process, along with the principles and techniques that have shaped his work.

Cameron’s class will use specific scene breakdowns from his films — including “Aliens,” “The Terminator,” “Titanic” and “Avatar” — to illustrate storytelling and character-development techniques as well as how he’s used technology as a filmmaker. According to MasterClass, he also will offer “practical advice that applies to all levels of film production” regardless of the size of the budget.

Lessons in this online class include MasterClass – James Cameron Teaches Filmmaking:

• Pursuing and Developing the Idea
• Aliens Egg Chamber Breakdown: Fulfilling the Promise of a Nightmare
• Toying With the Audience: Building and Releasing Tension
• The Terminator Club Scene Breakdown: Converging Storylines and Relentless Tension
• Aliens Newt Introduction Scene Breakdown: Turning Suspense Into Curiosity
• From Sketch to Spectacle: Creating Iconic Set Pieces
• The Terminator Future World Breakdown: Creating a Set Piece on a Budget
• The Terminator Arm and Eye Repair Scene Breakdown: Realistic Low-Budget Practical Effects
• The Art of Low-Budget Filmmaking
• Crafting and Introducing Compelling Characters
• Titanic Rose Introduction Scene Breakdown: Introducing Your Character Cinematically
• Avatar Scene Breakdown: Colliding Characters
• Developing Dread Through Adversaries
• Creating Technology: Imaged-Based Facial Performance Capture
• Making Your Way and Leading With Passion

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