And when the film's original production designer quit, he promoted a young modelmaker named James Cameron to the role. Cameron worked around the clock on the sets and special effects, stretching Corman's budget to its limit to make the movie work. It was the first big break of a career that took Cameron to the furthest reaches of visual effects with groundbreaking movies like The Abyss and, of course, Avatar. Battle Beyond the Stars is not a great movie by any stretch, but it’s fascinating to see where James Cameron first dabbled in the realm of visual effects. I'm giving you a raise, and you're going to be the new head of special effects,’ Corman told The Ringer.