<P> Cameron 's inspiration for the film came from his fascination with shipwrecks ; he felt a love story interspersed with the human loss would be essential to convey the emotional impact of the disaster . Production began in 1995 , when Cameron shot footage of the actual Titanic wreck . The modern scenes on the research vessel were shot on board the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh , which Cameron had used as a base when filming the wreck . Scale models , computer - generated imagery , and a reconstruction of the Titanic built at Baja Studios , at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California were used to re-create the sinking . The film was partially funded by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox . It was the most expensive film ever made at the time , with a production budget of $200 million . </P>
<P> Cameron 's inspiration for the film came from his fascination with shipwrecks ; he felt a love story interspersed with the human loss would be essential to convey the emotional impact of the disaster . Production began in 1995 , when Cameron shot footage of the actual Titanic wreck . The modern scenes on the research vessel were shot on board the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh , which Cameron had used as a base when filming the wreck . Scale models , computer - generated imagery , and a reconstruction of the Titanic built at Baja Studios , at Playas de Rosarito in Baja California were used to re-create the sinking . The film was partially funded by Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox . It was the most expensive film ever made at the time , with a production budget of $200 million . </P>
how much money did it cost to make the titanic
how much money did it cost to make the titanic
$200 million
$200 million