ScreenX is a panoramic film format which presents films with an expanded, dual-sided, 270-degree screens projected on the walls in a theater. First introduced in 2012, it is created by CJ 4DPLEX, a subsidiary of the CJ CGV group which also created the 4DX motion-theater technology, which uses a similar logo and combines both formats, known as Ultra 4DX. Co-developed by KAIST , it is considered a "sideways" version of IMAX and a presumed competitor to streaming platforms such as Netflix .
117-556: As of 2022, the theater technology is installed in 364 screens in 37 countries. Like for IMAX films, in order to match the length of the entire tri-screen theater, ScreenX films are formatted either during shooting in production or converting in post-production. A film shot for ScreenX is typically shot with three cameras. The process is done through scene selecting, archiving, delivering assets, color grading, and mastering before distribution to theaters. Most ScreenX films are live-action, mostly from Asia , particularly South Korea . Only
234-413: A compressed air "puffer" to accelerate the film, and put a cylindrical lens in the projector's "aperture block". The rolling loop mechanism is used to move the film in projectors and cameras; the sprockets in the film are only used for registration as the film is too large to be moved with sprockets at the necessary speeds for projection and filming without damage. The projector uses a vacuum to pull
351-412: A felt or brush-like material that wipes dust off the lens as it moves up or down. The projector uses a vacuum to keep the film flat and oriented correctly for projection. The shutter of an IMAX projector is also kept open for longer than a 35 mm projector shutter to increase image brightness. IMAX projectors are pin -stabilized; this means that four registration pins engage the perforations at
468-451: A nitrate film base , which is highly flammable. Nitrate film fires were virtually impossible to extinguish. A significant number of fatal accidents occurred in theatrical projection booths, where the heat of the projector lamp made ignition a possibility. Amateur filmmaking ( home movies ) slowly developed during this period. Kodak developed a heat-resistant 'safety base' for home projection. In 1909, tests showed cellulose diacetate to be
585-444: A "normal" print or a deluxe print (on more-costly print film like Kodak Vision Premiere) with slightly greater saturation and contrast. Use of film remained the dominant form of cinematography until the early 21st century when digital formats supplanted the use of film in many applications. This has also led to the replacement of film projectors with digital projection . Despite this, some filmmakers continue to opt for film stock as
702-562: A 1.43 screen. The film format uses very large screens of 18 by 24 metres (59 by 79 feet) and, unlike most conventional film projectors, the film runs horizontally so that the image width can be greater than the width of the film stock . It is called the 15/70 format . They can be purpose-built theaters and dome theaters , and many installations of this type limit themselves to a projection of high quality, short documentaries. The dedicated buildings and projectors required high construction and maintenance costs, necessitating several compromises in
819-811: A Barco DP4K-32B 4K projection system in 2013), the Omni-Theatre at Science Centre Singapore , the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung , Taiwan (which both had their original IMAX Dome 1570 projection systems installed respectively in 1987 and 1985 replaced with Evans & Sutherland Digistar 5 8K digital systems in 2015), and the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City , New Jersey , which replaced its IMAX Dome 1570 projection system from 1993 (when built
936-446: A color reversal stock, called Monopack, for location shooting in 1941; it was ultimately a 35 mm version of Kodachrome that could be used in standard motion picture cameras. Eastman Kodak introduced their first 35mm color negative stock, Eastman Color Negative film 5247, in 1950. A higher quality version in 1952, Eastman Color Negative film 5248, was quickly adopted by Hollywood for color motion picture production, replacing both
1053-467: A contract to develop and manufacture a fisheye lens projection system optimized to project an image onto a dome instead of a flat screen. The dome system, which the San Diego Hall of Science called "Omnimax", uses films shot with a camera equipped with a fisheye lens that squeezes a highly distorted anamorphic 180° field of view onto the 65 mm IMAX film. The lens is aligned below the center of
1170-472: A decoding method such as DTS . The new generation of IMAX with Laser Projectors use IMAX 12-channel sound while 15/70 and Xenon Projectors use IMAX 6-channel. Like conventional theatres, IMAX theatres place speakers both directly behind the acoustically transparent screen, and around the theatre to create a "surround sound" effect. IMAX also provides a "top center" speaker in addition to the centre speaker found in conventional theatres. This extra channel allows
1287-619: A digital projection system, which it has not given a distinct name or brand, designed for multiplex theatres with screens no wider than 21.3 m (70 ft). All IMAX projectors, except the standard GT system, can project 3D images . GT 3D projectors require two separate lamps and polarized projection optics. The digital cinema IMAX projection system, debuted in 2008, is designed for use with shorter 1.89:1 aspect ratio screens. The system uses two 2K projectors that can present either 2D or 3D content in DCI or IMAX Digital Format (IDF; which in itself
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#17330862470161404-553: A few animated films (and family films) are ever produced for the format. The technology has been rarely produced for Hollywood studio films due to the complexity of the additional computer animation work as side footage. Lee Jae-seon, who worked for the ScreenX version of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword at G-node, said that, "It is not easy to create Hollywood blockbuster CG work in Korea, but it
1521-486: A fully panchromatic stock, Pan-23. In 1926, Kodak lowered the price of panchromatic stock to parity with its orthochromatic offering and the panchromatic stock began to overtake the orthochromatic stock's market share within a few years. As similar panchromatic film stocks were also manufactured by Agfa and Pathé, making the shift to panchromatic stocks largely complete by 1928, Kodak discontinued orthochromatic stock in 1930. Experiments with color films were made as early as
1638-415: A goal to deploy the first four units in the next two years. Christopher Nolan and Jordan Peele are among a group of advisors, made up of filmmakers and cinematographers, assisting in identifying new specs and features for the prototype development phase. In a May 2024 interview with Collider , IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond revealed that there will be four new identical cameras that will be 30% quieter than
1755-521: A half-pixel offset, using super-resolution imaging , which makes the perceived resolution greater than 4K. In-theater cameras and microphones are used to automatically calibrate the projectors and sound system between showings. For 3D presentations, one projector is used to display the image for each eye, while 2D presentations use the superimposed images to allow for a brighter image. For 3D presentations, IMAX with Laser systems use dichroic filter glasses, similar to those used by Dolby 3D , as opposed to
1872-457: A key patent filed on January 16, 1970, was assigned under the original name Multiscreen Corporation, Limited. IMAX Chief Administration Officer Mary Ruby was quoted as saying, "Although many people may think 'IMAX' is an acronym , it is, in fact, a made-up word." Tiger Child , the first IMAX film, was demonstrated at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan . The first permanent IMAX installation was built at
1989-569: A laser film printer known as a film recorder . Due to the specialized nature of the exposure and the higher degree of control afforded by the film lab equipment, these intermediate and release stocks are specially designed solely for these applications and are generally not feasible for camera shooting. Because intermediates only function to maintain the image information accurately across duplication, each manufacturer tends to only produce one or two different intermediate stocks. Similarly, release print stocks usually are available only in two varieties:
2106-463: A momentarily-paused still image. This requires a mechanical apparatus to buffer the jerky travel of the film strip. The older technology of running 70 mm film vertically through the projector used only five sprocket perforations on the sides of each frame; however, the IMAX method used fifteen perforations per frame. The previous mechanism was inadequate to handle this intermittent mechanical movement that
2223-553: A non-Asian location at a Les Cinémas Gaumont Pathé theater in Paris , France . It later made its overseas debut at a Cinépolis theater in Mexico City , Mexico in March 2020. Since 2018, ScreenX technology been successful at worldwide box offices, following the successful panoramic release of Marvel Studios 's Black Panther . It has grossed a combined total of over $ 40 million throughout
2340-407: A period of time much faster than many photographs or other visual presentations. Cellulose nitrate, because of its unstable chemistry, eventually breaks down, releasing nitric acid, further catalyzing the decomposition. In the final stage of celluloid decomposition, the film has turned into a rust-like powder. Likewise, tri-acetate stock is also vulnerable to deterioration. Because of the small gauge of
2457-468: A positive (showing the same densities and colors as the subject) or negative image (with dark highlights, light shadows, and, in principle, complementary colors). The first films were darkened by light: negative films. Later films that produce a positive image became known as reversal films ; processed transparent film of this type can be projected onto a screen. Negative images need to be transferred onto photographic paper or other substrate which reverses
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#17330862470162574-610: A pressure of about 25 atmospheres (367 psi (2,530 kPa)). Because of this, projectionists are required to wear protective body armor when changing or handling the lamp in case it breaks (e.g., due to a drop to the floor) because of the danger from flying quartz shards propelled by the high pressure of the xenon gas within; this applies to all projection xenon lamps. An IMAX xenon lamp runs on DC power, lasts for 1,000 hours and requires its own pump and water cooler. The projector's optics also require compressed air cooling. An IMAX projector weighs up to 1.8 tonnes (2 short tons ) and
2691-545: A quarter of those having the capability to show 70mm film at the resolution of the large format as originally conceived. The IMAX cinema process increases the image resolution by using a larger film frame; in relative terms, a frame of IMAX format film has three times the theoretical horizontal resolution of a frame of 35 mm film . To achieve such increased image resolution, which IMAX estimates at approximately 12,000 lines (6,000 line pair modulations) of horizontal resolution (18K), 65 mm film stock passes horizontally through
2808-599: A screen measuring 693 square meters 31.2 by 22.2 m (102 by 73 ft) within The Ribbon building, after years of extensive redevelopment, making it the world's third-largest screen. In the late-1960s, the San Diego Hall of Science (later known as the San Diego Space and Science Foundation) began searching North America for a large-format film system to project on the dome of their planned 23.16 m (76.0 ft) tilted dome planetarium . The standard IMAX projector
2925-476: A separate soundtrack and then sound-on-film to print the soundtrack on the film itself. All plastic is subject to deterioration through physical or chemical means, and thus, motion picture film is at risk for the same reason. Films deteriorate over time, which can damage individual frames or even lead to the entire film being destroyed. Cellulose nitrate, cellulose diacetate and triacetate are known to be unstable media: improperly preserved film can deteriorate in
3042-502: A standard option. Panchromatic film stock increased costs and no motion pictures were produced on it in their entirety for several years. The cross-cutting between panchromatic and orthochromatic stocks caused continuity problems with costume tones and panchromatic film was often avoided. Orthochromatic film remained dominant until the mid-1920s due to Kodak's lack of competition in the panchromatic market. In 1925, Gevaert introduced an orthochromatic stock with limited color sensitivity and
3159-400: A stock is its film speed , determined by ASA or its sensitivity to light listed by a measurement on the raw stock which must be chosen with care. Speed determines the range of lighting conditions under which the film can be shot, and is related to granularity and contrast, which influence the look of the image. The stock manufacturer will usually give an exposure index (EI) number equal to
3276-485: A viable replacement base, and Kodak began selling acetate-base films the following year in 22 mm widths for Edison's work on the Home Kinetoscope, which was commercially released in 1912. Eastman Kodak introduced a non-flammable 35 mm film stock in 1909. The plasticizers used to make the film flexible evaporated quickly, making the film dry and brittle, causing splices to part and perforations to tear. In 1911
3393-463: Is a superset of DCI). IDF initially used 2K-resolution Christie xenon projectors, with a Texas Instruments Digital Light Processing (DLP) engine, but in 2012 IMAX announced that they would be switching to Barco as their primary supplier. The two 2K images are projected superimposed on each other with a half-pixel offset, using super-resolution imaging to increase the perceived resolution to approximately 2.9K. For 3D presentations, one projector
3510-422: Is an analog medium that is used for recording motion pictures or animation . It is recorded on by a movie camera , developed , edited , and projected onto a screen using a movie projector . It is a strip or sheet of transparent plastic film base coated on one side with a gelatin emulsion containing microscopically small light-sensitive silver halide crystals. The sizes and other characteristics of
3627-526: Is assembled by a negative cutter using the edited work print or EDL ( edit decision list ) as a guide. A series of Answer Prints are then made from the OCN. During the Answer Print stage, corrections in the film's density and color are corrected (timed) to the filmmakers' tastes. Interpositive (IP) prints are struck from the OCN, checked to make sure they look the same as the custom timed Answer Print, and then each IP
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3744-423: Is fed through the projector horizontally, and the film is drawn from the inner circumference of the platter, not from the outer circumference like in conventional film reels. A system is in place to keep the film in the outer circumference from flying outwards due to centrifugal force while the platter is spinning. IMAX film is shipped to theaters in several small reels that are spliced into one continuous length that
3861-691: Is less than half. Due to protests, the City of Spokane officials decided to work with the IMAX Corporation to demolish the theatre, under the condition they renovate the former US Pavilion itself into IMAX's first permanent outdoor giant-screen theatre. The plan was to use material on the inside of the structure similar to that used when first constructed. However, it was expected to last only five years, due to weather conditions destroying previous materials. Concept art has been released in videos featured on Spokane's renovation site, and its budget revealed that seating
3978-669: Is meaningful because we created Hollywood blockbuster CG work for ScreenX.” Films were initially shown only in selected locations due to the lack of partners at the time. On December 13, 2019, the world's largest ScreenX auditorium was inaugurated at the Màgic Badalona shopping centre in Badalona , Spain . It has a capacity of 398 seats. India got its first ScreenX in July 2019 at INOX Megaplex at Mumbai , Maharashtra. Ultra 4DX (formerly 4DX with ScreenX from 2017 to 2019, and 4DX Screen until 2024)
4095-414: Is over 178 cm (5.8 ft) tall and 195 cm (6.4 ft) long. The projector is raised and locked into position before each screening. IMAX Corporation has released four projector types that use its 15-perforation, 70 mm film format: GT (Grand Theatre), GT 3D (dual rotor), SR (Small Rotor), and MPX , which was designed for retrofitted theatres. In July 2008, the company introduced
4212-632: Is planned for more than 2,000. The first permanent IMAX Dome installation, the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Dome Theatre at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center , opened in San Diego 's Balboa Park in 1973. It doubles as a planetarium theater. The first permanent IMAX 3D theatre was built in Vancouver , British Columbia, for Transitions at Expo '86 , and was in use until September 30, 2009. It
4329-473: Is rated 250D/200T, since the tungsten light will give slightly less exposure than an equivalent amount of daylight. A fundamental limitation of film stock as a recording medium is that it reacts to light, but not sound. This is why the first films were literally silent (and exhibitors often provided live musical accompaniment to compensate). Sound films later became possible after engineers developed techniques like sound-on-disc to synchronize playback of
4446-573: Is the combination of 4DX and ScreenX film formats which presents films in a multi-screen auditorium with enhanced motion and environmental effects, with an additional fourth-screen projected on the ceiling and the newest 4DX chair models. It debuted in Yongsan in 2017, and was internationally unveiled at CinemaCon 2018, and later at CES 2020 . The combined film format is currently operating throughout Asian territories including South Korea , Japan , China and India . It later opened its first theater in
4563-623: Is then wound into a platter, a process that may take hours to complete. Films may be several kilometers in length: Avatar , which was 2:45 hours in duration, was close to 16 km (9.9 mi) long. Platters are handled using special forklifts. IMAX platters range from 1.2 to 1.83 m (3.9 to 6.0 ft) diameter to accommodate 1 to 2.75 hours of film. Platters with a 2.5 hour feature film weigh 250 kg (550 lb). IMAX uses ESTAR-based print film in their 15/70 rolling-loop film projection systems. ESTAR-based print film provides greater precision. The chemical development process does not change
4680-402: Is used to display the image for each eye, while 2D presentations use the superimposed images to allow for a brighter 75 cd/m image. The Digital IMAX projection system includes a proprietary IMAX Image Enhancer that modifies the output of the digital media server based on feedback from cameras and microphones in the auditorium, and maintains alignment with sub-pixel accuracy. Mainly because
4797-505: Is used to make one or more Dupe Negative (DN) copies. The release prints are then generated from the DN(s). Recently, with the development of digital intermediate (DI), it has become possible to completely edit, composite visual effects, and color grade the image digitally at full resolution and bit-depth. In this workflow, the answer print is generated digitally and then written out to the IP stage using
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4914-469: Is why the decay process in the archival community is known as " vinegar syndrome ". Modern polyester-based stocks are far more stable by comparison and are rated to last hundreds of years if stored properly. The distinction between camera stocks and print stocks involves a difference in the recording process. When the work print or edit master has been approved, the Original Camera Negative (OCN)
5031-453: Is wound with regard to perforations and base or emulsion side, as well as whether it is packaged around a core, a daylight spool, or within a cartridge. Depending on the manufacturing processes and camera equipment, lengths can vary anywhere from 25 to 2000 feet. Common lengths include 25 feet for 8 mm, 50 feet for Super 8 , 100 and 400 feet for 16 mm, 400 and 1000 feet for 35 mm, and 1000 for 65/70 mm. A critical property of
5148-514: The Cinerama process in the mid-1950s. By the early 1990s, a separate DTS -based 6-track digital sound system was used, similarly locked to the projector by a SMPTE time code synchronization apparatus, the audio played off a series of proprietarily encoded CD-ROM discs. In the late 1990s, IMAX upgraded this system to use a hard drive that carries a single uncompressed audio file. These are converted directly to analogue rather than processed through
5265-674: The Cinesphere theatre at Ontario Place in Toronto. It debuted in May 1971, showing the film North of Superior . The installation remained in place during Ontario Place's hiatus for redevelopment. The Cinesphere was renovated while Ontario Place was closed and re-opened on November 3, 2017, with IMAX 70 mm and IMAX with laser illumination. During Expo '74 in Spokane, Washington , an IMAX screen that measured 27 by 20 metres (89 ft × 66 ft)
5382-514: The Digital Cinema Initiatives spec, a contrast ratio "double" that of IMAX 15/70 mm film projection and "higher" than the 2,500:1 contrast ratio of IMAX's xenon lamp-based projection systems, and displaying the full Rec. 2020 color gamut. The system also features a new 12-channel surround sound system, which adds an additional speaker on either side of the theater as well as four new overhead speakers. While still not matching
5499-582: The Lumière Brothers . By 1896, the new movie projector required a fully transparent film base that Blair's American operation could not supply. Eastman shortly thereafter bought the company out and became the leading supplier of film stock. Louis Lumière worked with Victor Planchon to adapt the Lumière "Blue Label" (Etiquette Bleue) photographic plate emulsion for use on celluloid roll film, which began in early 1896. Eastman's first motion picture film stock
5616-538: The Motion Picture Patents Trust agreed to what would become the standard: 35 mm gauge, with Edison perforations and a 1.33 aspect ratio . Agfa began to produce motion picture film in 1913, but remained a largely local supplier until World War I boycotts of popular French, American and Italian film stocks allowed the UFA film studio to flourish, boosting Agfa's orders. All film stocks were manufactured on
5733-669: The linear polarization glasses used in Digital IMAX theaters. On April 24, 2018, IMAX announced that they would begin rolling out a new single-unit version of their laser projector system later that year, with this iteration designed to replace the IMAX Xenon digital projection system for 1.89:1 screens. IMAX theatres are described as either "Classic Design" (purpose-built structures), or "Multiplex Design" (retrofitted auditoriums). Classic IMAX theatre construction differs significantly from conventional theatres. The increased resolution lets
5850-683: The 1.43:1 ratio format being available only in few selected locations. Graeme Ferguson , Roman Kroitor , Robert Kerr , and William C. Shaw were the co-founders of what would be named the IMAX Corporation (founded in September 1967 as Multiscreen Corporation, Ltd.), and they developed the first IMAX cinema projection standards in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Canada . IMAX GT is the premium large format. The digital format uses dual laser projectors, which can show 1.43 digital content when combined with
5967-445: The 1880s were performed using a fragile paper roll film, with which it was difficult to view a single, continuously moving image without a complex apparatus. The first transparent and flexible film base material was celluloid , which was discovered and refined for photographic use by John Carbutt , Hannibal Goodwin , and George Eastman . Eastman Kodak made celluloid film commercially available in 1889; Thomas Henry Blair, in 1891,
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#17330862470166084-445: The 2000s) continue to call it "Omnimax". IMAX Dome theatres are used in theme parks and many North American museums, particularly those with a scientific focus, where the technical aspects of the system may be highlighted as part of the attraction. The projection room is often windowed to allow public viewing of the equipment in operation, and it is often accompanied by informational placards like other exhibits. For some theaters, before
6201-539: The ASA which they recommend exposing for. However, factors such as forced or non-standard development (such as bleach bypass or cross processing ), compensation for filters or shutter angle , as well as intended under- and over-exposure may cause the cinematographer to actually "rate" the stock differently from the EI. This new rating is not a change to the stock itself — it is merely a way of calculating exposure without figuring out
6318-470: The Arri Alexa IMAX on Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). For Transformers: The Last Knight , two ARRI Alexa IMAX cameras were combined in a rig to provide native 3D, with the film containing 98% of IMAX footage. In September 2020, IMAX launched the "Filmed for IMAX" program, which certifies high-quality digital cameras that can be used to create IMAX-format films. As
6435-770: The Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (shot with the Sony CineAlta Venice), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (shot with the Red V-Raptor), The Marvels (shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF) and Dune: Part Two (shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF). The IMAX format is generically called "15/70" film, the name referring to the 15 sprocket holes or perforations per frame. The film's bulk and weight require horizontal platters, rather than conventional vertically mounted film reels. IMAX film
6552-845: The Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre at Discovery Place , Charlotte, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama's McWane Science Center ; US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama; the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal ; the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio; the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto, Ontario; and Science World in Vancouver, British Columbia. Alternatively,
6669-950: The Chocolate Factory at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry . The largest screen in North America is at the Science World in Vancouver, British Columbia, which has a dome screen 27 metres (89 ft) in size. Due to the age of the IMAX Dome format as well as its entirely analogue nature, some theatres may opt to replace their existing IMAX Dome systems with newer, more versatile digital systems. Examples of former IMAX Dome theatres that have had their IMAX equipment replaced with newer equipment include Tietomaa Science Centre in Oulu , Finland (which replaced its IMAX 8/70 equipment from 1988 with
6786-436: The IMAX movie camera, 15 perforations at a time. At 24 frames per second, this means that the film moves through the camera at 102.7 meters (337 ft) per minute (just over 6 km/h). In a conventional 65 mm camera, the film passes vertically through the camera, five perforations at a time, or 34 meters (112 ft) per minute. In comparison, in a conventional 35 mm camera, 35 mm film passes vertically through
6903-809: The Leonberg IMAX opened in 2021, the largest operating IMAX screen was in IMAX Melbourne , located within the Melbourne Museum in Melbourne , Australia, measuring 32 m × 23 m (105 ft × 75 ft). Until its demolition in 2016, the world's largest IMAX screen had been in IMAX Sydney in Darling Harbour , Sydney , Australia, measuring 35.72 m × 29.57 m (117.2 ft × 97.0 ft). It reopened on 12 October 2023, with
7020-734: The Red Ranger Monstro and Komodo), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF), The Battle at Lake Changjin and The Battle at Lake Changjin II (shot with the Red Ranger Monstro), Eternals (shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (shot with Panavision Millennium DXL2), Thor: Love and Thunder (shot with
7137-489: The audience be much closer to the screen. Typically all rows are within one screen height – conventional theatre seating runs 8 to 12-screen heights. Also, the rows of seats are set at a steep angle (up to 30° in some domed theatres) so that the audience is facing the screen directly. The world's largest IMAX screen currently stands in Leonberg near Stuttgart , Germany and measures 38 by 22 m (125 by 72 ft). Until
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#17330862470167254-536: The camera, at four (smaller) perforations at a time, which translates to 27.4 meters (90 ft) per minute. In the Todd-AO 70 mm-format of widescreen cinema, the image area of a 65 mm film-frame is 48.5 mm × 22.1 mm (1.91 in × 0.87 in); in the IMAX-format of widescreen cinema, the film-frame dimensions are 69.6 mm × 48.5 mm (2.74 in × 1.91 in). To match
7371-449: The commonality of Edison's and Lumière's cameras . Consumers usually purchased unperforated film and had to punch it by perforators that were often imprecise, causing difficulty in making prints for the opposite perforation format. In 1908, the perforators began to be made by Bell and Howell . Eastman Kodak used the Bell and Howell machine to perforate its films. In 1909, Edison's organization of
7488-417: The company was] September 1967. ... [The name change] came a year or two later. We first called the company Multiscreen Corporation because that, in fact, was what people knew us as. ... After about a year, our attorney informed us that we could never copyright or trademark Multivision. It was too generic. It was a descriptive word. The words that you can copyright are words like Kleenex or Xerox or Coca-Cola. If
7605-764: The compensation after each light reading. Another important quality of color film stock in particular is its color balance , which is defined by the color temperature at which it accurately records white. Tungsten lighting is defined at 3200 K, which is considered "warmer" in tone and shifted towards orange; daylight is defined at 5600 K, which is considered "colder" and shifted towards blue. This means that unfiltered tungsten stock will look normal shot under tungsten lights, but blue if shot during daylight. Conversely, daylight stock shot in daylight will look normal, but orange if shot under tungsten lights. Color temperature issues such as these can be compensated for by other factors such as lens filters and color gels placed in front of
7722-430: The corners of the projected frame to ensure perfect alignment. Shaw added cam -controlled arms to decelerate each frame to eliminate the microscopic shaking as the frame "settled" onto the registration pins. The projector's shutter is open around 20% longer than in conventional equipment, and the light source is brighter. The xenon short-arc lamps are made with a thin envelope of fused quartz and contain xenon gas at
7839-444: The crystals determine the sensitivity, contrast and resolution of the film. The emulsion will gradually darken if left exposed to light, but the process is too slow and incomplete to be of any practical use. Instead, a very short exposure to the image formed by a camera lens is used to produce only a very slight chemical change, proportional to the amount of light absorbed by each crystal. This creates an invisible latent image in
7956-662: The derogatory name "LieMAX", particularly because the company still marketed the new screens similarly to the old ones, without making the major differences clear to the public, going so far as to market the smallest "IMAX" screen, having 10 times less area, similarly to the largest while persisting with the same brand name. Since 2002, some feature films have been converted into IMAX format for displaying in IMAX theatres, and some have also been (partially) shot in IMAX. By late 2017, 1,302 IMAX theatre systems were installed in 1,203 commercial multiplexes, 13 commercial destinations, and 86 institutional settings in 75 countries, with less than
8073-667: The dome may be lowered and raised as needed, such as at the Science Museum of Minnesota , and the former installation at the Canadian Museum of History (where it shared an auditorium with a standard IMAX screen, all replaced with a Barco CINE+ digital theatre system in 2016). The entire dome could be raised to show flat-screen features, and repositioned for immersive features. While the majority of museum installations focus on educational and documentary films, on special occasions entertainment films are also shown, such as Charlie and
8190-683: The dye clouds formed are also in proportion to the exposure and development. Following development, the silver is converted back to silver salts in the bleach step . It is removed from the film in the fix step and is sometimes recovered for subsequent use or sale. Fixing leaves behind only the formed color dyes, which combine to make up the colored visible image. Later color films, like Kodacolor II , have as many as 12 emulsion layers, with upwards of 20 different chemicals in each layer. Photographic film and film stock tend to be similar in composition and speed, but often not in other parameters such as frame size and length. Early motion picture experiments in
8307-471: The emulsion, retaining a large market share. Lumière reformulated its stock to match the speed of Eastman film, naming it 'Etiquette Violette' (Violet Label). Blair sold his English company to Pathé in 1907 and retired to the US. Pathé began to supplement its operation in 1910 by purchasing film prints, stripping the emulsion from the film base and re-coating it. 35mm film began to become the dominant gauge because of
8424-431: The emulsion, which can be chemically developed into a visible photograph . In addition to visible light, all films are sensitive to X-rays and high-energy particles . Most are at least slightly sensitive to invisible ultraviolet (UV) light. Some special-purpose films are sensitive into the infrared (IR) region of the spectrum . In black-and-white photographic film there is usually one layer of silver salts. When
8541-643: The end of 2007 to over 1,000 screens by the end of 2015. As of September 2017 , there were 1,302 IMAX theatres located in 75 countries, of which 1,203 were in commercial multiplexes. The switch to digital projection came at a steep cost in image quality, with 2K projectors having roughly an order of magnitude less resolution than traditional IMAX film projectors. Maintaining the same 7-story screen size would only make this loss more noticeable, so many new theaters were instead built with significantly smaller screens. These newer theaters with much lower resolution and much smaller screens soon began to be referred to by
8658-458: The existing cameras. The Wall Street Journal revealed that the new cameras will be made out of carbon fiber and titanium, and they will feature a five inch color display along with wireless capability. In 2011, IMAX announced a 4K 3D digital camera. The camera was developed alongside Vision Research and AbelCine, integrating two Phantom 65 engines. A prototype camera was used for the documentary Born to be Wild , in which approximately 10% of
8775-407: The expensive three-strip Technicolor process and Monopack. There are several variables in classifying stocks; in practice, one orders raw stock by a code number, based on desired sensitivity to light. A piece of film consists of a light-sensitive emulsion applied to a tough, transparent base , sometimes attached to anti-halation backing or "rem-jet" layer (now only on camera films). Originally
8892-415: The exposed grains are developed, the silver salts are converted to metallic silver, which blocks light and appears as the black part of the film negative . Color film has at least three sensitive layers. Dyes, which adsorb to the surface of the silver salts, make the crystals sensitive to different colors. Typically the blue-sensitive layer is on top, followed by the green and red layers. During development,
9009-415: The exposed silver salts are converted to metallic silver, just as with black-and-white film. But in a color film, the by-products of the development reaction simultaneously combine with chemicals known as color couplers that are included either in the film itself or in the developer solution to form colored dyes. Because the by-products are created in direct proportion to the amount of exposure and development,
9126-430: The film into contact with this lens. Thus the " field flattener " flattens the image field. The lens is twice the height of the film and connects to a pneumatic piston so it can be moved up or down while the projector is running. This way, if a piece of dust comes off the film and sticks to the lens, the projectionist can switch to a clean portion of the lens at the push of a button. The lens also has "wiper bars" made of
9243-423: The film, owners of home-made films often find that their film can become shrunken and brittle to the point where the film is unwatchable in the space of a few years. In general, decaying acetate film breaks down into acetic acid , and similar to celluloid decomposition, leads to an auto-catylictic breakdown of the base that cannot be reversed. The result of the acetic acid released is a strong odor of vinegar , which
9360-539: The film. A feature film platter can cost US$ 36,000 to print. The camera negative is actually 65 mm film stock, but it runs horizontally and with 15 perforations per frame. The camera, like the projector, has a vacuum system; this makes the camera noisy, forbidding the sync-sound recording of quiet scenes. The camera has enough film for three minutes of shooting. The large frame of the film also imposes optical limitations such as an extremely shallow depth of field when shooting with an open aperture. To use more of
9477-507: The film. A resin backing was used on the film, which rendered the film too opaque to allow focusing through the back of the film, a common technique for many cameras of that era. The X-back stock was popular on the east coast of the US. Other manufacturers were established in the 1920s, including American E.I. Dupont de Nemours in 1926 and Belgian Gevaert in 1925. Panchromatic film stock became more common. Created in 1913 for use in early color film processes such as Kinemacolor , panchromatic
9594-409: The finished film was shot with the system. The company has said they have no intention of replacing the higher resolution film cameras with the new digital camera, but the latter can be used in scenes that require a lightweight or relatively small 3D camera. While IMAX has completed the production camera and has placed it in service on several films, they have no plans to produce an IMAX film solely with
9711-572: The first installation occurring at the Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto . The system allows digital projection of the 1.43:1 aspect ratio surface of a traditional IMAX screen, but can also be used on other screens such as the 1.90:1-aspect-ratio TCL Chinese Theater . The system replaces the xenon arc lamp of a traditional digital projector with a laser light source, and is capable of 60 fps with "50 percent greater" brightness than
9828-455: The following years. To reduce costs, the IMAX SR and MPX systems were introduced in 1998 and 2004, respectively, to make IMAX available to multiplex and existing theaters. The SR system featured slightly smaller screens than GT theatres, though still in purpose-built auditoriums with a 1.43:1 aspect ratio. The MPX projectors were solely used to retrofit existing multiplex auditoriums, losing much of
9945-405: The frame, and most of the bottom half of the circular field falls beyond the edge of the film. The part of the field that would fall below the edge of the dome is masked. When filming, the camera is aimed upward at an angle that matches the tilt of the dome. When projected through a matching fisheye lens onto a dome, the original panoramic view is recreated. Omnimax wraps 180° horizontally, 100° above
10062-491: The highly flammable cellulose nitrate was used. In the 1930s, film manufacturers introduced " safety film " with a cellulose triacetate plastic base. All amateur film stocks were safety film, but the use of nitrate persisted for professional releases. Kodak discontinued the manufacture of nitrate base in 1951, and the industry transitioned entirely to safety film in 1951 in the United States and by 1955 internationally. Since
10179-566: The horizon and 22° below the horizon for a viewer at the center of the dome. Omnimax premiered in 1973, showing Voyage to the Outer Planets (produced by Graphic Films) and Garden Isle (by Roger Tilton Films) on a double bill. Later in the 70s a successful Omnimax center was built at Caesars Palace , Las Vegas , and ran strongly through the 80s and 90s, eventually being closed and rebuilt. IMAX has since renamed its Omnimax system "IMAX Dome", but some theaters (primarily those opened before
10296-610: The image again, producing a final positive image. Creating a positive image from a negative film can also be done by scanning the negative to create a computer file which can then be reversed by software . Different emulsions and development processes exist for a variety of image recording possibilities: the two most common of which are black and white, and color. However, there are also variant types, such as infrared film (in black and white or false color ); specialist technical films, such as those used for X-rays ; and obsolete processes, such as orthochromatic film. Generally, however,
10413-467: The image area, IMAX film does not include an embedded soundtrack. Instead, the IMAX system specifies a separate six-channel 35 mm (1.4 in) magnetic film, recorded and played back on a film follower locked to picture, just as Vitaphone had been (utilizing 16-inch 33 1/3 RPM electrical transcription discs ) in the early 20th century, and was the same technology used to provide the 7-channel soundtrack accompanying films photographed and exhibited in
10530-408: The improvements were in granularity and sharpness. Film stock manufacturers began to diversify their products. Each manufacturer had previously offered one negative stock (usually orthochromatic) and one print stock. In 1920, a variant of Type F film known as X-back was introduced to counteract the effects of static electricity on the film, which can cause sparking and create odd exposure patterns on
10647-438: The large area of a dome screen. The single-projector/single-camera system they eventually settled upon was designed and built by Shaw based upon a novel "Rolling Loop" film-transport technology purchased from Peter Ronald Wright Jones, a machine shop worker from Brisbane, Australia. Film projectors do not continuously flow the film in front of the bulb, but instead "stutter" the film travel so that each frame can be illuminated in
10764-485: The late 1990s, almost all release prints have used polyester film stock. The emulsion consists of silver halide grains suspended in a gelatin colloid; in the case of color film, there are three layers of silver halide, which are mixed with color couplers and interlayers that filter specific light spectra. These end up creating yellow, cyan , and magenta layers in the negative after development. Development chemicals applied to an appropriate film can produce either
10881-584: The late 19th century, but practical color film was not commercially viable until 1908, and for amateur use when Kodak introduced Kodachrome for 16 mm in 1935 and 8 mm in 1936. Commercially successful color processes used special cameras loaded with black-and-white separation stocks rather than color negative. Kinemacolor (1908–1914), Technicolor processes 1 through 4 (1917–1954), and Cinecolor used one, two or three strips of monochrome film stock sensitized to certain primary colors or exposed behind color filters in special cameras. Technicolor introduced
10998-492: The lights. The color temperature of a film stock is generally indicated next to the film speed number — e.g. 500T stock is color film stock with an ASA of 500 and balanced for tungsten light; 250D would have an ASA of 250 and be balanced for daylight. While black-and-white film has no color temperature itself, the silver halide grains themselves tend to be slightly more responsive to blue light, and therefore will have daylight and tungsten speeds — e.g. Kodak's Double-X stock
11115-432: The major American film studios returned to using nitrate stock. More amateur formats began to use acetate-based film, and several, including Kodak's own 16 mm format, were designed specifically to be manufactured with safety base. Kodak released Cine Negative Film Type E in 1916 and Type F (later known as Negative Film Par Speed Type 1201) in 1917. As both of these orthochromatic films were no faster than previous offerings,
11232-463: The name is descriptive, you can't trademark it so you have to make up a word. So we were sitting at lunch one day in a Hungarian restaurant in Montreal and we worked out a name on a placemat on which we wrote all the possible names we could think of. We kept working with the idea of maximum image. We turned it around and came up with IMAX. The name change actually happened more than two years later, because
11349-538: The new digital system. Transformers: Age of Extinction is the first feature film partially filmed with the Phantom 65 IMAX 3D camera. In 2015, IMAX announced a 2D digital camera that was developed alongside Arri , the camera being based on the latter company's Arri Alexa 65 technology. The first production to use the camera was Captain America: Civil War . The Russo brothers have stated that they solely used
11466-581: The quality of the GT experience. Later came the introduction of the IMAX Digital 2K and IMAX with Laser 4K in 2008 and 2014 respectively, still limited in respect to the 70 megapixels of equivalent resolution of the original 15/70 film. Both technologies are purely digital and suitable to retrofit existing theaters. Since 2018, the Laser system has been employed to retrofit full dome installations, with limited results due to
11583-540: The release of The Dark Knight Rises in July 2012. In April 2012, IMAX began testing a new 4K laser projection system, based on patents licensed from Eastman Kodak . Like the 3D film and digital systems, it used two projectors, but it improved over the smaller digital screens by retaining the traditional IMAX aspect ratio and let films be shown on screens 36 m (118 ft) wide or more. In December 2014, IMAX began rolling out its new dual 4K laser projector system, dubbed "IMAX with Laser" and known as IMAX GT, with
11700-432: The scope of certified cameras expands, it will be easier for filmmakers to create films to meet the projection needs of the IMAX giant screen theater. Top Gun: Maverick (shot with the Sony CineAlta Venice) and Dune (shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF) were among the first films that used IMAX-certified cameras. Other films between 2021 and 2023 that captured with this program are The Suicide Squad (shot with
11817-751: The show begins, the screen can be backlit to show the speakers and girders behind it. The screen may be a permanent fixture, such as at the Museum of Science and Industry ( Henry Crown Space Center ) in Chicago, Illinois; the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History ; the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the St. Louis Science Center ; Boston's Museum of Science ; Richmond's Science Museum of Virginia ;
11934-500: The size or shape of ESTAR print film, and IMAX's pin registration system ( especially that of the camera mechanism ) does not tolerate either sprocket -hole or film-thickness variations, but the film can still swell or shrink under varying temperature and humidity. This requires projection booths to be kept at a temperature of between 20 and 23.8 °C and a humidity of 50%. The film is too large to be moved using its sprockets, so they are instead used for registration, to aid in aligning
12051-416: The sound mix engineers to take advantage of the screen's greater height. Transporting the large film stock through the optical system presented challenges for both the camera and the projector. Conventional 70 mm systems were not steady enough for the 586× magnification. On the projector side, William Shaw adapted an Australian patent (no. 291,375) for film transport called the "rolling loop" by adding
12168-427: The standard image resolution of the moving image produced with the film-speed of 24 frames per second , an IMAX film requires three times the length of (negative) film stock required for a 65 mm film of comparable scope and cinematic technique . In March 2022, IMAX announced a new initiative in cooperation with Kodak , Panavision , and FotoKem to develop "a new fleet of next generation IMAX film cameras", with
12285-485: The system facilitates inexpensive distribution of IMAX features, the company announced in February 2012 that they were renovating specially selected locations around the world to present both 70 mm analog as well as digital presentations. To do so, IMAX developed a rail system that moves the projectors in and out to accommodate either a full-frame film print or a digital-only release. These theaters were prepared in time for
12402-458: The theoretical resolution of traditional IMAX film, which is estimated at up to 12,000 lines of horizontal resolution on the 65 mm camera negative (12K) and approximately 6,000 on a 35 mm release print (6K), the new laser system features dual- 4K resolution projectors, each capable of displaying four times the detail of one Digital IMAX projector. Like Digital IMAX, images from the two projectors are projected superimposed on each other with
12519-400: The vast majority of stock used today is "normal" (visible spectrum) color, although "normal" black and white also commands a significant minority percentage. Film is also classified according to its gauge and the arrangement of its perforations — gauges range from 8 mm to 70 mm or more, while perforations may vary in shape, pitch, and positioning. The film is also distinguished by how it
12636-448: The year through films released in the panoramic format. In 2022, ScreenX has achieved even more box office success, with Top Gun: Maverick as the highest-grossing release. IMAX IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras , film formats , film projectors , and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1 ) and steep stadium seating , with
12753-550: Was featured in the US Pavilion (the largest structure in the expo). It became the first IMAX Theatre to not be partnered with any other brand of movie theatres. About five million visitors viewed the screen, which covered the viewer's total visual field when looking directly forward. This created a sensation of motion in most viewers, and motion sickness in some. Another IMAX 3D theatre was also built in Spokane; however, its screen size
12870-494: Was first used in a black-and-white film for exterior sequences in Queen of the Sea (1918) and originally available as a special order product. The stock's increased sensitivity to red light made it an attractive option for day for night shooting. Kodak financed a feature in 1922, shot entirely with panchromatic stock, The Headless Horseman , to promote the film when Kodak introduced it as
12987-721: Was his first competitor. The stock had a frosted base to facilitate easier viewing by transmitted light. Emulsions were orthochromatic . By November 1891 William Dickson , at Edison 's laboratory, was using Blair's stock for Kinetoscope experiments. Blair's company supplied film to Edison for five years. Between 1892 and 1893, Eastman experienced problems with production. Because of patent lawsuits in 1893, Blair left his American company and established another in Britain. Eastman became Edison's supplier of film. Blair's new company supplied European filmmaking pioneers, including Birt Acres , Robert Paul , George Albert Smith , Charles Urban , and
13104-415: Was located at the tip of Canada Place , a Vancouver landmark. In 2008, IMAX extended its brand into traditional theaters with the introduction of Digital IMAX, a lower-cost system that uses two 2K digital projectors to project on a 1.90:1 aspect ratio screen. This lower-cost option, which allowed for the conversion of existing multiplex theater auditoriums, helped IMAX to grow from 299 screens worldwide at
13221-604: Was offered in 1889. At first the film was the same as photographic film. By 1916, separate "Cine Type" films were offered. From 1895, Eastman supplied their motion picture roll film in rolls of 65 feet, while Blair's rolls were 75 feet. If longer lengths were needed, the unexposed negative rolls could be cemented in a darkroom , but this was largely undesirable by most narrative filmmakers. The makers of Actuality films were much more eager to undertake this method, however, in order to depict longer actions. They created cemented rolls as long as 1,000 feet. American Mutoscope and Biograph
13338-450: Was the first known company to use such film for the Jeffries - Sharkey fight on 3 November 1899. As the quantity of film and filmmakers grew, the demand for standardization increased. Between 1900 and 1910, film formats gradually became standardized and film stocks improved. A number of film gauges were made. Eastman increased the length of rolls to 200 feet without major adjustments to
13455-513: Was the largest IMAX Dome/OMNIMAX theatre in the world) with an Evans & Sutherland Digistar 6 "True8K" digital system in 2017. In November 2018, the Hackworth IMAX dome in The Tech Museum (now The Tech Interactive ) replaced its 70 mm IMAX projector with a 4K IMAX Laser projector. It became the first digital IMAX Laser dome theater in the world. Film stock Film stock
13572-405: Was three times longer, and so Jones's invention was necessary for the novel IMAX projector method with its horizontal film feed. As it became clear that a single, large-screen image had more impact than multiple smaller ones and was a more viable product direction, Multiscreen changed its name to IMAX. Co-founder Graeme Ferguson explained how the name IMAX originated: ... the incorporation date [of
13689-485: Was unsuitable for use inside a dome because it had a 3.65 m (12.0 ft) tall lamp house on top. IMAX Corporation redesigned its system, adding an elevator to lift the projector to the center of the dome from the projection booth below. Spectra Physics designed a suitable lamphouse that took smaller, 46 cm (18 in) lamps and placed the bulb behind the lens instead of above the projector. In 1970, Ernst Leitz Canada, Ltd. (now ELCAN Optical Technologies ) won
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