What makes a movie in IMAX special? (2024)

FAQs

What makes IMAX movies special? ›

Because the size of the film is so large, Imax have designed special lenses that have enough coverage to be used with these cameras without vignetting. They are made from glass by Carl Zeiss which are rehoused and designed specially for Imax.

What to know: True IMAX is generally considered to be shot on IMAX cameras using specialized 70mm film (which allows for much higher resolution than for most movies), projected onto an enormous screen with an aspect ratio of 1.43:1 (far larger and more squarish than you're probably used to).

IMAX Laser provides better image quality with higher resolution. Depending on the type of Laser projector, it could either support full size image or LIEMAX image.

“True IMAX” doesn't have an official definition, but it's commonly understood to mean a movie that was shot on IMAX film and is being projected on IMAX film, in a theater that's a stadiumlike venue with a giant, squarish screen with an aspect ratio of 1.43:1.

We talked a lot about the quality, but what makes IMAX stand out is the projection. The standard uses 70 mm film run through the projector horizontally. This technique produces an area that is about 8.3 times as large as the 35mm film, and around 3.4 times as large as 70 mm film run through the projector vertically.

Most IMAX movie theatres use a high-powered laser light engine. Unlike the traditional xenon lamps, IMAX lasers have a twin 4K proprietary digital projectors to light the huge screen, thereby giving the sharpest, brightest, clearest and the most vivid screen images ever.

You're also literally seeing more of the movie thanks to the aspect ratio. Where most movie theater screens are 16:9, a widescreen format that tends to cut off the top and bottom of the frame, IMAX is 1.43:1, more closely representing a square that allows for a larger picture from top to bottom.

High-resolution screen

The massive screen is curved so you can view the movie without any obstruction, no matter where you're seated in the theater. The details in the picture are crystal clear and the colors are vivid, making it a feast for the eyes.

Image Quality and Resolution

The primary distinction of IMAX cameras lies in their ability to capture extremely high-resolution images. The 70mm film format provides a much larger area to capture images, leading to higher resolution and greater detail compared to standard 35mm film.

IMAX Enhanced content on Disney+ features an expanded aspect ratio of 1.90:1. This differs from most films where the picture appears wide but does not take up the full height of your screen.

How to tell if a theater has real IMAX? ›

A real IMAX theater is a large - format movie theater that features a screen that is at least 52 feet tall and 72 feet wide . It also uses a specialized projection system that produces a higher resolution and brighter image than traditional movie theaters .

Lincoln Square's IMAX screen is the largest one in the United States, occupying multiple floors of the building in which it resides.

Michigan has 2 of America's 19 true IMAX film theaters showing 'Oppenheimer'

Some IMAX theaters do use traditional 3D with smaller glasses, so you'll want to contact your local IMAX theaters to see whether they use the larger glasses or not. For many people who wear glasses, bigger truly is better. Forget about those cheap plastic glasses the theater provides you.

The aim of IMAX is immersion: they aim to fill your vision, including peripheral vision with picture and create an immersive experience. 4k is just a resolution of the traditional cinema wide-screen picture. 4k is adequate for big screen presentation, although 8k would be better.

Renowned director Christopher Nolan prefers to sit near the front, in the middle of the third row for cinemascope ratio, and slightly behind the center line for IMAX theaters. Experts suggest sitting in the center of the room, aligned with the screen, to centralize your field of vision and prevent strain.