Large Format/"Premium" Theaters (IMAX 15/70, Digital IMAX, XD, ETX, RPX, etc.)

[benji888578]

Originally Posted by Eric The Duke

I just saw Thriller 3D in IMAX and it was amazing! I saw it at the Airbus IMAX so it wasn't the smaller digital IMAX but the true IMAX screen. I have to say that the film was cropped on the sides to make it fill the entire 1.44 AR screen. I usually don't like when there is cropping, but for some reason it didn't matter to me this time. I'm kind of curious to see this at a digital IMAX screen to see what the aspect ratio is.

Uh, Thriller, while certainly shot on film, was framed for the 1.33 AR TV screen, so, it surely was not cropped on the sides.

From the tease, it looks to me to be 1.33 AR

Michael Jackson's Thriller IMAX® Tease - YouTube

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by benji888578

Uh, Thriller, while certainly shot on film, was framed for the 1.33 AR TV screen, so, it surely was not cropped on the sides.

From the tease, it looks to me to be 1.33 AR

No, they reframed it (either cropping or with a expanded wider image, I suspect the former) for 1.43. But that's for laser locations, I'm guessing digital sites use pillarboxing and keep 1.33 AR since there it would require a much bigger crop to fill the screen.

[CelluloidPal]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

No, they reframed it (either cropping or with a expanded wider image, I suspect the former) for 1.43. But that's for laser locations, I'm guessing digital sites use pillarboxing and keep 1.33 AR since there it would require a much bigger crop to fill the screen.

I saw it in Laser IMAX and it did fill the entire screen. BTW, was this released in theaters back then as well because it had the MPAA rating card afterwards.

[Poya]

You think we’ll ever see more music videos released in IMAX soon? Maybe Hello by Adele or Stan by Eminem?

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Poya

You think we’ll ever see more music videos released in IMAX soon? Maybe Hello by Adele or Stan by Eminem?

http://www.thefader.com/2016/06/29/r...mer-video-imax

They did it before with a Rihanna music video playing with Legend of Tarzan

[filmbuffTX]

Is there a good list somewhere of “true IMAX” screens vs. the smaller ones (”LieMax”)?

The IMAX I normally go to is at a 20 year old AMC with a huge screen and traditional non upgraded seats.

Last month I wanted to see Pandas in IMAX 3D and my location wasn’t playing it so I went to newly upgraded AMC that is all leather recliners. Well, I could tell this screen wasn’t as tall as my normal IMAX screen. It looked more like a Dolby Cinema screen.

I’m old enough to remember when IMAX was just science and nature documentaries at museum sites.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by filmbuffTX

Is there a good list somewhere of “true IMAX” screens vs. the smaller ones (”LieMax”)?

The IMAX I normally go to is at a 20 year old AMC with a huge screen and traditional non upgraded seats.

Last month I wanted to see Pandas in IMAX 3D and my location wasn’t playing it so I went to newly upgraded AMC that is all leather recliners. Well, I could tell this screen wasn’t as tall as my normal IMAX screen. It looked more like a Dolby Cinema screen.

I’m old enough to remember when IMAX was just science and nature documentaries at museum sites.

This list should give an idea (basically theaters showing Dunkirk in laser and 15/70 should be the majority of huge IMAX screens).

https://www.imax.com/news/experience...and-imax-laser

They are also starting to develop laser projection for smaller multiplex screens, though at least as of last year I think all laser theaters needed to be 80 feet wide or more

[filmbuffTX]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

This list should give an idea (basically theaters showing Dunkirk in laser and 15/70 should be the majority of huge IMAX screens).

https://www.imax.com/news/experience...and-imax-laser

They are also starting to develop laser projection for smaller multiplex screens, though at least as of last year I think all laser theaters needed to be 80 feet wide or more

Ah I see, so it’s pretty limited. Only a few in my state, but none in my metro area, even though we’re the biggest.

[benji888578]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

No, they reframed it (either cropping or with a expanded wider image, I suspect the former) for 1.43. But that's for laser locations, I'm guessing digital sites use pillarboxing and keep 1.33 AR since there it would require a much bigger crop to fill the screen.

Originally Posted by CelluloidPal

I saw it in Laser IMAX and it did fill the entire screen. BTW, was this released in theaters back then as well because it had the MPAA rating card afterwards.

IDK, cropping top & bottom seems like it would not work out so well. It was shot on 35mm film with spherical lenses, but, again, it was framed for 1980s 1.33:1 AR TV. It could have gone out to 1.37:1 without cropping if that area was not compromised with filming equipment or other things not meant to be seen in the framed area, then cropping top & bottom might be slightly less of a problem. ...I'm really not sure about this, but you say it filled the 1.43:1 AR to all four sides, so, .

As far as the MPAA rating goes, it went beyond genres, however, it fit in the "short film" category, and they did put it in a cinema to try and get an oscar nomination. It was along with Fantasia, (which is 1.37:1 a close AR, but, that's probably not the reason). This was the highest production quality for a music video up until that time, ($1mil. 1983 budget), perhaps others that came after were short film length and also had MPAA ratings, (I seem to recall this not being the only one with a rating). ...This was also before TV had a rating system in place.

[UFAlien]

Originally Posted by filmbuffTX

Is there a good list somewhere of “true IMAX” screens vs. the smaller ones (”LieMax”)?

How about a map?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cD...9A&usp=sharing

[filmbuffTX]

Originally Posted by UFAlien

How about a map?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cD...9A&usp=sharing

That's awesome, thanks! It even has all of the screen dimensions for each theater.

[Eric The Duke]

Originally Posted by benji888578

Uh, Thriller, while certainly shot on film, was framed for the 1.33 AR TV screen, so, it surely was not cropped on the sides.

From the tease, it looks to me to be 1.33 AR Michael Jackson's Thriller IMAX® Tease - YouTube

I'm by no means an expert, but if it was originally 1.33 and the screen I saw it on was 1.43, wouldn't it have to be cropped if it filled the entire screen?

[UFAlien]

Originally Posted by Eric The Duke

I'm by no means an expert, but if it was originally 1.33 and the screen I saw it on was 1.43, wouldn't it have to be cropped if it filled the entire screen?

Yeah, but it'd be cropped on the top and bottom, not the sides.

[antovolk]

First Man tickets are now widely on sale and lol at how IMAX are basically pretending the classic 1.43 doesn't exist. Only saying 'up to 26% more image' (difference is 40% on 1.43 screens) and not listing laser venues unlike the Dunkirk and TLJ ticket announcements

https://www.imax.com/news/First-Man-...h-IMAX-Cameras

[GLaDOS]

Originally Posted by antovolk

First Man tickets are now widely on sale and lol at how IMAX are basically pretending the classic 1.43 doesn't exist. Only saying 'up to 26% more image' (difference is 40% on 1.43 screens) and not listing laser venues unlike the Dunkirk and TLJ ticket announcements

https://www.imax.com/news/First-Man-...h-IMAX-Cameras

This really hurts. I can't believe they're going to abandon the aspect ratio they've associated themselves with the most. Even a giant 1.90:1 screen won't do much compared to a real 1.43:1 screen.

Damn you, IMAX.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by GLaDOS

This really hurts. I can't believe they're going to abandon the aspect ratio they've associated themselves with the most. Even a giant 1.90:1 screen won't do much compared to a real 1.43:1 screen.

Damn you, IMAX.

Well, I'm glad there is still 1.43 content like Thriller, but I think 1.43 is going to pretty much limited to museums and the current laser sites going forward. I don't think they have launch new laser sites in the US since the end of 2016, and with the new cheaper laser system they have developed, they may not do anymore.

The exciting thing is that it looks like the multiplex laser will be coming soon (IMAX always said the rollout would begin in 2018). I want to confirm, but it seems like AMC Empire 25 is installing that system right now (makes sense, the IMAX screen is currently closed for renovation, but they added new seats and 12 channel sound last year, so what else to add) and they plan on reopening with either Venom or First Man.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by GLaDOS

This really hurts. I can't believe they're going to abandon the aspect ratio they've associated themselves with the most. Even a giant 1.90:1 screen won't do much compared to a real 1.43:1 screen.

Damn you, IMAX.

That ratio was set in the 70s with TV being 1.33 and most films being 1.85
Now more and more event films are 2.39 (native with anamorphics) and nearly half the screen in an IMAX 1.44 venue is black bars.
The 1.90 screen locally is huge. I'm not a "fill my screen" type guy either. They're doing what makes sense these days.

[antovolk]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

That ratio was set in the 70s with TV being 1.33 and most films being 1.85
Now more and more event films are 2.39 (native with anamorphics) and nearly half the screen in an IMAX 1.44 venue is black bars.
The 1.90 screen locally is huge. I'm not a "fill my screen" type guy either. They're doing what makes sense these days.

Sure it does, and the 1.90 laser theatre here in London is my go-to for almost everything but when you get a 15/70 1.43:1 shot film like First Man...the height still makes all the difference really. Having the AR change isn't nearly as striking. If they're too far gone down the 1.90 path to officially abandon it, then sure - but then don't have movies being done at 1.43 then!

[ITDEFX101]

So.........Udvar or local regal digital imax for First Man?

[antovolk]

Originally Posted by ITDEFX101

So.........Udvar or local regal digital imax for First Man?

Udvar as that's laser and will show the moonwalk sequence (10 or so mins of the film in the final act) in full 1.43:1.

Despite IMAX's misleading marketing, laser venues with 1.43 should be showing that IMAX sequence properly, as the Cinesphere and Scotiabank did during TIFF.