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

[Poya]

Y'know, it's not always a great idea to shoot on large format. There are focus issues and lighting issues. You want deep focus? Tough luck. It kinda defeats the purpose of large format if a lot of it's in shallow focus. Natural lighting? Too bad. The speed of the film and the lens required won't capture it.

[Modren]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

[Show spoiler]

https://www.imax.com/news/oppenheimer-in-imax-70mm

Y'know, I understand IMAX has to sell people on the film prints, but it's kinda disingenuous to claim IMAX prints have "18k resolution" when that's really the max theoretical resolution of the negative, and the prints are inherently degraded even if they're only one step removed. And I have no idea how they got 6K from 35mm, or 12k from 70mm for that matter.

Originally Posted by Poya

Y'know, it's not always a great idea to shoot on large format. There are focus issues and lighting issues. You want deep focus? Tough luck. It kinda defeats the purpose of large format if a lot of it's in shallow focus. Natural lighting? Too bad. The speed of the film and the lens required won't capture it.

Clearly Nolan has made his peace with those limitations, considering this is the sixth time he's shot in that format.

[Fang Zei]

Only ten days to go until The Flash and AMC Georgetown still isn’t selling Imax tickets. Their Imax showtimes for Transformers also stop after opening weekend but are scheduled past that for the other formats.

Could they finally be upgrading to laser?

With the full-sized original Imax at Air & Space downtown still closed for the foreseeable future while they continue to renovate that side of the building, it sure would be nice if DC could finally have a location with the same tech for the first time in a little over three years, even if it’s a 45-foot LieMax.

[avs commenter]

I did Dbox for the first time last weekend for Spider verse.

I thought it would tilt more like a Disney ride, but it's really just closer to sitting on a giant subwoofer. There's times it works and adds to the experience and times when it doesn't. Overall, probably won't do again due to the high costs.

[Eric The Duke]

Originally Posted by Modren

Y'know, I understand IMAX has to sell people on the film prints, but it's kinda disingenuous to claim IMAX prints have "18k resolution" when that's really the max theoretical resolution of the negative, and the prints are inherently degraded even if they're only one step removed. And I have no idea how they got 6K from 35mm, or 12k from 70mm for that matter.

Clearly Nolan has made his peace with those limitations, considering this is the sixth time he's shot in that format.

That image posted is a fan made image. So whatever information it holds might not be something IMAX corporation is claiming.

[Fang Zei]

If we’re talking strictly about the resolution of the negative, Kodak claims they make film that can actually capture 6k worth of detail in 35mm.

Presumably that means Super 35, which gets you an image area almost 25mm wide. 65mm gives you an area a little over twice as wide, so that would be 12k/13k.

We can extrapolate from there based on the fact that 65mm is roughly 11 perforations wide and Imax is 15 perfs across, which gives you almost 18k worth of resolution.

Of course, I’d love to know the highest resolution at which an Imax negative has ever been scanned.

[MovieReviews331]

So there is a GTX (Georgia Theater Extreme) theater near where I live. The screen is about 60ft long by 30ft high. I spoke to the employees at the theater and it has 4K projection and Atmos Sound. Is anyone familiar with this format? How does it compare to Dolby Cinema?

Just for point of reference, I tend to enjoy IMAX laser vs Dolby Cinema presentations if given the choice.

[Captain Keen]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

If we’re talking strictly about the resolution of the negative, Kodak claims they make film that can actually capture 6k worth of detail in 35mm.

Presumably that means Super 35, which gets you an image area almost 25mm wide. 65mm gives you an area a little over twice as wide, so that would be 12k/13k.

We can extrapolate from there based on the fact that 65mm is roughly 11 perforations wide and Imax is 15 perfs across, which gives you almost 18k worth of resolution.

Of course, I’d love to know the highest resolution at which an Imax negative has ever been scanned.

Yeah, it's an interesting debate. I'm not sure where Kodak got that number. It sounds a bit like marketing hype to me. The simple truth is no film is at the actual negative resolution since dupes are made. And then with lenses, filming conditions, etc that can all degrade the image.

I think its safe to say that 35mm sees a noticeable improvement scanned at 4k vs. 2k. I think you could probably say the same for 65mm except 4k vs 8k. But IMAX 15 perf is very likely not actually 18k. But again, filming conditions, lenses, how many dupes are needed i.e. if there were optical effects, lighting, weather, can all affect this.

I find modern films shot and finished at 4K often have imagery of higher quality than typical 35mm and more approach 65mm, even though I'm sure Lawrence of Arabia or 2001 is better image quality if you stopped and compared images. Just look at Dune from 2021. That has higher quality higher resolution imagery than a typical 80s or 90s 35mm production. It looks like something shot on 65mm to my eyes.

Of course, that opens another can of worms: film stocks. 35mm (and 16mm and 65mm) have changed over the years too.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by MovieReviews331

So there is a GTX (Georgia Theater Extreme) theater near where I live. The screen is about 60ft long by 30ft high. I spoke to the employees at the theater and it has 4K projection and Atmos Sound. Is anyone familiar with this format? How does it compare to Dolby Cinema?

Unlikely the image is EDR or HDR.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

If we’re talking strictly about the resolution of the negative, Kodak claims they make film that can actually capture 6k worth of detail in 35mm.

Presumably that means Super 35, which gets you an image area almost 25mm wide. 65mm gives you an area a little over twice as wide, so that would be 12k/13k.

We can extrapolate from there based on the fact that 65mm is roughly 11 perforations wide and Imax is 15 perfs across, which gives you almost 18k worth of resolution.

Of course, I’d love to know the highest resolution at which an Imax negative has ever been scanned.

[unberechenbar]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Unlikely the image is EDR or HDR.

What is EDR?

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by unberechenbar

What is EDR?

Extended dynamic range. Dolby Cinema and IMAX don't have the same High Dynamic Range as home sets, but higher than "normal" cinema.

[Fang Zei]

I’m now noticing a pattern of putting certain trailers/previews exclusively in front of the Imax versions of movies that don’t otherwise offer anything at all in terms of expanded aspect ratios.

Dial of Destiny Imax had a special look at The Creator and now apparently Dead Reckoning Imax will have a teaser for Napoleon.

[WonkaBedknobs83]

Lots of multiplexes traded constant image height for constant image width. In doing so, they negated the whole purpose of widescreen movies.

[Mike0284]

The 11-mile long IMAX print of Oppenheimer.

It weighs 600 pounds.




It sucks that the closest 70mm IMAX for me is a train into the City and a cab/subway rise to the AMC Lincoln Square.

Plus even the closest 70 mm showing is at the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse which is an hour drive.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by Mike0284

The 11-mile long IMAX print of Oppenheimer.

It weighs 600 pounds.




It sucks that the closest 70mm IMAX for me is a train into the City and a cab/subway rise to the AMC Lincoln Square.

Plus even the closest 70 mm showing is at the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse which is an hour drive.

Take the time and go to the Lincoln Square theater - you won' t regret it.

[Fang Zei]

Udvar-Hazy was going to get a 70mm Imax print but it turns out they’re showing Oppenheimer in dual-laser.

I’ll probably try catching it in 70mm opening weekend at AFI Silver.

[FAShaffi]

Originally Posted by Fang Zei

Udvar-Hazy was going to get a 70mm Imax print but it turns out they’re showing Oppenheimer in dual-laser.

I’ll probably try catching it in 70mm opening weekend at AFI Silver.

AMC Tysons is also showing a 70MM print FYI, the screen won't be as big as the AFI Silver's for sure, but I might check it out for my second viewing (first is gonna be at Udvar-Hazy of course)

[singhcr]

I'm going to be flying to Indianapolis from the Twin Cities next week to see Oppenheimer in 15/70 opening night. Can't wait

True, it's a big trip going to Indy vs the MN Zoo that was less than a mile from my house but I'll be damned if I am going to miss this given how rare opportunities like this are. If I had to, I'd go to Canada.

[Mike0284]

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