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

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Spike M.

Did anyone else think the sound mix for Civil War, at least in IMAX, was crazy bad? Action was typically loud for IMAX, but a ton of the dialogue was way quiet, like, people near me asking their friends to repeat lines of dialogue quiet. It didn't seem like a sound system probably either, since the trailer's played as strong as ever.

I did miss a couple lines in IMAX, but that was mainly cause the audience applauded whenever a major character first appeared, so I didn't usually hear their first line (similar thing happened with Wolverine in First Class, so I never heard the infamous "go f--- yourselves" line until blu ray). But overall, thought the IMAX sound mix was fine, though certainly didn't impress me as much as some other action movies have with a rocking IMAX mix.

Also, the Alexa 65 is a nice camera and I noticed image quality improvement in the IMAX sequence (presented in windowboxed 1.9 as I anticipated). Though compared to 15/70 footage in digital IMAX with Interstellar and Batman v Superman, it didn't match up (of course same thing when comparing it to native 15/70 presentations I've seen in Mi4, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Catching Fire, but that was fully expected).

[Zhorik]

Originally Posted by Spike M.

It's becoming increasingly common in theaters. Saw Green Room the other day and could barely make out any of the dialogue. I'm assuming it's because the "projectionist" is either leaving the volume at a fixed level (would explain why some auditoriums are too loud, too) for every movie, or they're setting volume to a loud scene (in the case of Green Room, a metal song, War, an action scene) instead of a dialogue scene.

The annoying part is that the "guide" to volume is stunningly simple: find a neutral dialogue scene, set the volume to a level that properly fills the room while considering the extra absorption of having two to four hundred bodies in the seats, and then trust the room's EQ and the filmmakers to deliver the loud spots how they intend.

It could have been mastered with increased dynamic range for IMAX. As far as I know, IMAX resets the auditorium levels before the feature starts.

Having the theater always at reference is the correct way, and separates the good and bad mixes.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by rodneyfaile

Saw Captain America: Civil War at a Dolby Cinema @ AMC Prime theater. The entire theater has been renovated, but only one screen was converted to the Dolby Cinema @ AMC Prime. The screen was big, and the recliners were nice, but nothing I haven't experienced before. As for the sound, I have never experienced sound like this in a movie theater. I don't mean it was just loud. Don't get me wrong, it was loud. Explosions vibrated my seat. It was quality sound coming from every angle. I felt like the Avengers were fighting around me. I wish I has seen The Force Awakens in this theater! Only a few around the country. If there is one near you, check it out.

https://www.amctheatres.com/dolby

I saw this today on AMC Tyson's Dolby Cinema auditorium and while the image was top notch, I have to say I thought the Atmos mix was very pedestrian - I though the last Avenger's movie had average sound, CA:CW likewise felt very generic and 'safe' - thankfully the rumbly seats weren't as annoying or distracting as during 'Batman vs. Superman'

[Dubstar]

oh I also want to add, while I could hear all of the dialogue in the Atmos mix, I thought the ADR mixing of some of the voices was quite frankly appalling - at times it was very unnaturally sibilant and/or echoing into the surrounds when the characters were standing in an office building room (huh?) Marvel movies when it comes to mixing in Atmos has been very hit or miss, this was another 'miss' in my opinion.

[xbs2034]

According to IMAX twitter, they were a bit ahead of themselves by saying the Alexa IMAX would do 1.43, and that at the moment it will just be 1.9. But they "continually adaptating it for more capabilities" (all but confirms Sully will be 1.9, maybe a chance for the next Avengers to be 1.43 but think that is starting to look unlikely)
https://mobile.twitter.com/IMAX/stat...26077731291136

I did see an IMAX screening of Warcraft today, and that was another unremarkable sound mix, the dialogue was fine in almost all cases, but very little impact to the sound effects or surround use. Though there is the possibility that the IMAX mix isn't completed yet as officially it was a work in progress screening (indeed the marquee was still listing the showing for Jungle Book as that's what's currently playing in IMAX, and with that playing before and after the screening, also potential the auditorium wasn't properly calibrated), but with the film pretty close to release, and looking finished in other areas (visual effects, IMAX DMR, 3D conversion- though I did notice a pretty wonky conversion error in one shot) who knows.

[Spike M.]

Originally Posted by Zhorik

It could have been mastered with increased dynamic range for IMAX. As far as I know, IMAX resets the auditorium levels before the feature starts.

Having the theater always at reference is the correct way, and separates the good and bad mixes.

They reset it in the morning, but the projectionist still controls the volume and the amps. I haven't ever heard an IMAX movie have such disparate volume levels before, and since they're "goal" is immersion, having dialogue audio levels that compete with the volume of some dude ruffling through his popcorn bag five rows back seems like a bad way to go about it.

I'm going to assume it was my theater specifically, since some of the audio was clipping in a way I'd never heard in that theater, too (and not in loud scenes, either).

[Dubstar]

SciFi Sundays on the IMAX-laser screen at the Lockheed Martin Air & Space Museum (Washington DC):

"Star Trek's 50th Anniversary"

'Star Trek' (2009) (June 5th / 4:15pm)

Star Trek: Into Darkness (3D IMAX) / (June 15th / 4:15pm)

'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' (June 19th)

~~

'Inception' (June 25th)

[Eric The Duke]

Are these films that actually went through the IMAX DMR process? I remember the Smithsonian once showed Star Wars episode 2 at their IMAX theater but it wasn't actually in IMAX format.

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by Eric The Duke

Are these films that actually went through the IMAX DMR process? I remember the Smithsonian once showed Star Wars episode 2 at their IMAX theater but it wasn't actually in IMAX format.

Well, both the Abrams films were IMAX releases. But likely Wrath of Khan would just be shown with normal projection on that screen (I remember at Lincoln Square I saw films like Pearl Harbor and Apocalypse Now Redux that way on their IMAX screen, but they've stopped showing non-IMAX releases years ago).

[Poya]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Well, both the Abrams films were IMAX releases. But likely Wrath of Khan would just be shown with normal projection on that screen (I remember at Lincoln Square I saw films like Pearl Harbor and Apocalypse Now Redux that way on their IMAX screen, but they've stopped showing non-IMAX releases years ago).

Ugh. No IMAX theater should be tortured by having to show Pearl Harbor. How the hell did Michael Bay miss the point of that tragedy? Actually, never mind.

YouTube

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by xbs2034

Well, both the Abrams films were IMAX releases. But likely Wrath of Khan would just be shown with normal projection on that screen (I remember at Lincoln Square I saw films like Pearl Harbor and Apocalypse Now Redux that way on their IMAX screen, but they've stopped showing non-IMAX releases years ago).

since this is now an IMAX-laser projector

'Star Trek' - "The brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Commander Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful, time-traveling Romulan creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time. Star Trek, has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology resulting in crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view."

did 'Into Darkness' go out in IMAX "digital" / its being advertised as a 3D-IMAX engagement

'Wrath of Khan' - I'm pretty sure is a standard theatrical DCP - not sure though if it's the new 4K work done on the upcoming bluray release.

[Geoff D]

IIRC Into Darkness was 3D for most IMAX engagements, even the 15/70 version was dual-strip 3D.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

IIRC Into Darkness was 3D for most IMAX engagements, even the 15/70 version was dual-strip 3D.

this will be the first in IMAX-laser - and possibly integrating the immersive audio mix (12-channel) I'm trying to confirm this.

[The Debts]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

this will be the first in IMAX-laser - and possibly integrating the immersive audio mix (12-channel) I'm trying to confirm this.

With the 1.43 ratio to boot?

[Poya]

Originally Posted by The Debts

With the 1.43 ratio to boot?

Into Darkness didn't have the 1.43 ratio.

[The Debts]

Originally Posted by Poya

Into Darkness didn't have the 1.43 ratio.

Crap, you're right. Sorry about the momentary brain fart. But still, will they show it with the 1.66 ratio for the IMAX scenes?

[Rodney-2187]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

what theater did you go to? ... I personally can't stand the whole vibrating seat thing, I find it highly annoying and distracting. I'll take IMAX-laser over Dolby Cinema any day of the week.

AMC Hampton 24

[dvdmike]

So now IMAX goes VR with Google, the screen and res shrinks further!

[Poya]

IMAX used to be a brand to be excited about but these days, they're debasing themselves and the audiences are none the wiser. It appears to be that Dunkirk will be the last true IMAX feature to come out in the future. I was fortunate to see Star Wars and BvS in true IMAX, but looks like I should've not taken them for granted.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Eric The Duke

Are these films that actually went through the IMAX DMR process? I remember the Smithsonian once showed Star Wars episode 2 at their IMAX theater but it wasn't actually in IMAX format.

you mean this:



it was supposed to look like that

the presentation I saw over at the Samel C. Johnson theater at Natural History WAS 15/70, with the headache inducing recomposed/ cropped 1.43 full screen framing of the entire 121 minute edited down version of the movie.

The most bizarre IMAX presentation I saw at a Smithsonian theater was "Avatar" which didn't extend at all on the screen - the movie was nestled in the middle of the screen with black borders surrounding the entire image

I even remember the 35mm screening of "Empire Strikes Back" (the original un-special editionized version) on the Lockheed IMAX screen - that was incredible