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Topic: Special Imax Version of New Transformers

Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 06-08-2009 01:46 PM

From Michael Bay's blog 6-7-09:

quote:
The way to see this movie is on IMAX. Never before has there been 4k rendered character animation shot on full IMAX 70 mm film. This is a first and the results are stunning. You will see Optimus Prime in a few shots where he is actually perfectly to scale on the IMAX 50 foot tall screens.

For IMAX, I created a slightly longer cut with more robot fighting. Four scenes were shot on IMAX cameras so the screen will fill the full IMAX screen for these scenes.

I would guess that this will be shown more on 30' tall screens than 50'! And, if its like BATMAN, the scenes shot with IMAX cameras will be about 2' higher on top and 3' on the bottom. Sure wasn't very noticeable on BATMAN.

Nope, not worth the extra $5!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 06-08-2009 02:10 PM

I'm more interested as to why you were reading Michael Bay's blog???

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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 06-08-2009 06:18 PM

IMAX referenced it on its FACEBOOK list. I read that for amusement purposes only!!!

IMAX is really trying to pump up the "REAL IMAX" stuff in that film.

What I found most amusing was the Michael Bay seems to think that all IMAX screens are BIG IMAX screens, hence his 50' high screen reference.

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 06-08-2009 08:44 PM

50 feet high is not a big Imax screen. [evil]

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-08-2009 09:26 PM

quote: Mark Lensenmayer
I would guess that this will be shown more on 30' tall screens than 50'! And, if its like BATMAN, the scenes shot with IMAX cameras will be about 2' higher on top and 3' on the bottom. Sure wasn't very noticeable on BATMAN.

Obviously not all IMAX theaters are designed equally. And that's just referring to true IMAX theaters that project 15-perf 70mm film.

I watched The Dark Knight at a Cinemark IMAX theater in Colorado Springs. I don't know the dimensions of the screen in that theater, but it seems appropriately huge. By contrast, the IMAX theater at the Denver Museum of Natural History doesn't seem quite so big, but at least it shows real IMAX format movies even if they are just "boring" documentaries.

Anyway, I noticed a major difference in aspect ratios between the 2.40 35mm 'scope footage and the 15/65 footage in The Dark Knight. It sure wasn't any mere 2' or 3' difference.

Regarding the new Transformers movie and the "firsts" it claims to have achieved, it sounds to me like the term "character animation" really must be underscored when Bay it talking about outputting "4K character animation" to IMAX film.

Most of the IMAX footage in The Dark Knight was "practical" effects -like the stuntman in the bat suit diving off the skyscraper in Hong Kong. That's a green screen shot. Still, TDK did have some CGI effects output to IMAX and I have doubts those effects were merely 2K.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 06-08-2009 09:34 PM

quote: Brad Miller
I'm more interested as to why you were reading Michael Bay's blog???

OK, I have to confess that made me laugh. [Big Grin]

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 06-08-2009 10:50 PM

quote: Mark Lensenmayer
And, if its like BATMAN, the scenes shot with IMAX cameras will be about 2' higher on top and 3' on the bottom. Sure wasn't very noticeable on BATMAN.

I don't know what IMAX you saw Dark Knight in but if it was a real IMAX 15/70 theater with the original IMAX aspect ratio (1.43:1 I think) there was a BIG difference in the height of the IMAX originated footage. Certainly a hell of a lot more than 5'.

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John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 06-08-2009 11:56 PM

quote:
quote: Brad Miller I'm more interested as to why you were reading Michael Bay's blog???

OK, I have to confess that made me laugh. [Big Grin]

I find it funny he even has one.

'Blew up some more shit today. Someone gave me a rewrite page and I blew it up too. LOL!'

[uhoh]

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 06-09-2009 01:47 PM

I think it's stupid that they keep promoting the Imax and 3-D as the "best" way to see movies when at least 60% or more of the audience won't see them that way, either due to economic concerns or just not living in an area with those options.

All this does is "cheapen" the movie experience for the standard-format moviegoer, and helps them decide to wait for the DVD.

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Marco Giustini
Film God

Posts: 2713
From: Reading, UK
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 06-09-2009 02:20 PM

quote: Lyle Romer
I don't know what IMAX you saw Dark Knight in but if it was a real IMAX 15/70 theater with the original IMAX aspect ratio (1.43:1 I think) there was a BIG difference in the height of the IMAX originated footage. Certainly a hell of a lot more than 5'.

I quote it. I saw it in London and, despite something wrong to the projector - I suppose - that cut the contrast down, the difference between Imax and Non-Imax was HUGE.

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David E. Nedrow
Master Film Handler

Posts: 368
From: Columbus, OH, USA
Registered: Oct 2008

posted 06-09-2009 03:24 PM

Hmm, does Bay know there are fewer and fewer IMAX screens that can even project what he's envisioning?

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Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 593
From: London, UK
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 06-09-2009 06:01 PM

I think the film was 'dark' anyway, didn't have any problems with contrast when I saw it at the BFI in London. Can't wait to see the film in IMAX, the thought hadn't occurred to me that the robots would be to scale on the big screen.

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Marco Giustini
Film God

Posts: 2713
From: Reading, UK
Registered: Nov 2007

posted 06-09-2009 06:33 PM

Actually, when something bright was projected on just one part of the screen, the ENTIRE screen become gray-ish. The diffused light could be seen on the audience too coming from the booth. It was very annoying and noticeable. Port glass and lens were apparently clean. Maybe something was wrong just for that show...

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