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Author Topic: My first IMAX experience Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-02-2005 03:16 AM                     There are three types of IMAX projectors. The GT (Grand Theatre) is a traditional IMAX projector based upon the kind used at Cinesphere ( here it is with Gordon ). There are four basic variations on the GT: 2D, 3D, Dome, and HD, which can project at 48fps. IMAX SR is a smaller system made up of two separate projectors (SR stands for Small Rotor) and was designed primarily for cineplexes in smaller cities. IMAX MPX is designed to be retrofitted into an existing multiplex (thus MPX) 35mm auditorium. As for seeing a 65mm sourced film, of the three currently playing at Virginia Air and Space, see Fighter Pilot. Charlie, which you've seen already, was filmed in 35mm and Aliens of the Deep was filmed in digital (this may be a great opportunity to compare and contrast).  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-02-2005 06:45 AM                     The main difference between classic IMAX and the newer versions is the height of the screen. The original IMAX screens are about twice the height of the smaller versions. For DMR films, there isn't much difference, but you will REALLY see a difference on anything designed for IMAX directly. Even the old classics like TO FLY have quite an impact! Take Joe's recommendation and check it out.  |  IP: Logged Brian Michael Weidemann Expert cat molester Posts: 944 From: Costa Mesa, CA United States Registered: Feb 2004 posted 09-02-2005 07:38 AM                        Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag was a good movie, and definitely has some crisp shots, full frame, definitely shot on 65mm for 15/70. The difference between that and the look of Aliens of the Deep is considerable, and Aliens doesn't even fill the full frame. But then, you can't blame Cameron for not being able to take several IMAX 3D cameras to those extreme environments (do there still only exist something like two of them, by the way?). I think he caught some great footage for that movie, and the number of angles is impressive, considering the extreme environments. You can tell that it was a huge operation. Digital was definitely the best route he could have gone.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-02-2005 10:08 AM                     Joseph said "The GT (Grand Theatre) is a traditional IMAX projector based upon the kind used at Cinesphere ( here it is with Gordon ). There are four basic variations on the GT: 2D, 3D, Dome, and HD, which can project at 48fps" Actually that is called the "classic" and has two versions the 4K aircooled there is a pix of the one in bradford UK in the thread of pictures of Ians trip and the watercooled like cinesphere has The GT is a twin rotor machine designed for 3D and the stacked rotor allowed the almost total reduction of keystone related distortion in the superimpossed images for 3d as well as facilitated the shutter system for the LCD glasses  |  IP: Logged Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-02-2005 10:45 AM                     I'm going to ask Gordon to correct this if I miss or misstate anything. IMAX projection systems: Classic (2D) Dome GT (2D/3D - stacked rotors) Solido (3D dome with E3D) GT HD (2D/3D - 48fps) HD Dome (Back to the Future) HD Dome 3D (Race for Atlantis) Magic Carpet (2 classic, 1 under floor) Ridefilm (48fps VistaVision - now serviced by Simex) SR (2D/3D - 2 separate projectors synched for 3D, only one used for 2D) MPX (2D/3D - stacked rotors w/autothreading)  |  IP: Logged Robert Stawiarski Film Handler Posts: 62 From: MW Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-02-2005 12:28 PM                    -The SR uses two projectors for 2D when a changeover is involved -- this allows the SR theatres to play the longer DMR films without having a fully upgraded QTRU. -There is also an SR Dome theatre, which uses a single projector obviously. The one I know about is at the Science Station in Cedar Rapids, IA, but there might be others. -Also, there are Classic 3D systems, which is two Classics side-by-side like an SR setup. The first IMAX 3D system was at the CN IMAX Theatre in Vancouver, and that uses two Classics. You can see both of the above in the "Post your booth pictures!" thread at the 1570.com Technical Issues forum. The rest of your list looks correct, but I am not familiar with Ridefilm or Magic Carpet. Oh, and since I recently have ridden this... Soarin' Over California at Disney's California Aventure and its sister ride Soarin' at Epcot, use the HD Dome system. I believe Iwerks was originally supposed to install the California system, but Disney decided to switch to IMAX when they were unable to.  |  IP: Logged Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-02-2005 01:12 PM                     Where's the SR Dome projector located? I've heard of it before, but don't know where it's located. Doug Trumbull's Ridefilm Corporation merged with IMAX in 1994, when the company was bought by Wechsler and Gelfond. Projectors were manufactured by Ballantyne, but serviced by IMAX techs. There's only one Magic Carpet theater in operation - at Futuroscope in France. There was also an earlier IMAX Dome HD ride at Phatasialand in Germany, called GALAXY. Disney currently has six IMAX Dome HD projectors in operation: two each for Soarin' in California and Florida and the two for Storm Rider at Tokyo Disney Sea. I have been told that two of the projectors are actually the ones that originally were in EPCOT's Horizons pavillion, but have not been able to confirm this. Gordon, James Neihouse lists your projector as being HD. Is this correct?  |  IP: Logged Robert Stawiarski Film Handler Posts: 62 From: MW Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-02-2005 02:18 PM                    The SR Dome that I know about is at the Science Station in Cedar Rapids, IA, but there might be others. You can see this and the 3D Classic system in the "Post your booth pictures!" thread at the 1570.com Technical Issues forum. This was in my original post after I edited it soon after I posted it; you probably started replying before seeing the edited version.  |  IP: Logged Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-02-2005 02:22 PM                     I'm a bit flustered today, so I've been reading and typing fairly rapidly and just missed that line. I've been trying for the past two days to locate the staff from the Entergy IMAX in New Orleans to make sure they're ok. That SR Dome projector just looks wierd. I'm surprised there's no photos of that monster platter unit in Lincoln Square on the thread.  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 09-02-2005 02:45 PM                        quote: Carey Barber I had assumed that this was a full size IMAX (is it not?) Seeing this part of your question was only vaguely answered, I'll give it a stab. Charlie and most (maybe all?) DMR films are letterboxed to match the aspect ratio it was intended to be shown in 35mm theatres (1.85 for C&TCF). Most films shot specifically for 15/70 exhibition (and most of the screens for most LF auditoriums) are "narrower" or "taller" depending on how you look at it - I think 1.44:1 (I'm sure somebody will correct that aspect ratio if I'm wrong). So, yes, Charlie was still using the same size 15/70 film as any other IMAX film, but it was letterboxed.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-02-2005 03:12 PM                     Yes our machine was the one they played with to make 48fps work  |  IP: Logged Robert Stawiarski Film Handler Posts: 62 From: MW Registered: Aug 2003 posted 09-02-2005 04:11 PM                    Jeremy -- Apollo 13 and Attack of the Clones were both pan and scanned for the DMR releases to fill up more of the screen. All the rest of the DMRs were shown in their native aspect ratios, as far as I know.  |  IP: Logged Joseph L. Kleiman Master Film Handler Posts: 380 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-02-2005 04:40 PM                     Apollo 13 was reframed for 4:3. However, it was still exhibited letterboxed at 1.66:1. Attack of the Clones was remastered from the 1.81:1 version because it used more of the IMAX screen than the anamorphic version, but it was not reframed for 4:3 like Apollo 13. This list compiled by Bill Kallay on fromscripttodvd. com gives the aspect ratios of every commerical IMAX release. You'll notice they've all been letterboxed. As for Magic Carpet, I've attached the only photo on me at the moment. Sorry for the really bad resolution. One traditional IMAX screen in front, with a second visible below the floor. [ 09-02-2005, 06:47 PM: Message edited by: Joseph L. Kleiman ]  |  IP: Logged Jeremy Jorgenson Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1002 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: Feb 2005 posted 09-02-2005 10:03 PM                        Robert & Joseph - thanks for the info. I did not see either Apollo 13 or Episode II for their DMR releases. That magic carpet auditorium looks interesting. I'll have to check it out, next time I'm in France.  |  IP: Logged Larry Myers Master Film Handler Posts: 371 From: Herndon, VA, USA Registered: Jan 2001 posted 09-15-2005 01:45 PM                 Sorry to say I am a size doesn't matter kind of guy. All images have a tradeoff of scale vs resolution. This means, you can make up for image size with resolution. So a 35mm motion picture frame with a resolution of 60 lines pairs per millimeter is exactly the same as a IMAX 15 perf frame at 20 line pairs per millmeter or about a 3 times enlargement or 9 times area. The problem is, most IMAX frames with an IMAX camera would have a normal resolution of 60 lp/mm. So in order to get a typical 35mm motion picture camera running Super35 to do IMAX type work, the image resolution has to be about 180 lp/mm. Some color aerial recon films will do this but the ASA speed would be around 5 or so. The ASA 50 Vision stocks are good for about 120 lp/mm. Close but no cigar On the CBS evening news about a month ago, the person of the week was a photographer who installed a 9 inch aerial recon film cassette on a 8x10 studio camera. He was taking color images of landscapes and blowing them up to 4x6 feet as photo art. CBS made a big deal out of clearly seeing in the picture, the eyes of a horse 2 miles away. A perfect example of scale vs resolution. Larry  |  IP: Logged

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