Hollywood Films on IMAX

Hello there,

I'd like to request some information, about Hollywood films that are displayed in the IMAX format....

i recently went to catch POSEIDON on IMAX, and it was my 1st hollywood film in that format..

I was expecting the format 2:35:1 aspect ratio to be slightly compromised since the IMAX screen is not in WIDESCREEN....

But to my horror, the film was maintained in the 2:35:1 aspect ratio on the IMAX screen thereby distorting the image on the left and right.... the experience was horrendous.

I live in Singapore, and the IMAX movie screenings is a rather new thing here. I just can't help but feel that something was wrong with my movie experience!!! The movie should have occupied the full length of the IMAX screen rather than just the center by maintaining the 2:35:1 aspect ratio.... I just want to know if it's the same in the States... Or do i have a reason to go the fellows who show these films that something is really wrong.....

Please lend me your views....

Thinesh

I've seen a couple films on IMAX before but I've never noticed a blurring issue on the sides. I think you may just have some poopy people that don't know what they're doing.

Since the movie was obviously filmed in 2:35:1 aspect ratio, that's what you're going to see on the screen. I, too, have noticed the screen loss on top and bottom in an IMAX film, but it's really not a loss. It's the same issue as with regular TV screens. I'm sure IMAX could do some trickery to make it fill their entire screen but that would end up being the same issue as Pan & Scan, and nobody wants that! Especially when you're paying to see the movie in its intended format.

I think the whole "major film" at IMAX thing is a bit overrated in the first place. And I think the only reason they do it is to boost their profits since most the documentary stuff they show doesn't really draw the crowds that major films do. Not that fims made for IMAX are bad or boring, and in fact some of them are pretty good, it's just that a lot of them are mediocre at best. So, in other words, it's not bad marketing to tempt an audience to see an eye-candy specticle in an IMAX theatre. Unfortunately, you're going to get just as good of an experience seeing the movie in your favorite theatre.

Tim :)

The new Superman Returns on IMAX 3D looks like it might have something to offer regular theaters don't. And with George Lucas talking about making the Star Wars movies 3D, who knows, IMAX may be raising the bar.

As far as thinesh's situation, the IMAX in my town only shows movies for educational purposes (I know, horrible), so I've never seen one of the "Hollywood films" in an IMAX. But it does sound like it would only be logical to show a movie in its original aspect ration instead of squeezing the image left and right and stretching it up and down just to make it LOOK fullscreen. Sounds like Pan & Scan would've been better! At least no distortion. Seems like (from Tim's post) you should have seen the movie in 2.35:1 instead of some horrible Fun House Mirror style. Sounds like its time for you to complain.

part of the problem is the imax screen. the curvature is more than a standard movie screen. thus, the distortions (if any) tend to be exaggerated.

"apollo 13" was shot with the super35 process, so ron howard was able to change the movie's aspect ratio without cutting off a lot of the sides when preparing the movie for imax exhibition. however, he also had to shorten the movie since the imax film projection system can't handle movies over a certain running time (about two hours and five minutes). this may become a problem of the past with digital video projection systems.

still, to be honest, changing a movie's aspect ratio sucks. with super35, you may see more of the top and bottom, but during shooting, the director and the cinematographer didn't really compose shots to let you see so much at the top and bottom. therefore, you get the feeling that there's a lot of empty space for no reason. also, with special effects shots, you have to go with a hard crop on the 2.35:1 image since you literally have nothing above and below your 2.35:1 composition--in post-production, computer-graphics designers don't draw anything above or below your frame, so if you were to open up the frame, your audience would be looking at nothing!

[Post edited by posters5 on Aug 16, 2006]

Bump

Thank you so much for the posts.... Really appreciate it.....

Thinesh