What Is IMAX?

IMAX is the most famous film format in the world, not only does it create an immensely immersive experience, but it also has its own shooting style, that we only ever see in an IMAX movie.

In today's video, I look at the history of IMAX, the special cameras and film stocks they have to use, as well as what makes it better than any generic film stock if it even is better.

If you have any ideas for videos you would like to see on Sunday's be sure to leave a comment down below!

Timeline:
00:00 Introduction
01:08 The History of IMAX
02:49 IMAX Cameras & Film
05:38 What makes it better than generic film?
07:25 Conclusion

Music:
Zoinks Scoob - R.LUM.R
Island Dream - Chris Haugen
Light Expanse - Unicorn Heads
Dulce Reggaeton - An Jone
But Enough About Me, Bill Paxton - Chris Zabriskie

[AllThingsFilm]

Having worked for IMAX as a DMR artist, I can tell you that the very first film not shot on IMAX but converted to the IMAX format was "Spiderman 3" (2007). My brother, who was an executive at IMAX at the time this occurred, approached Sam Raimi to convince him to have his film converted to IMAX. Sam Raimi gave IMAX about 20 minutes from "Spiderman 3" to work with. Apparently, at the end of the screening of that converted section Sam Raimi was so excited that he was able to convince the production company to increase the budget to convert "Spiderman 3" completely to IMAX. Since then, IMAX has converted many films shot conventionally to the IMAX format.

IMAX is actually more popular in China than anywhere else. As of December 31, 2020, China has well over 750 IMAX screens. Which is the most IMAX screens of any other country, including the US.There are more than 1, 500 IMAX screens around the world.

[maxthemax]

Im so freaking happy that Oppenheimer will release on film and that I actually have the only theatre in Europe (excluding the UK) that will be showing it in 70mm right in my city (Prague). Never experienced IMAX 70mm before so I'm really looking forward to it, even digital is blowing my mind (SpiderVerse was absolute visual p*rn in IMAX).

[impatrickt]

I find open matte (1.78:1) to be my favourite happy medium. I have a somewhat rarer Alliance blu-ray release of SEVEN that's open matte. It's gorgeous. Fincher crops all his films in post. The IMAX scenes from The Dark Knight on the 4K release switch to 1.78 and they also look stellar (same with INTERSTELLAR). I just wish more filmmakers would release open matte's. I worked as a projectionist for a few summers in high school and got to thread a few IMAX shows. The film size is INSANE and the whole process was like being at NASA.

[nagarajan]

dude this channel and u are criminally underrated

[weebenslaver]

Saw Oppenheimer in a 70mm IMAX theater and it was genuinely awe-inspiring. I can't go back to normal IMAX now let alone standard screens 😭😭

[MrEthanQuinn]

Loved the format of this video. Going from reading the title of the video to straight away getting the very bare bone answer is actually great. No intro no here’s who I am here’s what I’m going to be talking about. None of it. Straight into the content and let it and your research speak for itself. Lovely

[anjelresearch]

Watched dune part 2 in IMAX. I gotta tell you, it was awe inspiring, amazing.... during the sandworms scene, whole theatre was shaking and I felt it in my chest

[leyto]

How to tell you're about to watch Oppenheimer without telling you're about to watch Oppenheimer

[vrgs]

Thanks! Before the video ended I got online and spent a little over $13, 000 on a Blackmagic ursa mini 12k….. now it’s time to do re-shoots on my short film “Tars Origins” it’s a short story I am directing, producing and financing myself, and is an origins story about Tars from Interstellar and what gave him the personality he had in that fantastic movie. My mother is a veteran from the Marine Corps (Like Tars) and I am using real Marines that I have at my disposal to give the film a more lifelike experience. Lots of work to be done and unfortunately I will have to use some CGI which to be frank is not cheap. Also trying to replicate Tars (practically) in real life is much easier said than done lol. I would love to shoot on 70 mm IMAX film but this camera will be the next best thing for now. I saw Interstellar in full frame 70 mm IMAX film and still to this day I have never ever experienced anything quite like it, except for when I saw Tenet and Dunkirk in IMAX 70 mm film, but Interstellar was the one that blew my mind and inspired me on this long journey to create somewhat of a spinoff of my favorite movie. Although quite expensive I think it will be well worth it in the long run. Even though I put a dent in my wallet thank you for this video as my camera not being in IMAX was definitely setting me back at least $13, 000 later I may be that much closer to perfection. I’m quite sure that is the least of my expenses as I will need much more to get that camera properly shooting. Again thank you and great video! Keep up the good work!

[DaveTheMango]

I never realised digital large format cameras aren't the same ratio, huh. Great video :) I kinda love the centre framing. IMAX shots tend to feel the same as shots composed in Academy Ratio. I guess they're pretty close.

[sixth.memory]

I can easily say no movie theater experience compares to watching a movie on imax film!

[HeatherSpoonheim]

IMAX is the only thing that has gotten me out to the theatre this century. Back when we had tube televisions, I was impressed by the image quality of any theatre. Now that we have these fancy hi-res monitors, the regular theatre has just lost a lot of appeal - although I still do like their sound systems.

[man]

I think the reason the characters are often closer to the camera has something to do with depth of field. I think it's more limited with IMAX.

[brdane]

Thanks for answering the question in the title during the first 6 seconds.

[deips]

keep rewinding to your intro... love how you just answer our question cus we all can read the title. so simple yet something i found super creative. love it!

[itsatekiar]

Dune shot digitally, and had 1.43 scenes. Maybe the first movie to do that with digital. It was amazing in a true imax theater. Universal city walk iMax.

[themannyzaur]

Legit thought YouTube skipped some minutes in the intro but nope bro just gave the definition right off the bat

[nicks]

It’s nothing bigger than more info per frame, which is totally fine and as an art form is appreciated and necessary….the problem is that you can’t appreciate such said art when you steam it from your television at home with whatever life distractions

[RishirajAgarwal]

Keeping the perspective distortion due to focal length constant (let’s say shooting at 50mm focal length), since the image on 70mm imax film is 10x the size of s35 film, one would tend to shoot it more close to the subject for keeping them of the similar size on the overall image.
Btw, amazing content you’re making! Kudos!

[NoorSkullz]

it's been years since i watched anything in IMAX and tbh i, glad it's not used too much, as much as i hate black bars on a 16:9 screen i forget they are even there after 10 mins but with a video on YT covering my entire screen i know there is a border somewhere.