The Dark Knight: First Hollywood Film Made in IMAX

[Woochifer]

No major Hollywood movie that has been shown in IMAX theaters was made with IMAX camera's and film stock.

Yep, this is a huge deal. I mean, film buffs go nuts whenever they see a 70mm presentation of a movie shot in 70mm like Lawrence of Arabia, and here we have a major studio movie using a film format with even higher resolution than any of those earlier 70mm formats.

With much of the industry transitioning over to digital cameras and DLP projectors (both of which still have lower resolution than even 35mm film) basically to save money, there's just no way that we will see a return to full blown large format movie production/exhibition. No movie has been shot in 70mm since 1992's Far and Away and no new theatrical releases have come out with 70mm prints since 1997 and Titanic.

That said, I think Christopher Nolan might be onto something by filming only selected scenes like the action pieces and aerial work using the IMAX cameras. It costs less and is less cumbersome than filming the entire movie in IMAX. Yet, for those scenes it provides higher resolution and less grain for the 35mm prints, and it provides the opportunity for some jaw dropping images for IMAX audiences when those scenes get projected onto the full height and width of the IMAX screen. Basically, it helps sell tickets and sell tickets for IMAX presentations in particular.

I've never seen this kind of buzz surrounding an IMAX release. When the six-minute Dark Knight IMAX trailer accompanied the IMAX release of I Am Legend, people were going for repeat showings just so they could see The Dark Knight trailer again. The movie itself it getting all sorts of hype, but there's also a lot getting written up about the IMAX scenes (no surprise that Warner has smartly held most of its press screenings at IMAX theaters).

IMAX presentations of Hollywood movies is the fastest growing revenue stream for the studios, so its not all that small of a market.

The Dark Knight as of LAST WEEK, before any of the reviews came out, had already presold $2 million worth of tickets just on the IMAX screens. From just checking around the web, nearly all of the weekend evening IMAX screenings are already sold out. On a per screen basis, IMAX presentations will generate anywhere from 2X to 5X more ticket receipts than a regular theater.

[techjunkie]

Yep, this is a huge deal. I mean, film buffs go nuts whenever they see a 70mm presentation of a movie shot in 70mm like Lawrence of Arabia, and here we have a major studio movie using a film format with even higher resolution than any of those earlier 70mm formats.

With much of the industry transitioning over to digital cameras and DLP projectors (both of which still have lower resolution than even 35mm film) basically to save money, there's just no way that we will see a return to full blown large format movie production/exhibition. No movie has been shot in 70mm since 1992's Far and Away and no new theatrical releases have come out with 70mm prints since 1997 and Titanic.

They're actually moving towards being digital instead of using the huge cumbersome film that they currently use. It eliminates the large (understatement) film reels they currently use and of course much better film distribution.

IMAX is developing a digital IMAX system that will provide consumers with the premium IMAX experience they have come to know, value and expect. It is scheduled to be launched in June 2008.

[Woochifer]

They're actually moving towards being digital instead of using the huge cumbersome film that they currently use. It eliminates the large (understatement) film reels they currently use and of course much better film distribution.

Bottomline though is that it lowers costs by eliminating the need to produce 35mm prints, once the theater amortizes the cost for the digital projection system, which can in turn also be used for other revenue-generating events like live sports and concerts, and corporate meetings. Good for the bottomline -- step backwards for presentation quality.

IMAX is developing a digital IMAX system that will provide consumers with the premium IMAX experience they have come to know, value and expect. It is scheduled to be launched in June 2008.

IMAX has been talking about this since about 2000 when they were displaying projector mockups with TI and JVC. Sounds more like a cost-cutting measure in order to sign up more theater owners (many of whom have been resistant to the high 70mm/15 print costs). I'm afraid that it will dumb down the experience that IMAX currently delivers, because even 4k DLP projectors still use a lower resolution than 35mm film (and most DLP theater projectors use 2k resolution).

That's still nowhere near the resolution of IMAX's 70/15 film format, and DLP projection in my experience already looks substandard on a 60' wide screen, while IMAX screens can be about 90' wide. Unless TI and IMAX have developed a more advanced projection system, I can't see this move as doing anything other than trading mediocrity for market share. Thankfully, it will be nearly two years before IMAX completes this transition.