Oppenheimer Shot IMAX

[skorpiius]

The projector keeps breaking here in Calgary . Apparently the length of the film is right at the limit for an IMAX projector and it's not liking the stress?
At least 2 showings have switched to digital at the last minute.

 

[Prest_400]

I wonder if the following would also apply to 6x7 photography with ordinary cameras like the Pentax 67?

Although I do not often shoot close-ups with the 67, I did take a very good close-up portrait using the 45mm lens on a P645N that filled the frame. In everyday usage with the P67 the 75mm FL is my most used lens for landscapes followed by the 55mm. The 45mm is a lighter and more compact lens than the 55mm but I prefer the look it gives me over the 45mm.

I shoot with a GW690 which has about a 39mm in 135 equivalent. A cine article that I had read long ago but can't find now called for that focal (40mm) length as the most natural.
For still photography, my RF does not focus close enough for filling the frame portraiture, but 3-6ft/1m is right as Hoyte mentions.

As of IMAX, I hope this movie helps establish some reruns and projections in the future. My friend who lives in London but is on holiday should be checking the movie out after holidays, and I hope there are some screenings.
In line with this, film screenings of the previous movies are not frequent. I would like to see Interstellar in 70mm.
For us mainland EU folks, 1570 IMAX is not very frequent, but it would take a well planned trip.

As of the Cineplex issues, some behind the scenes video showing the projection room mentions the enlarged platter to accomodate the 3h film.

 

[mshchem]

I remember the first film I viewed in the original, old school Imax 70mm. It was a 40 minute or so film of flying through and around Mt St Helens after the first eruption, before the big bang. Simply magnificent. Brings a tear to the eye

 

[cmacd123]

Jeez - I couldn't imagine watching that movie from the front row: your neck would be in a sling from looking up at the ceiling the whole time.

"That said, Oppenheimer is also a human drama, and my biggest technical challenge with shooting this film in large format was managing the myriad of close-ups while keeping the faces interesting and appealing and making the end result feel intimate and psychologically powerful.
​

the first time I saw an IMAX film was in the Cinesphere at Ontario Place. (which I understand was the Very First Intance of an IMAX theatre.) the whole concept was so new, that the show Started with an Introduction by the then Premier of Ontario talking about this wondrous new technology, invented right here in Ontario. the Image of the Premier showed him in Front of the Ontario Parlement Buildings, But showed him standing Full length with lawn showing at his feet. {I was with a cycnical Buddy who remarked that "Bill Davis always wanted to be larger than life") I recall that the intro metioned that one of the Observaions that the IMAX folks had made at that time was that a close up of a person was very disorienting to viewers in an IMAX theater. Sure enough if you look at Early Imax Productions like "North of Superior" all the shots are are not closer than a medium shot.

just looking at the opening of "north of Superior" which I belive was the First actual IMAX movie from 1971 on the first few scenes only ue a small part of the Frame, which would have been about the size a conventional Movie would have apppered on a screen, then the image opens up to the the full size of the IMAX screen. The credits metion Graeme Ferguson who was the fellow who came up with the Idea.
(IMAX was invented to deal with constraints that they had in trying to make "A Place to Stand" in 1967)

 

[Daniela]

Just read that there's only a few theaters in France where the movie can be seen in the "right" format, but in digital. To see the film version, going to the BFI IMAX in London is the closest option...who knew!

 

[Rrrgcy]

The Fort Laud Florida IMAX 15/70mm (right format) film showing, when I checked recently, its entire run (despite an extension thru August) is pre-sold out but for four time slots and now down to only two time slots. Two sole viewings remaining for the next month, Seems popular.

 

[Kilgallb]

The projector keeps breaking here in Calgary . Apparently the length of the film is right at the limit for an IMAX projector and it's not liking the stress?
At least 2 showings have switched to digital at the last minute.

In Calgary we actually have two Imax theaters. Still they cannot get both working. I am crossing my fingers, I have tickets for tomorrow at the same theater I saw Dunkirk.

My brother saw the IMAX digital and was much impressed.

 

[David R Williams]

In Calgary we actually have two Imax theaters. Still they cannot get both working. I am crossing my fingers, I have tickets for tomorrow at the same theater I saw Dunkirk.

My brother saw the IMAX digital and was much impressed.

Saw it at Chinook in the full 70mm format on Wednesday at 6pm. Great film, and will see it again.

However, the theatre was one of the filthiest that we've been in for ages, with poor cleaning, very sticky floors, and just a mess generally. Compared to the seating at any of the renovated (or new) Landmark theatres, the seating in the Chinook Imax theatre is poor.

Anyway, the film was great and the Imax was wonderful, but there was a blob of something on the screen or projector on the central right upper side of the image for some period in the latter part of the film that quite spoiled the illusion.

I hope the theatre can get their act together, as all-in-all, while the Imax and the film were great, the rest of the experience left quite a bit to be desired.

 

[cmacd123]

Saw it at Chinook in the full 70mm format on Wednesday at 6pm. Great film, and will see it again.

I hope the theatre can get their act together, as all-in-all, while the Imax and the film were great, the rest of the experience left quite a bit to be desired.

sounds like they have had some problems.

'I'm devastated': Calgary 'Oppenheimer' moviegoers dismayed by IMAX theatre 'technical issues'

Calgary fans waiting to watch 'Oppenheimer' in 70 mm format were upset when the theatre claimed technical issues during opening weekend.

calgaryherald.com

 

[Tom Taylor]

I saw it Friday at the Esquire IMAX in Sacramento. My only real complaint was that the sound was too loud for me - and I have hearing loss - and found it difficult to follow the conversation. During the credits I sampled the volume from the rear and it was the same. The Sacramento IMAX is a relatively small theater in comparison to those in San Francisco and I am planning to get ticket in SF for a second viewing in 70mm. Imax. Also, I wasn't all that impressed with the color palette and came away thinking that my 6x7 color slides had IMAX beat in that respect.

In a press release the Esquire theatre said that the projection bulb(s) cost $10,000 (US).

 

[Anon Ymous]

Also, I wasn't all that impressed with the color palette and came away thinking that my 6x7 color slides had IMAX beat in that respect.

This has a lot to do with colour grading and it's not necessarily representative of the characteristics of the film itself used. And you're probably comparing it to some fairly saturated (and contrasty) film stock.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I saw it Friday at the Esquire IMAX in Sacramento. My only real complaint was that the sound was too loud for me - and I have hearing loss - and found it difficult to follow the conversation. During the credits I sampled the volume from the rear and it was the same. The Sacramento IMAX is a relatively small theater in comparison to those in San Francisco and I am planning to get ticket in SF for a second viewing in 70mm. Imax. Also, I wasn't all that impressed with the color palette and came away thinking that my 6x7 color slides had IMAX beat in that respect.

In a press release the Esquire theatre said that the projection bulb(s) cost $10,000 (US).

In the second half of the twentieth century movie theaters started putting large speakers in the rear of the auditorium. That means there is no escape from over loud volumes.

 

[cmacd123]

In a press release the Esquire theatre said that the projection bulb(s) cost $10,000 (US).

I understand that the 15 perf IMAX machines use the LARGEST Xenon Arc Bulb used anywhere for Projection. Even IMAX can't fight the Inverse Square law.

 

[Kilgallb]

I saw it Saturday afternoon. No technical issues at all. The sound was great and the image superlative.

The black and white looked like 1950s film, lots of grain, which was the point I guess.

Interestingly the film just starts, no coming soon advertisements or even opening credits. Then it just ends. There are a few credits, but no mention of software developers, just film development.

The film is the best I have seen in years. Not a frame of film, audio segment, dialog, or music that did not contribute to the art. The IMAX image and sound had no gimmicks so I largely forgot the medium and focused on the story.

 

[blee1996]

We went to watch the Oppenheimer in IMAX 70mm, and it was a heartwarming experience. We were blessed with two cinemas in the SF Bay area, but still need an hour drive and early booking many weeks prior. Like @Kilgallb said, once you immerse in the story you kinda forget about the format. But to watch Oppenheimer on IMAX 70mm is definitely an experience I would treasure for years to come. I heard they might re-screen some older 70mm titles such as Interstellar.

And a happy surprise upon exit, we were gifted with a 70mm film strip for each ticket holder. I have to applaud Christopher Nolan for educating moviegoers to appreciate the analog 70mm format.

Attached below the gift film strip: the image is actually a bit narrower in the middle, probably due to multi-channel audio tracks on the edge. I have shot 35mm to 70mm color slides, and hope Nolan and his friends in the movie industry can keep this format alive and thrive. So we still film shooters can pick up some crumbs (like the Ektachrome 100D re-spooled in 35mm)

Oppenheimer_70mm_film by Zheng, on Flickr

 

[cmacd123]

one of your strips has the 2383 identification - Vision Color Print. 2383.

in the Movies "70mm" film is traditionally 70mm perforated 65mm and you are correct that the space at the edge was used when the first 70mm 5 perf films came out for 6 Magnetic sound tracks. Imax literally turns it on its edge and used 15 perfs per frame.

the blank 2383 film in "small" quantities sells for 35 cents US a foot.

The sound is on separate Digital media these days. Magnetic stripe is no longer offered by Kodak.

 

[blee1996]

And in the b&w segments, the grain is quite prominent. Almost like golf ball size, and making Robert Downey Jr look like Mick Jagger. Could it be Kodak Tri-X pushed?

It cannot be just magnification from 70mm to IMAX screen size. During all the color segments, I don't see much or any grain. I was even looking at the shadows when the movie started.

 

[cmacd123]

should not be "Golf ball sized" even with the giant Blow up. the Black and white sequences were all shot on EASTMAN 5222, the only B&W movie negatiive that Kodak makes, and at that -Nolan had to get them to specially make it in 65mm for him. the Vison 3 colour negative is at least 4 or 5 generations newer in design than 5222. after all - 5222 first came out in 1959, although there may have been some improvements since then.

When Fuji and Kodak were going head to head to sell movie film, - Kodak went from a plain colour negative,to EXR, Vision, Vision 2 and now Vision 3, while fuji also countered with new colour camera films.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

And in the b&w segments, the grain is quite prominent. Almost like golf ball size, and making Robert Downey Jr look like Mick Jagger. Could it be Kodak Tri-X pushed?

It cannot be just magnification from 70mm to IMAX screen size. During all the color segments, I don't see much or any grain. I was even looking at the shadows when the movie started.

Grain isn't as visible on movie film because its moving at 24 frames per second. It blends in and your brain can;t see them.

 

[Prest_400]

5222 first came out in 1959, although there may have been some improvements since then.

When Fuji and Kodak were going head to head to sell movie film, - Kodak went from a plain colour negative,to EXR, Vision, Vision 2 and now Vision 3, while fuji also countered with new colour camera films.

I have seen statements that the film hasn't been changed since 1959, paraphrasing PE and given the changes of manufacturing and components (Kodak facilities in B38) I would deem that statement as not plausible. I wasn't there but the prime example is when Tri-X 400 was reformulated to 400TX.

As of grain, the 5 perf 70mm screening I went to was grainless. If anything, there was some high contrast and perhaps slight color cast.

 

[Sal Santamaura]

...The sound is on separate Digital media these days. Magnetic stripe is no longer offered by Kodak.

What?? How dare they! To maintain purity, Nolan should have arranged for all sound to have been handled (the entire chain) as analog audio, with distribution on synchronized 35mm magnetic film players. Of course, he would have had to also arrange for production of magnetic film, since that's been gone even longer than widespread film projection in theaters.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

What?? How dare they! To maintain purity, Nolan should have arranged for all sound to have been handled (the entire chain) as analog audio, with distribution on synchronized 35mm magnetic film players. Of course, he would have had to also arrange for production of magnetic film, since that's been gone even longer than widespread film projection in theaters.

Nolan also needed to provide an organ player in front of the theater and a fat lady to sing so we'd know when the movie was over.

 

[Bronson Dugnutt]

We went to watch the Oppenheimer in IMAX 70mm, and it was a heartwarming experience. We were blessed with two cinemas in the SF Bay area, but still need an hour drive and early booking many weeks prior. Like @Kilgallb said, once you immerse in the story you kinda forget about the format. But to watch Oppenheimer on IMAX 70mm is definitely an experience I would treasure for years to come. I heard they might re-screen some older 70mm titles such as Interstellar.

And a happy surprise upon exit, we were gifted with a 70mm film strip for each ticket holder. I have to applaud Christopher Nolan for educating moviegoers to appreciate the analog 70mm format.

Attached below the gift film strip: the image is actually a bit narrower in the middle, probably due to multi-channel audio tracks on the edge. I have shot 35mm to 70mm color slides, and hope Nolan and his friends in the movie industry can keep this format alive and thrive. So we still film shooters can pick up some crumbs (like the Ektachrome 100D re-spooled in 35mm)

Oppenheimer_70mm_film by Zheng, on Flickr

I haven't seen the film, but <3 Vision3

 

[Kilgallb]

Huh, please explain….

I haven't seen the film, but <3 Vision3

 

[Tom Taylor]

Saw it for the 2d time last night but this time at the Regal in Dublin which was a major improvement over the Esquire in Sacramento. This time the volume was perfect and I could make out all of the dialogue and the projection was also superior (the image quality was superior). I also had a better seating - about 3/4 of the was back and towards the center; my eye level was exactly mid-screen - just a little to the left of dead center. And parking was free. I found a spot about 200 feet from the entrance. Below is a shot of a mounted 6x7 transparency placed on top of the IMax image. You can see that the height of the 6x7 image is greater than the IMax with the width being a tad less.