Filmmakers Shun True IMAX Production as Only 41 Theaters Can Show 15/70 Format
Updated
Updated · Engadget · Aug 24
Filmmakers Shun True IMAX Production as Only 41 Theaters Can Show 15/70 Format
3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Aug 24
Summary
True IMAX remains rare because shooting on 65-70mm film requires bulky specialist cameras, expensive stock and trained crews, driving up budgets and extending schedules.
Nearly 400-pound modern IMAX cameras still create practical problems on set, while short film loads force frequent stoppages that can disrupt scenes and add production time.
Digital filmmaking largely displaced that workflow after Hollywood's shift in the late 2000s, offering smaller, quieter cameras and cheaper post-production with quality most studios consider sufficient.
Christopher Nolan is one of the few directors still committed to full IMAX film—using it on "The Odyssey"—while most others rely on IMAX-certified digital systems or remastered releases instead.
Only 41 theaters worldwide can present the full 15/70 IMAX experience, limiting the payoff for studios that would spend more on a format most audiences cannot see at its best.