the elevator pitch

In recent years the technological capabilities of feature films has sky rocketed. We all know of the advancements in animation and visual effects (compare this year’s UP and Star Trek to almost any film produced in the past), but the next stage in all of this is the use of IMAX technology. IMAX used to be reserved for nature-based documentaries where large cameras would be used to capture as much of a landscape or experience as possible, then be able to project the huge image onto a gigantic screen for all to view. Well, people like Chris Nolan and most recently James Cameron saw huge potential with IMAX and have started to use the special cameras and lenses with their own projects.

If you think back a couple of years ago, Chris Nolan’s Dark Knight made one of the largest splashes on a movie screen in recent memory. But he didn’t stop there as he decided to shoot a few select scenes using IMAX technology. This was probably half experiment and half intentional, but if you managed to catch the Dark Knight on IMAX then you might have noticed a few scenes where the picture was significantly larger. Nolan felt as though he could take advantage of the technology by showcasing some huge important scenes using the IMAX cameras – the only problem was the budget. It costs significantly more to shoot anything on IMAX.

By next week you’ll probably hear of a little film called Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Director Michael Bay has chosen the same route as Nolan for his followup smash hit and has already shot a few scenes in IMAX. This doesn’t mean that the entire film will be different on a regular screen, but like Dark Knight, there will be a few scenes where Bay takes advantage of the larger palette.

Finally, later on this summer I’m sure a lot of people will be talking about James Cameron’s latest project – Avatar. Avatar will be (to my knowledge) the first feature film to be shot and produced entirely on IMAX, meaning if your local theatre does not have an IMAX screen, you probably won’t be able to see it. I’m not sure if this is going to take off as much as Cameron hopes, especially since auidences will have to dish out some extra cash just to see it, but from what I’ve seen so far in IMAX, this could be HUGE (pun intended).

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