This document provides an overview of IMAX, a large format film and projection standard. It discusses the history and development of IMAX, which was created in Canada in the 1960s. The technical aspects section describes IMAX cameras, film, soundtracks, and projectors. It details how IMAX uses larger film and higher resolution to provide bigger, more immersive images than conventional film formats. The document also covers IMAX variations like dome screens and 3D, as well as IMAX's growing use in feature films and worldwide expansion.

1. Report Heading:
IMAX
Submitted by:
DARSHIL KAPADIYA
B.Tech (CS), III Semester
Amity School of Engineering and Technology
AMITY UNIVERSITY RAJASTHAN

2. Appendix-II
CERTIFICATE
Certified that the Report entitled IMAX submitted by Darshil Kapadiya with Enrollment No. on
October /2016 is his own work and has been carried out under my supervision. It is recommended
that the candidate may now be evaluated for his/her work by the University.
(STUDENT) (GUIDE)
Signature: Signature
Designation:
Date:
1

3. Contents
1. ABSTRACT 4
2. Introduction 5
2.1 What is IMAX?
2.2 Birth of IMAX
3. History 8
3.1 Multiscreen
3.2 EXPO’s
4. Technical Aspects 10
4.1 Camera
4.2 Film
4.3 Soundtrack
4.4 Projectors
4.4.1 Digital IMAX Projections
4.4.2 IMAX Laser Projections
4.5 Theatre
5. IMAX Variations 17
5.1 IMAX Dome
5.2 IMAX 3D
5.3 Digital IMAX
6. Imax Films 22
2

4. 6.1 Entertainment Films
6.2 Use in Hollywood Productions
6.3 IMAX DMR
6.4 Features films shot on IMAX Cameras
7. Awards 29
8. Pest Factors Affecting IMAX 30
8.1 IMAX Political Environment
8.2 IMAX Economic Environment
8.3 IMAX Social-Cultural Environment
8.4 IMAX Technological Environment
9. Competitor 34
10. Discussion 36
11. References 38
List of Figures
1. IMAX is BELEVING
2. Screen Comparison
3. IMAX LOGO
4. IMAX Cinema Camera
5. IMAX FILM Size
6. IMAX Sound system
3

5. 7. Declining Projector Technology
8. IMAX Laser Projection
9. IMAX Theater VIEW (INSIDE)
10. Dome and flat screen comparison
11. IMAX Dome
12. Dome theater model
13. IMAX Dome from outside
14. IMAX DMR Structure
15. Full HD and Dolby vision comparison
16. Dolby Vision Logo
17. IMAX Flat Theatre
18. IMAX Dome Theatre in Indonesia
Abstract
• 3D movies are quite common now a days, with many of the latest animated films,
action packed blockbuster and horror flicks.
• IMAX 3D is quite different than RealD 3D though both of them utilize passive
3D technology.
• This makes use of relatively lightweight eyewear.
4

6. • IMAX is a set of cinema projection standards created by Canadian company
IMAX Corporation.
• It is developed by Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr and William C.
Shaw.
• Many Films are now converted into IMAX format.
• It can bring huge change in world of entertainment. (I.e. Cinema World).It
revolutionize the giant screen cinema.
• 2D digital camera and 3D digital camera are used for shooting. IMAX delivers
just that on screen four times the size of conventional movie screens.
• As of January 1, 2016 there are 1061 IMAX theatres in 67 countries. In July 2005,
London became first to host live music concerts, and computer game tournament.
• IMAX is the future of 3D films which gives an engrossing experience.
• 2015 IMAX Global Box Office reach $1 billion. And significantly surpasses
worldwide industry box office growth of approximately 10%.
• Resolution of image is increased which leads to amazing experience.
Used Technology
Here advance technology is used like digital cameras with advance
lenses.3D glasses of large format (for large screen) are used. Silver coated screen
for projection. Advance sound technology for effect. The 3D technology is
upgraded than RealD 3D.Format of film is changed and use of more perforation
per frame. Resolution of image is increased which lead to better quality of images.
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 What is IMAX?
5

7. IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of cinema projection standards created by
Canadian company IMAX Corporation and developed by Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor,
Robert Kerr, and William C. Shaw. IMAX has capacity to record and display images of far
greater size and resolution than conventional film systems. Since 2002, some feature films have
been converted into IMAX format for displaying in IMAX theatres and some have also been
partially shot in IMAX. The acronym for IMAX is Image Maximum.
IMAX is the most widely used system for special-venue film presentations. Till the June of
2016, there were more than 1000 IMAX theatres in nearly about 70 countries.
1.2 Birth of IMAX
When the Japanese delegation arrive at New York in 1968, they saw it might have been an
illusion-or a foreshadowing of the future. In New York they visited a floor of offices filled with
people engaged in filmmaking. In Montreal they visited another office, well-furnished and
looking very business-like. When they got the royal treatment on a tour of a Montreal office
complex with experimental filmmaking and the business of filmmaking impressively united, they
were sold.
6
Figure 1

8. Their hosts did not waste time explaining that the New York office was just two rooms rented by
Graeme Ferguson as a base for his independent filmmaking. Nor did they note that the furnished
office in Montreal had been, just days before, a production room holding office furniture, and
even prints for the walls, that had been rented by Roman Kroitor. They also failed to mention
that the final tour was, in fact, of the National Film Board of Canada's (NFB) facilities, where
Kroitor had worked for years.
When members of the Japanese delegation left, they were satisfied that the funds and prestige of
Fuji Bank and its associated businesses were in good hands. They were right, but there were
fewer hands than the bankers thought. The enterprising hands they were placing themselves in
were those of Ferguson and Kroitor plus Robert Kerr, and, later, Bill Shaw.
The promise these 30-something men made was to produce a film for Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan-
and, along the way, to develop a new camera to shoot images on a film frame 10 times larger
than a 35mm format, new equipment to project those larger frame images onto a six-story-high
screen, and other little things -new lenses, sound equipment, lighting, and seating arrangements.
In addition to being risk takers, they shared most other characteristics of successful
entrepreneurs. They had skills and knowledge specific to their task. They were willing to
7
Figure 2

9. postpone financial success. They were persistent. They could approach a problem from various
angles. They shared interests and skills but also had well-developed specializations.
8
Figure 3

10. CHAPTER 2
HISTORY
2.1 MULTISCREEN
The desire to increase the visual impact of film has a long history. In 1929, Fox introduced Fox
Grandeur, the first 70 mm film format, but it quickly fell from use. In the 1950s, the potential
of 35 mm film to provide wider projected images was explored in the processes
of CinemaScope (1953) and VistaVision (1954), following multi-projector systems such
as Cinerama (1952). While impressive, Cinerama was difficult to install.
During Expo 67 in Montreal, the National Film Board of Canada's In the Labyrinth and
Ferguson's Man and the Polar Regions both used multi-projector, multi-screen systems. Each
encountered technical difficulties that led them to found a company called "Multiscreen", with a
goal of developing a simpler approach. The single-projector/single-camera system they
eventually settled upon was designed and built by Shaw based upon a novel "Rolling Loop"
film-transport technology purchased from Peter Ronald Wright Jones, a machine shop worker
from Brisbane, Australia. As it became clear that a single, large-screen image had more impact
than multiple smaller ones and was a more viable product direction, Multiscreen changed its
name to IMAX.
2.2 EXPO’s
Tiger Child, the first IMAX film, was demonstrated at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan.The first
permanent IMAX installation was built at the Cinesphere theatre at Ontario Place in Toronto. It
debuted in May 1971, showing the film North of Superior. The installation is still in place,
however, Ontario Place is on hiatus for redevelopment.
During Expo '74 in Spokane, Washington, an IMAX screen that measured 27 m × 20 m (89 ft.
× 66 ft.) was featured in the US Pavilion. At US pavilion IMAX was the largest Structure .In the
Expo it became the first IMAX Theatre to not be partnered with any other brand of movie
theatres. About 5 million visitors viewed the screen, which covered viewer's total visual field
9

11. when looking directly forward. This created a sensation of motion in most viewers, and motion
sickness in some Viewer’s. It is being debated on whether it should be torn down, much to the
disapproval of the majority of Spokane. An IMAX 3D theatre also is in operation near the former
Expo 67 site at the Montreal Science Centre in the Port of Old Montreal; however, but it's
screen-size is nearly half than that screen of the US Pavilion Expo ’74.
The first permanent IMAX Dome installation, the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff
Dome Theatre at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Centre, opened in San Diego's Balboa Park in
1973. It was doubles as a planetarium. The first permanent IMAX 3D theatre was built
in Vancouver, British Columbia for Transitions at Expo '86, and was in use until September 30,
2009.It was located at the tip of Canada Place, a Vancouver landmark.
In 2008, IMAX extended their brand into traditional theatres with the introduction of Digital
IMAX, a lower-cost system that uses two 2K digital projectors to project on a 1.89:1 aspect ratio
screen. This lower-cost option, which allowed for the conversion of existing multiplex
theatre auditoriums, It helped IMAX to grow from 299 IMAX screens worldwide at the end of
the year 2007 to over 1,000 IMAX screens by the end of the year 2015.
Till the June of 2016 there were 1,102 IMAX theatres situated in 69 countries, out of which 990
were in commercial multiplexes.
10

12. CHAPTER 3
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
3.1 CAMERA
The IMAX cinema process increases the image resolution by using larger film frame; in relative
terms, a frame of IMAX format film has three times the theoretical horizontal resolution of a
frame of 35mm film.
To achieve such increased image resolution, which IMAX estimates at approximately 12
thousand lines of horizontal resolution (12K), 65mm film stock passes horizontally through the
IMAX movie camera, 15 perforations at a time. At 24 frames per second, this means that the film
moves through the camera at 102.7 metres per minute (just over 6 km/h).
In a conventional 65mm camera, the film passes vertically through the camera, five perforations
at a time, or 34 metres per minute. In comparison, in a conventional 35mm camera, 35mm film
passes vertically through the camera, at four (smaller) perforations at a time, which translates to
27.4 metres per minute.
In the Todd-AO 70mm-format of widescreen cinema, the image area of a 65mm film-frame is
48.5 mm × 22.1 mm (1.91 in × 0.87 in); in the IMAX-format of widescreen cinema, the movie
image is taller than it is wide, given the film-frame dimensions of 69.6 mm × 48.5 mm (2.74 in
× 1.91 in).
11Figure 4

13. To match the standard image resolution of the moving image produced with the film-speed of
24 frames per second, an IMAX film requires three times the length of (negative) film stock
required for a 65mm film of comparable scope and cinematic technique.
An IMAX CINEMA CAMERA displayed at National Media Museum. It is located at Bradford in
United Kingdom.
3.2 Film
The IMAX format is generically called "15/70" film, the name referring to the 15 sprocket holes
or perforations per frame. The film's bulk requires horizontal platters, rather than conventional
film reels. IMAX platters range from 1.2 to 1.83 meters (3.9 to 6.0 ft.) diameter to accommodate
1 to 2.75 hours of film. Platters with a 2.5 hour feature film weigh 250 kilograms (550 lb.).
IMAX uses ESTAR-based print film in their 15/70 rolling-loop film projection systems.
ESTAR-based print film provides greater precision. The chemical development process does not
change the size or shape of ESTAR print film, and IMAX's pin registration system (especially
the camera mechanism) does not tolerate either sprocket-hole or film-thickness variations.
On September 1, 2016, it announced plans to include Virtual Reality into the IMAX theater
12
Figure 5

14. experience with the opening of a new VR center in Los Angeles using a new StarVR headset
created by Acer.
3.3 Soundtrack - double-system
In order to use more of the image area, IMAX film does not include an embedded soundtrack.
Instead, the IMAX system specifies a separate six-channel 35 mm (1.4 in) magnetic film,
recorded and played back on a film follower locked to picture, just as Vitaphone had been
(utilizing 16-inch 33 1/3 RPM electrical transcription discs) in the early 20th century, and was
the same technology used to provide the 7-channel soundtrack accompanying films
photographed and exhibited in the Cinerama process in the mid-1950s.
By the early 1990s, a separate DTS-based 6-track digital sound system was used, similarly
locked to the projector by a SMPTE time code synchronization apparatus, the audio played off a
series of proprietarily encoded CD-ROM discs. In the late 1990s this system was upgraded to
one using a hard drive which carries a single uncompressed audio file containing the 6 channels.
These are then converted directly to analogue rather than using a decoding method such as DTS.
Like conventional theatres, IMAX theatres place speakers both directly behind the acoustically
transparent screen and around the theatre to create a "surround sound" effect. IMAX also
provides a "top center" speaker in addition to the centre speaker found in conventional theatres.
13
Figure 6

15. This extra channel allows the sound mix engineers to take advantage of the screen's greater
height.
3.4 PROJECTOR
Drawing the large film through the projector presented challenges for both the camera and the
projector. Conventional 70 mm systems were not steady enough for the 586× magnification. On
the projector side, William Shaw adapted an Australian patent for film transport called the
"rolling loop" by adding a compressed air "puffer" to accelerate the film, and put a cylindrical
lens in the projector's "aperture block". The projector uses a vacuum to pull the film into contact
with this lens. Thus the "field flattener" flattens the image field. The lens is twice the height of
the film and connects to a pneumatic piston so it can be moved up or down while the projector is
running. This way, if a piece of dust comes off the film and sticks to the lens, the projectionist
can switch to the clean side of the lens at the push of a button. The lens also has "wiper bars"
made of a felt or brush-like material which can wipe dust off the lens as it moves up or down.
IMAX projectors are pin stabilized, meaning four registration pins engage the perforations at the
corners of the projected frame to ensure perfect alignment. Shaw added cam-controlled arms to
decelerate each frame to eliminate the microscopic shaking as the frame "settled" onto the
registration pins. The projector's shutter is open around 20% longer than in conventional
equipment and the light source is brighter. The xenon short-arc lamps are made of a thin layer
of fused quartz and contain xenon gas at a pressure of about 25 atmospheres (367 PSI); because
of this, projectionists are required to wear protective body armor when changing or handling
these in case the lamp breaks because of the danger from flying quartz shards when propelled by
14
Figure 7

16. the high pressure of the xenon gas within. An IMAX projector weighs up to 1.8 tonne and is over
5.8 ft. tall and 6.4 ft. long.
IMAX Corporation has released four projector types that use its 15-perforation, 70 mm
film format: GT (Grand Theatre), GT 3D (dual rotor), SR (Small Rotor), and MPX, which was
designed for retrofitted theatres. In July 2008, the company introduced a digital projection
system, which it has not given a distinct name or brand, designed for multiplex theatres with
screens no wider than 21.3 m (70 ft). All IMAX projectors, except the standard GT system, can
project 3D images.
3.4.1 DIGITAL IMAX PROJECTION
The digital cinema IMAX projection system, debuted in 2008, is designed to be used with
shorter 1.89:1 aspect ratio screens. The system uses two 2K projectors that can present either 2D
or 3D content in DCI or IMAX Digital Format (IDF) (which in itself is a superset of DCI). IDF
initially used 2K-resolution Christie xenon projectors, with a Texas Instruments Digital Light
Processing (DLP) engine, but in 2012 IMAX announced that they would be switching
to Barco as their primary supplier. The two 2K images are projected superimposed on each other
with a half-pixel offset, using super-resolution imaging to increase the perceived resolution to
approximately 2.9K. For 3D presentations, one projector is used to display the image for each
eye, while 2D presentations use the superimposed images to allow for a brighter 22-foot
lambert image. The Digital IMAX projection system includes a proprietary IMAX Image
Enhancer that modifies the output of the digital media server based on feedback from cameras
and microphones in the auditorium, and maintains alignment with sub pixel accuracy.
Mainly because the system facilitates inexpensive distribution of IMAX features, the company
announced in February 2012 that they were re-renovating specially selected locations around the
world to present both 70mm analog as well as digital presentations. To do so, IMAX developed a
rail system that allows the projectors to be moved in and out if there is either a full-frame film
print available or a digital-only release. These theatres were prepared in time for the release of
The Dark Knight Rises in July 2012.
15

17. 3.4 IMAX with laser Projection
In month of April 2012, IMAX began testing it’s new 4K laser projection system which were
based on patents licensed from Eastman Kodak. Like the 3D film and digital systems, it used two
projectors, but it improved over the smaller digital screens by retaining the traditional IMAX
aspect ratio and to allowed films to be shown on screens 36 m (118 ft.) wide or more.
In December 2014, IMAX began rolling out its new Dual 4K laser projector system, dubbed
"IMAX with Laser", with the first installation occurring at the Cineplex Scotiabank
Theatre in Toronto. The system allows digital projection on the full 1.43:1 aspect ratio surface of
a traditional IMAX screen, but can also be used on wider screens such as the 2.00:1-aspect-
ratio TCL Chinese Theatre. The system replaces the xenon arc lamp of a traditional digital
projector with a laser light source, and is capable of 60 fps with "50 percent greater" brightness
than the Digital Cinema Initiatives spec, a contrast ratio "double" that of IMAX 15/70mm film
projection and "higher" than the 2500:1 contrast ratio of IMAX's xenon lamp-based projection
systems, and displaying the full Rec. 2020 colour gamut/space. The system also features a
new 12-channel surround sound system, which adds an additional speaker on either side of the
theatre as well as four new overhead speakers.While still not matching the theoretical resolution
of traditional IMAX film, which is estimated to be up to 12 thousand lines of horizontal
resolution on the 65mm camera negative (12K) and approximately 6 thousand on a 70mm
release print (6K), the new laser system features dual-4K resolution projectors, each capable of
displaying four times the detail of one Digital IMAX projector. Like Digital IMAX, images from
the two projectors are projected superimposed on each other with a half-pixel offset, using super-
resolution imaging to increase the perceived resolution to be greater than 4K.In-theater cameras
16
Figure 8

18. and microphones are used to automatically calibrate the projectors and sound system between
showings. For 3D presentations, one projector is used to display the image for each eye, while
2D presentations use the superimposed images to allow for a brighter image.
3.5 Theatre
IMAX theatres are described as either "Classic Design" (purpose-built structures), or "Multiplex
Design" (retrofitted auditoriums).Classic IMAX theatre construction differs significantly from
conventional theatres. The increased resolution allows the audience to be much closer to the
screen; typically all rows are within one screen height; conventional theatre seating runs 8 to 12-
screen heights. Also, the rows of seats are set at a steep angle which is up to 30° in some domed
theatres so that the audience is facing the screen directly.
A standard IMAX screen is 72 ft. × 53 ft., but can be significantly larger. The world's largest
IMAX screen is in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia, and measures 117.2ft. ×97ft.
17
Figure 9

19. CHAPTER 4
IMAX VARIATION
4.1 IMAX DOME
In the late 1960s the San Diego Hall of Science as now known as the Reuben H. Fleet Science
Centre began searching North America for a large-format film system to project on the dome of
their planned 23.16 m (76.0 ft.) tilted dome planetarium. The standard IMAX projector was not
suitable for use inside a dome because it had a 3.65 m (12.0 ft.) tall lamp house on top. IMAX
Corporation redesigned its system, adding an elevator to lift the projector to the centre of the
dome from the projection booth below. Spectra Physics designed a suitable lamp house that took
smaller, 46 cm (18 inch) lamps and placed the bulb behind the lens instead of above the
projector. In 1970, Ernst Leitz Canada, Ltd. now known as ELCAN Optical Technologizes won
a contract to develop and manufacture a fisheye lens projection system optimized to project an
image onto a dome instead of a flat screen.
The dome system, which the San Diego Hall of Science called
OMNIMAX, uses films shot with a camera equipped with a fisheye lens that squeezes a highly
distorted 180° field of view onto the 65 mm IMAX film. The lens is aligned below the centre of
the frame and most of the bottom half of the circular field falls beyond the edge of the film. The
18
Figure 10

20. part of the field that would fall below the edge of the dome is masked. When filming, the camera
is aimed upward at an angle that matches the tilt of the dome. When projected through a
matching fisheye lens onto a dome, the original panoramic view is recreated. OMNIMAX wraps
180° horizontally, 100° above the horizon and 22° below the horizon for a viewer at the centre of
the dome. OMNIMAX premiered in 1973 showing Voyage to the Outer Planets produced by
Graphic Films and Garden Isle by Roger Tilton Films on a double bill.
IMAX has since renamed the system IMAX Dome. However, some theatres continue to call it
OMNIMAX.
19
Figure 11

21. OMNIMAX theatres inhabit theme parks and North American museums, particularly those with
a scientific focus, where the technical aspects of the system may be highlighted as part of the
attraction. The projection room is often windowed to allow public viewing and accompanied by
informational placards like other exhibits. The screen may be a permanent fixture, such as at
the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois; Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the St. Louis Science
Center; Boston's Museum of Science; Richmond's Science Museum of Virginia; Birmingham,
Alabama's McWane Science Center and US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL;
the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal and Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland,
OH; or lowered and raised as needed, such as at the Canadian Museum of History .Canadian
Museum of History shares an auditorium with a standard IMAX screen. The entire dome can be
raised to show flat screen features and lowered for dome features. For the flat screen theatres,
before the feature begins, the screen can be backlit to show the speakers and girders behind it.
While the majority of museum installations focus on educational and documentary films, on
special occasions,
entertainment films are also shown, such as Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The largest in North America
20
Fi
Figure 12

22. are at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey and the TELUS World of Science in
Vancouver, BC, both of which have dome screens 89 ft. in size.
4.2 IMAX 3D
To create the illusion of depth, the IMAX 3D process uses two separate camera lenses that
represent the left and right eyes. The lenses are separated by a distance of 64 mm (2.5 in), the
average distance between a human's eyes. Two separate rolls of film are used to capture the
images they produce. The IMAX 3D camera weighs over 113 kg (249 lb.).
By projecting the two films superimposed on the screen and using one of several available
methods to direct only the correct image to each eye, viewers see a 3D image on a 2D screen.
One method is to use polarizing filters to oppositely polarize the light used in projecting each
image. The viewer wears glasses with polarizing filters oriented to match the projector filters, so
that the filter over each eye blocks the light used to project the images intended for the other eye.
In another method, the two projections rapidly alternate. While one image is being shown, the
projection of its mate is blocked. Each frame is shown more than once to increase the rate and
suppress flicker. The viewer wears shutter glasses with liquid crystal shutters that block or
transmit light in sync with the projectors, so each eye sees only the images meant for it.
Several of the early films that had been produced in digital 3D for release in conventional
theatres were also presented in IMAX 3D, including Avatar, Gravity and the Amazing Spider-
Man. The first full-colour IMAX 3D film was the 1986 short documentary Transitions, produced
for Expo 86 in Vancouver.
4.3 DIGITAL IMAX
Because 70mm film and projectors are costly and it is difficult to mass production, and because
the size of auditoriums that house full-size IMAX screens make them expensive to construct,
21
Figure 13

23. IMAX debuted a digital projection system in 2008 designed to be used with shorter 1.89:1 aspect
ratio screens. It uses two 2K-resolution projectors that can present either 2D or 3D content
in DCI or IMAX Digital Format (IDF) (which in itself is a superset of DCI). The digital
installations have caused some controversy, as many theatres have branded their screens as
IMAX after merely retrofitting standard auditoriums with IMAX digital projectors. The screen
sizes in these auditoriums are much smaller than those in the purpose-built auditoriums of the
original 15/70 IMAX format, and are limited to the 1.89:1 aspect ratio.
Another disadvantage is the much lower resolution of digital IMAX. The technology has a
maximum perceived resolution of 2.9K, compared to traditional IMAX 70mm projection, which
has an estimated resolution of 12K.Some reviewers have also noted that many non-IMAX
theatres are projecting films at 4K resolution through competing brands such as Dolby
Cinema and UltraAVX.
IMAX has held to a uniform branding of "The IMAX Experience" across various underlying
technologies and screen sizes. Some have criticized the company's marketing approach. Despite
the differences with digital IMAX, the cost-effective format has aided in the company's
worldwide growth, especially in Russia and China.
22

24. CHAPTER 5
IMAX FILMS
5.1 Entertainment films
IMAX in the USA has mostly been used for specialty applications. The expense and logistical
challenges of producing and presenting IMAX films have led to approximately 40 minute shorter
running times than conventional films. Most are documentaries suited for institutional venues
such as museums and science centers. IMAX cameras have been used while orbiting the earth,
climbing Mount Everest, exploring the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and visiting the Antarctic.
A film about the Mars Exploration Rovers, titled Roving Mars (2006), used exclusive data from
the rovers.[28]
An early attempt at presenting mainstream entertainment in IMAX was The Rolling Stones: Live
at the Max (1991), an 85-minute compilation of concert footage filmed in IMAX during the
band's 1990 Steel Wheels tour, edited to give the impression of a single concert.
In the 1990s more entertainment short films were created, notably T-Rex: Back to the
Cretaceous in 1998 and Haunted Castle in 2001 (both in 3D). In 1995, French director Jean-
Jacques Annauddirected Wings of Courage, the first dramatic picture shot for IMAX. In 1998
and 1999, More and The Old Man and the Sea became the first short films produced using the
IMAX format and both earned Academy Award nominations, with Old Man and the Sea is the
only IMAX film to win an Oscar. In the year 2000, Disney produced Fantasia 2000, the first full-
length animated feature initially released exclusively in the IMAX format.
5.2 Use in Hollywood productions
Before the end of the 1990s, theatrical features were deemed impossible to run in the IMAX
venues at the time, due to technical limitation on the size of the film reel where films had to be
run around two hours. Originally IMAX as well as Pixar were considering to release Toy
Story in IMAX 3D, but results of the tests displayed that the render resolution could not match
to the size of the IMAX image. DreamWorks in the early 2000s wanted to re-release Shrek in
23

25. IMAX 3D, but this too was cancelled as a result of creative changes in the studio. These failed
attempts at re-releases did inspire IMAX to experiment and improve their ability in presenting
computer-animation in their theaters. Their compilation Cyber World was the result, which
contained new original animation and IMAX-presented versions of computer animated tests and
music videos. Cyber world even presented open-matte 3D versions of the bar sequence
from Antz and the "Homer3" segment from The Simpsons, both coincidentally were animated
at Pacific Data Images.
Walt Disney Pictures became the first studio to release theatrical films in the IMAX process.
Released on New Year's Day in 2000, Fantasia 2000 was the studio's first IMAX release and the
first theatrical feature to be presented in IMAX theaters. It was originally planned as a standard
theatrical release, but in agreeing with the company to release the film, the IMAX sound system
incorporated a multi-channel and multi-layer stereo system for the orchestrated soundtrack,
similar to the Fantasound system Walt Disney used for the original film decades ago. The
company agreed to Disney's terms and conditions to gain the exclusive first showings of the film.
These included a limited engagement from January 1 to April 30 and 50% of the box office
receipts. Not all IMAX cinemas were prepared to accept Disney's terms to present the film;
however, following the IMAX release, a standard 35mm run followed in June at regular theatres.
Although Fantasia 2000 had a Luke-warm financial run, the critical praise for its use of the
IMAX format convinced Disney to put more releases in the giant-screen format in the pipeline.
In 2002, IMAX re-issues of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King were released in select
theaters over the winter and Christmas seasons of that year. New digital masters were created
from the original CAPS production files and select scenes of animation were cleaned up to make
use of the high resolution IMAX film negatives. Treasure Planet was also released in select
IMAX theaters and was the first theatrical film to be released in regular and IMAX theaters
simultaneously. But all of these releases had underwhelming box office returns and Disney
cancelled later big-screen re-releases, including Aladdin.
With the unveiling of the DMR process , Warner Bros. Pictures especially embraced the format
beginning in 2003 with the two sequels of Matrix (I.e Reloaded and Revolutions). Since The
Prisoner of Azkaban in 2004, Warner Bros. began releasing the Harry Potter film franchise in
IMAX to strong financial success. Also in 2004 the studio released Robert Zemeckis' motion-
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26. capture film The Polar Express in IMAX 3D which became the most successful film to be
released in IMAX theatres, producing at least a quarter of the film's gross of $302 million from
fewer than 100 IMAX screens. Success for Warner Bros. and IMAX followed in later years
with I Am Legend, Happy Feet, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Progressively other
studios became further interested in releasing films in IMAX through the DMR process and have
earned success through it. In 2009, J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek was released for initially two weeks
in IMAX venues in May and opened to $8.3 million dollars. The IMAX opening weekends
of The Avengers and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 have since grossed $15
million.
Though they weren't filmed with IMAX cameras, Skyfall and The Amazing Spider-Man were
optimized for IMAX digital screens when they were released. Both movies were filmed in high-
resolution cameras and the digital negative ratio was equal to that of the IMAX Digital
frame. Skyfall increased the visual information of the entire film while Amazing Spider-
Man optimized the finale battle with the Lizard. James Cameron's Titanic when it was restored
and re-released in theaters also specially made an open-matte version for IMAX. In 2010 after
years of successful IMAX DMR releases, Warner Bros. signed a deal to release up to 20 feature
films in IMAX up to 2013, including educational documentaries that were in production.
In May 2015, it was announced that Marvel Studios’ two-part film, Avengers: Infinity War, will
be filmed entirely in IMAX, the first Hollywood feature film to do so, using a modified version
of Arri's Alexa 65 digital camera. The camera is set to be used first to film select sequences in
another Marvel production, 2016's Captain America: Civil War
5.3 IMAX DMR (Digital Media Remastering)
IMAX's proprietary DMR (Digital Media Remastering) process allows conventional films to
be up converted into IMAX format. This special digital intermediate technology allowed films
shot on 35mm for conventional theatres to be shown in IMAX venues. In 2002, Star Wars:
Episode II – Attack of the Clones and an IMAX-format re-release of the 1995 film Apollo 13,
were the first official applications of the DMR process. Because of the projection limitations at
the time, Apollo 13and Attack of the Clones had to be edited down from their original length. As
IMAX updated the system and expanded the size of the platters, the later DMR releases did not
have this limitation; current platters allow a run time of up to 175 minutes.
25

27. Reviewers have generally praised the results of the DMR blow-up process, which are visually
and audibly superior to the same films projected in 35mm.But some filmmakers, such as
producer Frank Marshall, point out that DMR blow-ups are not comparable to films created
directly in the 70 mm 15 perf IMAX format, and that directors Ron Howard and George
Lucas expected better. They note that the decline of Cinerama coincided roughly with its
replacement by a simpler, cheaper, technically inferior version, and view DMR with alarm.
IMAX originally reserved the phrase "the IMAX experience" for true 70 mm productions, but
now allows its use on DMR productions as well.
After The Lion King in 2003, no Hollywood studio engaged in re-releasing and restoring classic
films through the IMAX DMR process until 2012 although ongoing conversion of new releases
continued and continued to grow in number. James Cameron's Titanic underwent both 3D
conversion and DMR conversion to 3D in 2012 as did Men in Black 3. In August 2012 IMAX
and Paramount Pictures announced a one-week exclusive re-release of Raiders of the Lost
Ark on September 7, 2012, to promote the release of the Blu-Ray collection. The film, before it
underwent DMR, was already restored in a 4K digital intermediate with 7.1 surround sound from
the original negative. The process for IMAX theaters, like with the complete restoration, was
26
Figure 14

28. supervised by Steven Spielberg and sound designer Ben Burtt. "I didn't know if the 1981 print
would stand up to a full IMAX transfer, so I came expecting a sort of grainy, muddy, and overly
enlarged representation of the movie I had made years ago," Spielberg said. "I was blown away
by the fact that it looked better than the movie I had made years ago." For other DMR releases
and re-releases see List of IMAX DMR films.
5.4 Feature films shot on IMAX cameras
Some recent features have employed IMAX cameras for select scenes, however no full-length
feature film has yet been shot entirely using IMAX cameras due to the numerous difficulties
presented with the format – the cameras are much larger and heavier than standard cameras and
as they are noisier it makes dialogue recording difficult. The cameras have short film loads
ranging from 30 seconds to two minutes and the cost of the film stock is much greater than
standard 35mm film.
The Dark Knight Features six sequences (a total of 28 minutes) shot using IMAX. According to
the film's press notes, this was the "first time ever that a major feature film has been even
partially shot using IMAX cameras”. Even before Dark Knight, Nolan had wanted to shoot a
film in the IMAX format, and he also used it for quiet scenes which pictorially he thought would
be interesting. Nolan said that he wished that it were possible to shoot the entire film in IMAX:
"if you could take an IMAX camera to Mount Everest or outer space, you could use it in a
feature movie." Nolan chose to edit some of the IMAX sequences using the original camera
negative to eliminate generation loss, while scenes that were digitally mastered where scanned
and printed out at 8 thousand lines of horizontal resolution (8K).When the film opened in 94
IMAX venues in 2008, all of them were sold out for the opening weekend.
A year later, director Michael Bay was inspired by IMAX's use in The Dark Knight to feature
big-screen sequences in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The film's co-writer Roberto Orci
suggested that the IMAX footage would be 3D, but Bay later said that considering himself an
"old school" filmmaker, he found 3D gimmicky and added that shooting in IMAX was easier
than using stereoscopic cameras. The IMAX version of the film, in the end, contained almost ten
minutes of IMAX-filmed footage out of the two and a half hour film. Bay later partially filmed
the third Transformers film, Dark of the Moon in 3D but without IMAX. But in the year 2014
27

29. Bay returned to IMAX for the fourth film, Age of Extinction. It was the first feature film to be
shot using digital IMAX 3D cameras.
Two years later, Brad Bird's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol had 25 minutes of footage
shot using IMAX cameras. Bird believed that using IMAX format would bring back "a level of
showmanship" to the presentation of Hollywood films, which he believes the industry has lost
due to its emphasis on screening films in multiplexes as opposed to grand theaters, and vetoing
"first runs" in favour of wider initial releases. He also added that the IMAX format offered the
viewer more immersion than digital 3D due to its brighter, higher quality image, which is
projected on a larger screen, without the need for specialised glasses. Ghost Protocol opened on
December 16, 2011, in almost 500 IMAX venues worldwide a week before its wide release
where it earned third place in the box office and $12 million dollars.
Like with The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan decided to film sequences of the sequel, The
Dark Knight Rises, in 15/70mm IMAX. Nolan elected not to film in 3D and stated that he
intends to focus on improving image quality and scale using the IMAX format. In a Hollywood
record, The Dark Knight Rises featured 72 minutes of footage shot in IMAX (in
comparison, The Dark Knight contained 28 minutes.) But because of the considerable noise
made by IMAX cameras, 35mm and 70mm cameras had to be used for shooting the film's
dialogue scenes, and dialogue had to be dubbed when shot with IMAX cameras. Chairman and
president of the IMAX Corporation Greg Foster stated that IMAX plans to run the film in its
theaters for two months, despite only being contractually committed to run the film for two
weeks in some theaters.
J. J. Abrams's Star Trek into Darkness, Francis Lawrence's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,
Luc Besson's Lucy, and Christopher Nolan's Interstellar are recently released films to have
sequences filmed in IMAX.
On July 9, 2014, Bad Robot of J. J. Abrams's production company confirmed via a picture
uploaded to Twitter that one sequence in Disney and Lucas films' Star Wars: The Force
Awakens would be captured with the IMAX 15/70 perf film camera, in addition to the standard
35mm film cameras that Abrams and his cinematographer Dan Mindel have employed for
shooting the movie.
28

30. Adele's music video "Hello", released in 2015, became the first music video to be partially
filmed with IMAX cameras.
In April 2015, it was announced that Russo brothers' Captain America: Civil War would be the
first film to use the new IMAX/Arri 2D digital camera, which was used to shoot approximately
15 minutes of the film. The In May 2015, the Russo brothers announced that their upcoming
films Avengers: Infinity War – Part I and Avengers: Infinity War – Part II, scheduled for release
in 2018 and 2019, would be the first feature films shot entirely in IMAX, albeit using the
Imax/Arri 2D digital camera instead of 15/70 perf film.
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31. CHAPTER 6
AWARDS
In the year 1996, IMAX was awarded the Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences for Scientific and Technical Achievement. The award cited IMAX's innovations in
creating and developing a method of filming and exhibiting large-format, wide-angle motion
pictures.
To date, ten native-format IMAX format films have received Academy Awards nomination, with
one winner. While on technical aspects and the usage of the IMAX system, only Wally Pfister's
cinematography on The Dark Knight has earned a nomination.
• The Eruption of Mount St. Helens!, 1980 Documentary Short Subject
• Fires of Kuwait, 1992 Documentary Feature
• The Living Sea, 1995 Documentary Short Subject
• Special Effects: Anything Can Happen, 1996 Documentary Short Subject
• Cosmic Voyage, 1996 Documentary Short Subject
• Amazon, 1997 Documentary Short Subject
• Alaska: Spirit of the Wild, 1997 Documentary Short Subject
• More, 1998 Animated Short Film
• The Old Man and the Sea, Winner 1999 Animated Short Film
• Dolphins, 2000 Documentary Short Subject
30

32. 31

33. CHAPTER 7
PEST FACTORS AFFECTING MAX
PEST analysis is one of the environmental scanning tools used in analysing the aggregate/sum
total of all the environmental uncontrollable variables that affects the internal strategic choices of
organization. Ward and Rivani (2005) stated that "PEST analysis assumes that specific external
and internal circumstances that characterise the business environments are able to influence the
organization capabilities and capacities to produce value".
7.1 IMAX POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
The political environment of a business includes its legal, competition regulation, employment
laws, international trade regulations, consumer protection and so on. IMAX operated in an
environment that was legally favourable, supportive, protective and politically stable. Campbell
(1997: p 315) stated that "The actions and policies of political institutions have a profound effect
on the way in which businesses operates". He further stated that "All businesses must act within
legal and regulatory conditions which are set by the state in which the business is located".
Notably IMAX invested 5% of its revenue totalling $12.6 million on R&D. 50 out of its 318 staff
participated in this program.(Annual report 2007). This massive investment paid off as IMAX
was able to develop new products and processes that re-shaped the industry. IMAX used the
legal framework (patents) to its advantage in order to protect its intellectual property (e.g. 3D
cameras, polarised glasses, large format films etc.) and still has 7 still pending in court though it
already own 46 patents. (Annual report 2007)
US film industry lost more than $3 billion annually to piracy according to Motion Picture
Association of Association of America, but to combat this trend; the US congress offered
copyright protection through Copyright Act of 1976 that was later amended in 1982. Violations
of this act tantamount to felony and were subject to federal criminal charges (McBride and
Orwall 2004: p.B1).
32

34. From the above explanation, it's clear that the political environment in which a firm operates
goes a long way to determine its long term survival.
7.2 IMAX ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
The economic environment of every business comprises of sub elements like economic growth,
monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and exchange rates etc.
The average household income of IMAX audience of whom majority are between the ages of 19
and 65 are $70000 with 33% of that group earning more than $100000. When this is compared to
the overall theatre admissions for 2007 and the age group that watched IMAX movie, this
translates to 38% of all theatre admissions. "IMAX needed to figure out a way to attract this
demographic".
Economic instability as a result of the over building of capacities by theatre owners over the
years had a great impact on IMAX operations. IMAX had earlier formed alliances with AMC,
Cinemax and Regal entertainments by providing them multiplexes for their theatres. Due to this,
IMAX incurred a debt of $200 million which affected the theatre industry in the late 90's.
Consequently IMAX had financial problems because its debtors could not meet their financial
obligations. This unforeseen action made IMAX to cut $14million in overhead and lay off 200
employees and but back $90million of its debt. Exhibit 4, 5, and 6 provided in the case study
proved that "debt became a great burden for IMAX" and it had to layoff staffs in other to cope
with its present challenges. IMAX's debt was downgraded Ba2 to B2 by Moody's because of
default by its customers.
7.3 IMAX SOCIAL-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT
The socio-cultural environment of business contains sub elements like demography,
labour/social groups, lifestyle, education, beliefs etc. Porter (1980) noted "Societal expectations
reflect the impact on the company of such things as government policy, social concerns, evolving
mores, and many others; these four factors must be considered before a business can develop a
realistic and implementable set of goals and policies."
33

35. IMAX stopped the screening of one of its movies, Volcanoes of the Deep Sea in response to
protest from some religious groups about the level of immorality and violence in the film. These
socio-cultural and religious groups also lobbied political actions to regulate the industry by
reducing the levels of violence, sex, and vulgar language found in popular media. (Dean 2005).
McClelland (1961) concluded that culture has an effect on business practices because people
have different cultures, morals, values and ethical beliefs which Organizations as corporate
citizens must respect in carrying out their business. This brings the concept of business ethics
which according to De George (1987) is the interaction of ethics and business.
The demographic factor which is a sub of the lager socio-cultural environment also created a
good opportunity for IMAX to expand its market share. The case revealed that, more than 20%
of IMAX audience were school groups, 70% were between 19 years and 65 years this when
compared to the data by the MPAA which reported ages 12-24 constitute 38% of theatre
admissions, 25 years to 29 years represents 29% of the admission. The above data creates a
potential market base for IMAX to expand its viewing audience. (Valenti. 2002)
Similarly the lifestyle of people is another social-cultural element that affects businesses,
according to Valenti (2002), he observed that 50% of DVD viewers and almost 38% of VCR
users were frequent movie goers and he concluded that "people who love movies are eager to
watch them again in different environments"
The power wielded by trade union activities such as the Screen Artists Guild which evolved as a
result of common interest (informal groups) of workers in the industry had a great effect on the
industry in 2008 when they went on strike to negotiate wages.
7.4 IMAX TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
IMAX developed technologies that affected the structure of the industry and revolutionise the
way films were being viewed. Technology is defined as "the sum of knowledge of the means and
method of producing goods and services" (Bannock et al 2003). Similarly, Palmer and Hartley
(2002) stated that "The business environment is at present moving through a dynamic and
turbulent phase driven by technological change, globalization and increasingly competitive
markets".
34

36. IMAX was a niche leader in the deployment of new and innovative technologies which
ultimately affected the industry, but the speed of technology transfer was high in the
environment as developments of cheaper high definition camcorders, and proliferation of
distribution cable channels and internets also created opportunities for new firm to enter the
industry as they became formidable substitutes.
The potentials for piracy also increased in the industry just as technology increased, this
necessitated the MPAA to seek legal protection copyrights to the effect of this trend on the
industry.
Government granted IMAX funding for its R&D through the Ontario Technology Fund thereby
indicating government support for the industry, this action suggests that the technological
environment where IMAX operates was one of its driving forces for new ways of doing things.
Conclusively, the technological environment of a firm through factors like rates of technological
obsolesce, speed of technological transfer, new discoveries and development etc. has direct
impact on a firm's strategic choice.
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37. CHAPTER 8
COMPETITORS
Dolby has just announced a huge new project, but it's not about audio as you'd expect -- it's about
the upcoming launch of its IMAX competitor called Dolby Cinema. This giant screen format will
be able to project movies using the "Dolby Vision" technology (something it's been working on
for years), which combines high dynamic range videos with something else that the company's
keeping a secret. High dynamic range or HDR videos, as you might know, can show shadows
and light as you'd see them in real life (take this Disney Research video, for example). Dolby
goes as far as to claim that its technology's "contrast ratio far exceeds that of any other image
technology on the market today."
Figure 15
36

38. Figure 16
The company plans to open its first outlet this December in the Netherlands, but it will
temporarily use 4K laser projectors until the Dolby Vision-capable ones are ready to ship out
next spring. Of course, venues will eventually open in the US, but probably not any time soon, as
Dolby's still busy negotiating with both theater owners and Hollywood studios. For the format to
reach audiences, the company will not only need to convince local movie houses to shoulder part
of the cinema's construction costs, but also to persuade studios to make their films Dolby Vision-
compatible during postproduction. It needs to convince a whole lot of people, in fact, for the
technology to be financially viable and be able to compete with IMAX.
The Hollywood Reporter believes Disney will likely be one of the first to use Dolby Vision, and
that Star Wars VII is a possible candidate for the format. Dolby didn't mention how much it’ll
cost you to enter its giant screen cinemas, but the theater owner in the Netherlands says his
customers will have to pay $18 each, up from the typical $12.50. We guess it's safe to say that
just like for IMAX theaters, you'll need to pay a sizeable premium on top of regular ticket price
if you want to enjoy Dolby Cinema's tech.
37

39. CHAPTER 9
DISCUSSION
• What is the difference between real 3d and IMAX 3d?
Figure 17
1. They are owned by different companies. Real 3D is a company unto itself; IMAX 3D
is of course owned by IMAX. Real 3D can be retrofitted to any modern theatre; IMAX
3D as far as I know is only meant to be used in IMAX theatres.
2.They use a slightly different technique to achieve the 3D effect.
Both use differential polarization: they show two pictures on top of each other, each one
represents one "eye". The 3D glasses lenses are polarized differently, so the right lenses
filters out the left picture, and the left lens filters the right picture.
However, the polarization technique itself is different. I believe that IMAX 3D uses what
38

40. is called "rotational polarization" whereas Real 3D uses something else.
3. From experience, Real 3D to result in better colour and crisper images, but not as
much depth as IMAX 3D. IMAX 3D sometimes has overlapped images, but of course it
must work in a much bigger theatre.
• What is the difference between a 3D IAMX and a dome theater IMAX?
A 3D IMAX film is just like any other 3D movie. You put on a pair of 3D glasses,
and watch the movie as if it was in real life, or the third dimension.
A dome theatre is usually an IMAX dome (Although not always from the IMAX
Corporation) where the screen isn't a traditional flat screen. The screen is dome
shaped, in front of, on the sides, and top of the theatre. It allows you to,
additionally be immersed in the movie.
39
Figure 18

41. CHAPTER 10
REFERENCES
1. "The Birth of IMAX". Ieee.ca. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
2. Mariella Moon. "Dolby is launching its super-vivid IMAX competitor in the
Netherlands". Retrieved December 7, 2014.
3. "IMAX with Laser is here". IMAX April 1, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAX
5. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/management/analysis-of-imax-using-scp-model-
management-essay.php
6. http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/IMAX/dolby-cinema/amc-
prime/Dolby/imax-3d/hdr/high-dynamic-range/rec2020/expanded-colors/laser-
3d/Star_Wars/the-force-awakens/Dolby_Atmos/Atmos/the-force-awakens-imax-3d-
vs-dolby-cinema-at-amc-prime/28452
7. http://www.imax.com/
8. http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_3d_imax_and_a_do
me_theater_imax
9. IMAX Corporation (February 24, 2016)."IMAX Corporation Reports Fourth-
Quarter and Full-Year 2015 Financial Results" (Press release). PR Newswire.
Retrieved February 24, 2016.
10. http://www.ieee.ca/millennium/imax/imax_birth.html
11. http://seminarprojects.com/Thread-imax-technology--8340
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