The IMAX Experience: Revolutionizing Cinema Through Technology and Immersion

Films for IMAX: Tailored for the Big Screen 

Filmed in IMAX means that a moving picture was created with IMAX display in mind even when the film was not shot on IMAX cameras. Instead, producers can shoot with different cameras, including 35mm or RED cameras or ARRI digital cameras, and enhance the footage in either production or post-production to fit IMAX screens. Such optimization may include shooting framed to the IMAX aspect ratio (1.90:1 in digital IMAX or 1.43:1 in IMAX 70mm) and assuring that resolution is within the IMAX requirement of quality. 

Also to note, large series films, such as Avengers: Endgame (2019), will be originally shot using a digital camera, but converted into an IMAX format, with some sequences being stretched, to fit within an aspect ratio of 1.90:1 to fill more of the IMAX theater screen. It is an expansion process that may also be referred to as IMAX Expanded Aspect Ratio that improves the visual effect by trimming black bars (letterboxing) that we usually witness in standard theatres. In contrast to Shot on IMAX which is hardware based, Filmed for IMAX looks at deliberate staging decisions to best utilize the IMAX delivery, including laying out shots to better fit on IMAX screens or optimizing the audio mix to fully utilize IMAX sound capability. "I think IMAX is the ultimate theatrical experience because it’s about immersion, it’s about feeling like you’re in the movie, not just watching it," - James Cameron. 

This method permits filmmakers greater flexibility because they can work with lighter, more adaptable camera models but still provide a visually dramatic experience that is optimized to be seen in an IMAX theater. But the image quality might not be captured in the native resolution of IMAX cameras because it can be upscaled or digitally remastered and brought to IMAX standards.