I-MAX Technolgy for Cinema

IMAX just started in Pune. Was very excited to go and see what IMAX is.I went to movie Dr. Strange which was realeased recently. Let me tell you, I just loved it. The experience is awesome and now I dont want to see movies other than IMAX. The 3D effects are wonderful. You feel like things are flying near you. Screen is huge. Sound quality is breath-taking. I will 1000 percent recommend to watch and experience the future.

Rural cinema halls im Maharashtra have a lot to be cheerful about . They can now play the latest releases within weeks of the official release. this is possible thanks to the digitally formatted DVDs that they receive from producers/distributors such as Mukta and ADlabs.

Digital projection and play-out systems  like Qube are now being introduced in the country. Print costs are saved as digital copies cost far less;Quality is comparable , if done well; and digital tapes can be played repeatedly, without the fear of wear and tear .Once  digital shooting also catches up, the advantages are enormous.

The recently released bilingual (Hindi and Tamil) mumbai express has been successful in using digital technology - shooting is well projection - in the mainstream commercial cinema, the entire film has been shot digitally , prints released & projected in digital  format, and only where theatres needed it, the digital version was converted to digital prints.

''Digital cinema may be in its infancy in the country, but it is here to stay.The current practice of making movies in the film format is in its sunset years, '' prophesises senthil Kumar, Director of Chennai-based Real Image, technology providers in the film, video and audio market.

K.M. Suryanaryanan of Real Image says that for Mumbai Express, '' The digital footage was also sent to Prasad film Labs , Mumbai, to do a Reverse Telecine, which is a process of converting the digital format to film format . Once this is done the release prints for the none digital cinema (conventional Cinema) theatre can be done in the usual manner .''

The movie Mumbai Express follows the life of a honest -to-goodness daredevil motorbike rider, Mumbai Express (played by kamal hassan). The scheme of bunch of henchman to become rich overnight  and Mumbai Express contribution to the plot makes for laughs.

Hiya fellas,

If you are Bored watching movies in Traditional film theatre & you feel that whatever you are watching is not life like, so my dear consider your problem DONE, SOLVED. Very soon New Delhi had its very own I-MAX theatre in Pragati Maidan, you must be wondering what is I-MAX. It is an entertainment company, which is in making 3-D movies, that is why it had been named I-MAX.I-MAX means MAXIMUM IMAGE. As, I earlier said an original cinema, I really mean it, I-MAX theatre screen is huge about 70 feet tall & because of 3D effects everything you watched is life like. There are about 200 odd theatres in 30 countries & they all running quite successfully. Filming on I-MAX format is quite different from the traditional one. Common cinema uses 35 mm Film, whereas I-MAX uses 70 mm film & this special film had got 15 perforations instead of 4 in traditional one, so, increased width & increased no. of perforations, the frame size increase to a whooping 10 times & in order to make it huge the film is running on camera as well as on projector too. Speaking of Cameras, these cameras are quite robust in nature & proved quite efficient while using on almost all weathers as well as on all types of areas (especially Rocky & terrains), they weighs around 20-45 Kg. Though their efficiency is well known but they do have a drawback since it carries a bigger film so it occupies only about 3-minute movie film & it will take about 30 minutes to reload it. 15,000 Watt lamp, lights I-MAX curtain; this light is so bright that, if it is on Moon it can be seen on earth by naked eyes. For 3D effects, special lenses put on the projector & with the help ''ROLLING LOOP'' technology the film is moving at a rate of 334 Ft/min, which is about 3 times faster than the normal movie, 45 minutes of I-MAX movie contains about 3 miles long film, this is probably the main reason that these movies are quite expensive in making, there are only two movies (ATTACK OF CLONES & WALT DISNEY'S LION KING) so far released in I-MAX format. What is the movie without a sound, here too I-MAX take care the sound too, in I-MAX theatre 12,000 Watt six channel Digital sound, which makes listening truly a delight, there are 44 nos. of speakers in a group of 6 speakers each place behind the curtain as the curtain had millions of perforations, so unlike traditional digital sound system, you have sound from the rear of the movie too??? (Isn't it a great experience).

Generally I-MAX screens are of two types: 1) Flat Type & 2) Dom Type. Flat screen is having a length of 70 feet & breadth of about 80 feet, while Dom type screen having same dimensions but the projector can be lift & tilt to a height of 23 feet, watching movie a pleasurable experience. Experts believe that traditional movies can be transformed in I-MAX format via some soft wares, & I am sure those days are not far, when every movie can be in I-MAX & putting up theatres like this in Delhi & other parts of India certainly is a good idea & it gives a tremendous boost to the Film industry & movie goers.

Your comments are awaited.

Bhatt