What’s the IMAX experience like?
The IMAX experience is all-encompassing. Each aspect of the film you’re watching has been amplified, causing the sights and sounds to wrap around you and pull you closer into the story.
When you’re in one of Vue’s IMAX screens, you’ll be able to feel the difference. Pristine sound and flawless imagery come together in a purpose-built setting, allowing you to be utterly consumed by what’s happening in front of you.
The Science of IMAX
IMAX isn't just a film format, it's a science. Take a look at all the magic that goes into IMAX to make it so jaw-droppingly brilliant.
Where was the first ever IMAX cinema and what was the first ever IMAX movie screening?
IMAX began in the late 1960s, with a team of Canadian filmmakers who were keen on experimenting with multiple projectors and specially designed screens to deliver a different kind of cinema experience.
After years of trial, error, and innovation, they debuted their unique camera, projector, and dome-shaped screen with the film Tiger Child at EXPO ’70 in Osaka, Japan. It was such a success they brought IMAX home with them to Toronto’s Ontario Place Cinesphere, where they opened the first permanent IMAX installation – which is still running today.
Initially, IMAX movies focussed on capturing and relaying real life back to audiences – think nature documentaries and music concert footage. But in the 1990s, filmmakers began to see the potential that IMAX could bring to different types of storytelling.
1995’s Wings of Courage was the first drama that was filmed specifically for IMAX, while the IMAX-aimed short films More (1998) and The Old Man and The Sea (1999) were both nominated for Academy Awards. Disney got on board in 2000 with the release of Fantasia 2000, the first animated feature film created for IMAX screens.
The development of IMAX’s Digital Media Remastering (DMR) process changed the game once again, allowing studios to edit existing footage into IMAX-compatible films. Filmmakers saw the opportunity immediately and jumped at the chance to pull audiences even further into the action –the 2003 Matrix sequels and 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were released in IMAX to enormous box office success.
Once filmmakers had a taste of what IMAX could offer, and audiences had a taste of the results, there was no going back. Nearly 50 years on from the first IMAX film, the tech behind the movie magic is getting increasingly sophisticated in order to capture and deliver big screen moments in hair-raising detail for audiences around the world.
Vue IMAX Cinemas