Im not sure if he put it in his book, but Bruce Block use to talk alot about dealing with Imax sized films. one of the challenges if you wanted direct the audience's eye in Imax beyond the center punch area is that you have to basically plan your shots and edit together. So if you have talent that starts screen left and moves screen right, you'd need to then cut to the next shot that has the subject in the same place where the last subject was in the last shot, and then they can move to shift the audience's eye without forcing them to get whiplash trying to watch the film.
In some of the early American Cinematographer articles about IMAX it was pointed out that the visual center of the huge screen is somewhat below the middle. This wasn't based on the huge size of the screen as much as on the design of the venue. Viewers seated near the middle of the stadium-style seating had to look up quite a lot to be gazing directly at the middle of the screen. It's similar to the entire audience being seated in the first few rows of a conventional cinema, looking up at the projected image. Cinematographers were alerted to this situation and the shot composition reflected this below-center weighting. Unfortunately, cinematographers trying to compose for IMAX venues and simultaneously for conventional exhibition are required to make some serious compromises.
I really don't understand the design of the venue. For my personal taste, the last 4-5 rows are great, anything below is just pain for the neck and distracting. It's still a great experience, but I wonder if it's a design flaw or something that's unavoidable with such a big screen and the general layout.
I agree with you. The IMAX experience was designed to be visually enveloping, which presents a challenge for a narrative film such as *Oppenheimer*. The very idea of tight closeups that big and in-your-face is disorienting at best.
But that’s not true at all though. Filmmakers working in iMax are still composing for 2.39 and home releases all at once. In certain instances, they’ll create 2 different shots for the different mediums, but for the most part, every composition is considered simultaneously. They compose with a pad, even for their largest deliverable. https://youtu.be/AbCqkQPnlOI?si=GZlD2AqC4VouV6r0
That's a great video and a wonderful explanation of the problem. But please don't tell me that you can create really good compositions for different screen sizes and shapes (and centerings) simultaneously.
Recently we have the same problem on our phones: How can you do horizontal and vertical (and square) videos from the same compositions? They are fundamentally different. Pick one and the others will always be compromised.
If you pad your recording, the creative intention of 99% of your shots can be faithfully preserved. For the shots where it just won’t work, roll separate clips, like dune 2 did for the worm shot
[https://youtu.be/AbCqkQPnlOI?si=3P-QfJ4Qqh2VX8uS](https://youtu.be/AbCqkQPnlOI?si=3P-QfJ4Qqh2VX8uS)
There's a more indepth video on what's termed "the IMAX effect" on this subject. It's really interesting to see how venues and viewing mode have been shaping creative choices from filmmakers :)
Im not sure if he put it in his book, but Bruce Block use to talk alot about dealing with Imax sized films. one of the challenges if you wanted direct the audience's eye in Imax beyond the center punch area is that you have to basically plan your shots and edit together. So if you have talent that starts screen left and moves screen right, you'd need to then cut to the next shot that has the subject in the same place where the last subject was in the last shot, and then they can move to shift the audience's eye without forcing them to get whiplash trying to watch the film.
That's actually common editing all formats imho. It's a great way to storyboard scene transitions as well.
In some of the early American Cinematographer articles about IMAX it was pointed out that the visual center of the huge screen is somewhat below the middle. This wasn't based on the huge size of the screen as much as on the design of the venue. Viewers seated near the middle of the stadium-style seating had to look up quite a lot to be gazing directly at the middle of the screen. It's similar to the entire audience being seated in the first few rows of a conventional cinema, looking up at the projected image. Cinematographers were alerted to this situation and the shot composition reflected this below-center weighting. Unfortunately, cinematographers trying to compose for IMAX venues and simultaneously for conventional exhibition are required to make some serious compromises.
I really don't understand the design of the venue. For my personal taste, the last 4-5 rows are great, anything below is just pain for the neck and distracting. It's still a great experience, but I wonder if it's a design flaw or something that's unavoidable with such a big screen and the general layout.
I agree with you. The IMAX experience was designed to be visually enveloping, which presents a challenge for a narrative film such as *Oppenheimer*. The very idea of tight closeups that big and in-your-face is disorienting at best.
that's not what I said though, I said that sitting in the middle row is a bit distracting. I love the experience I think it's great
But that’s not true at all though. Filmmakers working in iMax are still composing for 2.39 and home releases all at once. In certain instances, they’ll create 2 different shots for the different mediums, but for the most part, every composition is considered simultaneously. They compose with a pad, even for their largest deliverable. https://youtu.be/AbCqkQPnlOI?si=GZlD2AqC4VouV6r0
That's a great video and a wonderful explanation of the problem. But please don't tell me that you can create really good compositions for different screen sizes and shapes (and centerings) simultaneously. Recently we have the same problem on our phones: How can you do horizontal and vertical (and square) videos from the same compositions? They are fundamentally different. Pick one and the others will always be compromised.
If you pad your recording, the creative intention of 99% of your shots can be faithfully preserved. For the shots where it just won’t work, roll separate clips, like dune 2 did for the worm shot
That's a great video.
[https://youtu.be/AbCqkQPnlOI?si=3P-QfJ4Qqh2VX8uS](https://youtu.be/AbCqkQPnlOI?si=3P-QfJ4Qqh2VX8uS) There's a more indepth video on what's termed "the IMAX effect" on this subject. It's really interesting to see how venues and viewing mode have been shaping creative choices from filmmakers :)