IMAX

Origins and early development

The origins of IMAX trace back to the Multiscreen Corporation, founded in September 1967 by Canadian filmmakers and engineers Graeme Ferguson, Roman Kroitor, Robert Kerr, and William C. Shaw. The company initially experimented with multi-screen presentations before focusing on a single, large-screen image as a more impactful product direction. The critical technological breakthrough came from a novel 'Rolling Loop' film-transport mechanism, an invention purchased from Australian machine shop worker Peter Ronald Wright Jones. This mechanism was essential for handling the horizontal movement of large-format film through a projector, as the traditional vertical film transport was inadequate for the new system's demands. The company changed its name to IMAX around 1970, a made-up word derived from the concept of 'maximum image' conceived during a lunch meeting in a Hungarian restaurant in Montreal.

The first demonstration of the IMAX format was the film Tiger Child at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. This was followed by the establishment of the first permanent IMAX theatre at the Cinesphere in Toronto's Ontario Place, which opened in May 1971 featuring the film North of Superior. The Cinesphere became a landmark for the format and was later renovated, reopening on November 3, 2017 with both IMAX 70 mm and IMAX with Laser projection capabilities. Early expansion included a massive 27 by 20 metre screen at the US Pavilion during Expo '74 in Spokane, Washington, which was the world's largest movie screen at the time. Approximately five million visitors viewed the film Man Belongs to the Earth on this screen, with many reporting a sensation of motion due to the screen filling their entire forward visual field.

This large pavilion screen was temporary, but it led to a permanent IMAX film theatre in Spokane that opened in 1978 and was demolished in 2018. Due to public protests over the demolition, the City of Spokane worked with IMAX Corporation on a plan to renovate the former US Pavilion structure itself into a permanent outdoor giant-screen theatre. Concept art for this renovation was released in 2017, with plans for seating for more than 2,000 people. The first permanent IMAX Dome installation opened in 1973 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in San Diego's Balboa Park, serving also as a planetarium. The first permanent IMAX 3D theatre was built in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the film Transitions at Expo '86, operating at the Canada Place landmark until September 30, 2009.

Technical specifications of film and projection

The core of the original IMAX experience is the 15/70 film format, which uses 65 mm film stock running horizontally through the camera and projector, with 15 perforations per frame. This creates a film frame measuring 69.6 mm by 48.5 mm, compared to the 48.5 mm by 22.1 mm frame of the older Todd-AO 70 mm format. The larger frame area results in significantly higher image resolution, requiring three times the length of film stock for a movie of comparable length to a standard 65 mm production. At 24 frames per second, the film moves through the camera at 102.7 metres per minute, compared to 34 metres per minute for a conventional 65 mm camera and 27.4 metres per minute for a 35 mm camera.

The projector uses a vacuum and the patented rolling loop mechanism, adapted by William Shaw with a compressed air 'puffer' to accelerate the film, to transport this large film stock steadily past a cylindrical lens. The film is too large to be moved by its sprockets, which are used only for registration, and is instead wound onto horizontal platters ranging from 1.2 to 1.83 metres in diameter. A platter containing a 2.5-hour feature film weighs approximately 250 kilograms. IMAX uses ESTAR-based print film, which provides greater dimensional stability, but still requires projection booths to be maintained at a temperature between 20 and 23.8 degrees Celsius and 50 percent humidity to prevent swelling or shrinkage. Printing a feature film platter can cost 36,000 US dollars.

IMAX has developed several distinct theatre formats over the decades. The largest is the Grand Theatre (GT) format, designed for purpose-built auditoriums with screens as large as 18 by 24 metres in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio. The IMAX Dome format uses a tilted dome screen. To make the system more accessible, IMAX introduced the SR system in 1998 for purpose-built theatres with slightly smaller screens, and the MPX system in 2004 specifically for retrofitting existing multiplex auditoriums with wider screens, though this system lost much of the GT experience's quality. The major shift to digital projection began with IMAX Digital in 2008, using dual 2K projectors for a 1.90:1 aspect ratio screen, and was followed by the higher-quality IMAX with Laser 4K system in 2014.

Key IMAX Film and Projection Formats

• 15/70 Film (GT): Original large-format film, 1.43:1 aspect ratio, highest resolution.
• IMAX Dome (1973): Tilted dome screen format, first at Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.
• IMAX SR (1998): System for purpose-built theatres with slightly smaller screens than GT.
• IMAX MPX (2004): System designed solely to retrofit existing multiplex auditoriums.
• IMAX Digital (2008): Dual 2K digital projection for 1.90:1 screens in retrofitted cinemas.
• IMAX with Laser (2014): 4K laser projection with expanded colour gamut and contrast.

Evolution of camera systems

IMAX cameras have evolved from large, noisy film cameras to include high-end digital systems. The traditional IMAX film camera uses 65 mm stock running horizontally, holding enough film for approximately three minutes of shooting. Its vacuum film transport system creates significant noise, forbidding the sync-sound recording of quiet scenes. The camera has enough film for three minutes of shooting, and the large frame imposes optical limitations like an extremely shallow depth of field when shooting with an open aperture. In March 2022, IMAX announced a collaboration with Kodak, Panavision, and FotoKem to develop a new fleet of next-generation IMAX film cameras, with filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Jordan Peele among the advisors.

By May 2024, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond revealed that four new identical film cameras would be produced, which are 30 percent quieter than existing models. The Wall Street Journal reported these new Keighley cameras, named in honour of late IMAX Chief Quality Officer David Keighley and his wife Patricia, would be made from carbon fiber and titanium and feature a five-inch colour display and wireless capability. The company has also developed and certified several digital camera systems to facilitate filmmaking for the IMAX format. The Phantom 65 IMAX 3D digital camera, introduced in 2011 and developed with Vision Research and AbelCine, was used for about 10 percent of the documentary Born to be Wild and later for portions of Transformers: Age of Extinction.

The Arri Alexa IMAX camera, a 2D digital system based on Arri Alexa 65 technology, debuted in 2015 and was first used on Captain America: Civil War. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo used it as the sole camera for Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). For Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), two Arri Alexa IMAX cameras were combined in a rig to provide native 3D, with the film containing 98 percent IMAX footage. In September 2020, IMAX launched the 'Filmed for IMAX' program, which certifies high-quality digital cameras from manufacturers like Arri, Sony, and Red, making it easier for filmmakers to create content suitable for IMAX screens.

Select Films Using IMAX-Certified Digital Cameras (2021 to 2023)

• Top Gun: Maverick (2022): Shot with the Sony CineAlta Venice.
• Dune (2021) & Dune: Part Two (2024): Shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF.
• The Suicide Squad (2021): Shot with the Red Ranger Monstro and Komodo.
• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021): Shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF.
• Eternals (2021): Shot with the Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF.
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022): Shot with Panavision Millennium DXL2.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023): Shot with the Red V-Raptor.

Global expansion and commercial growth

The growth of IMAX from a niche format to a global cinema brand was significantly accelerated by the introduction of lower-cost digital projection systems. At the end of 2007, there were approximately 300 IMAX screens worldwide. The rollout of IMAX Digital from 2008 onward, which allowed for the conversion of existing multiplex auditoriums, fueled rapid expansion. By the end of 2015, the number of screens surpassed 1,000. According to 2017 figures, there were 1,302 IMAX cinemas operating in 75 countries, with the vast majority, 1,203 locations, being in commercial multiplex cinemas. Only 13 were in commercial destinations and 86 in institutional settings like museums.

This expansion, however, led to a dilution of the traditional IMAX experience, as many new digital installations featured screens significantly smaller than the original Grand Theatre format. The proliferation of smaller-screen digital installations, marketed under the same IMAX brand, generated criticism and the derogatory nickname 'LieMAX' among some film enthusiasts. The concern centred on the substantial difference in resolution between digital 2K projection and original 15/70 film, and the reduced screen size, which was sometimes a tenth of the area of the largest GT screens. By late 2017, less than a quarter of all IMAX systems retained the capability to show films in the original 70 mm large format at its full conceived resolution.

The dedicated buildings and projectors for the original Grand Theater format required high construction and maintenance costs. Historically, many installations of this type limited themselves to the projection of high-quality, short documentaries. The IMAX SR and MPX systems were introduced in 1998 and 2004, respectively, to make IMAX available to existing film theaters. Later, IMAX Digital and IMAX with Laser were introduced in 2008 and 2014 as purely digital technologies suitable to retrofit existing cinemas. The lower-cost IMAX Digital option helped IMAX to grow from 300 screens worldwide at the end of 2007 to over 1,000 screens by the end of 2015. This growth moved many IMAX screens into commercial multiplexes, but it created a tiered system of experiences under the single IMAX brand name.

Sound system specifications

IMAX employs a distinct sound system separate from its image projection to maximize the usable film area. Unlike conventional films, IMAX film prints do not contain an embedded soundtrack. Historically, the system used a separate six-channel 35 mm magnetic film locked to the picture, a technology similar to that used in the mid-1950s Cinerama process. By the early 1990s, this transitioned to a DTS-based six-track digital sound system using proprietarily encoded CD-ROM discs, synchronized via SMPTE time code. In the late 1990s, IMAX upgraded this system to use a hard drive carrying a single uncompressed audio file, which is converted directly to analogue rather than processed through a decoding method.

The standard IMAX theatre sound system features a six-channel surround sound layout. Speakers are positioned behind the screen (Left, Centre, Right, plus a dedicated Top-Centre speaker to create the effect of height) and in the rear (Left Surround and Right Surround), often arranged in clusters rather than a spaced array. The introduction of IMAX with Laser technology added a further six channels of sound: four overhead speakers plus two extra side surround speakers, creating a more immersive, 12-channel audio environment. This sophisticated audio design complements the large visual format to produce a holistic sensory experience.

The separate soundtrack system is a critical component of the IMAX specification, allowing the full film frame to be used for image. The original magnetic film system was a double-system playback, requiring precise mechanical locking between the picture projector and the sound playback unit, a challenge also faced by early sound film technologies like Vitaphone. The move to digital file-based audio improved reliability and sound quality while maintaining the requirement for perfect synchronization with the projected image, whether from a film platter or a digital server. The audio for IMAX film and IMAX digital theatres utilizes this 6-channel surround sound system, with the additional channels in the laser system enhancing spatial effects.

Feature film integration and production milestones

The process involves both shooting with IMAX-certified cameras and digitally remastering conventional films for IMAX presentation. Since 2002, some feature films have been converted into IMAX format for display in IMAX cinemas, and some have also been partially shot in IMAX. Director Christopher Nolan has been a prominent advocate for the IMAX film format, shooting significant portions of his films like The Dark Knight and Dunkirk with IMAX cameras. The Russo brothers utilized Arri Alexa IMAX cameras extensively for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, while Michael Bay combined IMAX film and digital 3D cameras for Transformers: The Last Knight.

The 'Filmed for IMAX' program, launched in 2020, has broadened the range of productions that can achieve IMAX-quality imagery using certified digital cameras. This has led to a surge in major studio releases specifically crafted for the format. Notable films shot under this program include Top Gun: Maverick, Dune, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Dune: Part Two. The ability to convert existing films into the IMAX format has also remained a staple, allowing a wider catalogue of movies to be presented on IMAX screens, even if not originally shot with IMAX equipment. The Chinese war films The Battle at Lake Changjin and its sequel were also shot for IMAX using Red Ranger Monstro cameras.

The use of IMAX film presents unique production challenges. The camera's noise level limits synchronous sound recording, and the three-minute film load requires frequent reloading. The extreme resolution and shallow depth of field demand precise cinematography. Despite these hurdles, filmmakers are drawn to the format for the high image quality and immersive effect on the largest screens. The development of new, quieter film cameras announced in 2022 and 2024 is a direct response to these production constraints, aimed at keeping the film format viable for future feature productions alongside the digital camera ecosystem.

Feature Films with Significant IMAX Film Camera Use

• The Dark Knight (2008): Included sequences shot with IMAX 15/70 cameras.
• Mission: Impossible, Ghost Protocol (2011): Featured scenes shot in IMAX.
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014): First feature partially filmed with the Phantom 65 IMAX 3D digital camera.
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015): Included a sequence shot with IMAX film cameras.
• Dunkirk (2017): Approximately 70 minutes shot with IMAX 15/70 film cameras.
• Avengers: Infinity War (2018) & Endgame (2019): Shot entirely with Arri Alexa IMAX digital cameras.
• Tenet (2020): Extensive use of IMAX film cameras by Christopher Nolan.

Documentary and institutional role

For decades, IMAX's primary domain was the documentary short film, often presented in science centres, museums, and world expositions. The very first IMAX film, Tiger Child, was created for Expo '70 in Osaka. The first permanent installation at Toronto's Cinesphere opened with the Canadian landscape film North of Superior. The film at Expo '74, Man Belongs to the Earth, seen by five million visitors, exemplified this role, designed to overwhelm and educate within a pavilion setting.

The IMAX Dome format, inaugurated in 1973 in San Diego, cemented the technology's institutional role by merging giant-screen film with planetarium capabilities. This made IMAX a staple for public science education, allowing films to be projected onto a tilted dome that envelops the audience. Hundreds of institutional theatres were built in the following decades, many showing documentaries exclusively. The high cost of producing and projecting 15/70 film meant that these venues were often subsidized by public funding or attached to major cultural institutions, focusing on quality over commercial feature film turnover.

Even as IMAX expanded into commercial multiplexes with digital projection, the institutional circuit remained active, with 86 institutional settings reported in 2017. These venues continue to show documentary and educational content, often in the original film format or newer laser projection, serving a different audience and purpose than the commercial first-run feature film network. The existence of these two parallel circuits, commercial multiplex and institutional documentary, illustrates the dual identity of IMAX as both a mass-market entertainment brand and a specialized tool for immersive visual communication. Many installations of the original GT type limited themselves to the projection of high-quality, short documentaries due to the associated costs and the format's strengths in visual storytelling.

Questions about IMAX

What does IMAX stand for?

IMAX is not an acronym. It is a made-up word created by the company's founders during a meeting in a Hungarian restaurant in Montreal around 1970. The name was derived from working with the idea of 'maximum image,' which they turned around to create IMAX. IMAX Chief Administration Officer Mary Ruby has clarified that although many people think it is an acronym, it is in fact a trademarked, invented term.

What is IMAX with Laser?

IMAX with Laser is a premium digital projection system introduced in 2014. It uses 4K laser projection to deliver a brighter image, a wider colour gamut, and deeper contrast than the earlier IMAX Digital 2K system. It also features an enhanced 12-channel sound system, adding four overhead speakers and two extra side surround speakers to the standard six-channel layout. This technology is designed to offer a higher-quality experience closer to the original IMAX film standard in both new builds and renovated locations.

Where was the first permanent IMAX theatre?

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. This installation remained during Ontario Place's hiatus and the Cinesphere was renovated, reopening on November 3, 2017 with IMAX 70 mm and IMAX with laser illumination. The Cinesphere's debut followed the demonstration of the first IMAX film, Tiger Child, at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan. This established Toronto as the site of the first permanent IMAX theatre.

What is the difference between IMAX film and IMAX Digital?

IMAX film refers to the original 15/70 film format using large screens and horizontal film projection for high resolution. IMAX Digital, introduced in 2008, is a lower cost system using two 2K digital projectors on a 1.90:1 screen, suitable for retrofitting multiplexes. The digital switch came at a steep cost in image quality, with 2K having much less resolution than film. This led to many new cinemas being built with smaller screens, a contrast to the large format GT theatres. The digital option helped IMAX grow from 300 screens in 2007 to over 1,000 by 2015.

What are IMAX-certified cameras?

IMAX-certified cameras are high quality digital cameras approved under the Filmed for IMAX program launched in September 2020. This program certifies cameras that can be used to create films meeting IMAX giant screen projection needs. It expands the tools available beyond IMAX's proprietary film cameras, like the new Keighley models, or earlier digital cameras such as the Phantom 65 IMAX 3D. Films like Top Gun: Maverick and Dune were among the first to use these certified cameras. The goal is to make it easier for filmmakers to create content for IMAX theatres.

How many IMAX screens are there worldwide?

By late 2017, there were 1,305 IMAX systems installed in 75 countries. Of these, 1,203 were in commercial multiplex cinemas, 13 in commercial destinations, and 86 in institutional settings. This growth was largely enabled by the introduction of IMAX Digital in 2008, a lower cost system for converting existing multiplex auditoriums. This helped IMAX expand from 300 screens worldwide at the end of 2007. Notably, less than a quarter of these 2017 installations could show the original high resolution 70 mm film format.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Your Space Hamilton desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.