IMAX and Aspect Ratio

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I understand that in most standard 35mm film the choice of filming in either a 2.4:1 AR or a 1.85:1 AR is up to the director.

With that being said, very recently there's been some IMAX commercials popping up about IMAX films being shown with a 1.89:1 AR as having no black bars and 26% more image. So my questions are as follows:

  1. Does 1.89:1 make that much of a difference compared to 1.85:1?

  2. Is it only possible in an IMAX theater to alternate between aspect ratios or can a director decide to alternate between 1.85:1 and 2.4:1 in a regular theater?



Best Answer

After doing some digging,

1 - There's A difference. It's not that substantial but it shows per the trailer above.

2 - It's entirely up to the director, although according the IMAX, IMAX featured films usualy go full-screen ONLY in IMAX. Meaning the others are left with the regular black-barred 2.4:1.




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What aspect ratio is 70mm IMAX?

Each frame is five perforations tall, with an aspect ratio of 2.2:1. However, the use of anamorphic Ultra Panavision 70 lenses squeezes the image into an ultra-wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio.

What is IMAX enhanced aspect ratio?

What is IMAX expanded aspect ratio? IMAX's exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio is 1:90:1, which offers up to 26% more picture for select sequences \u2013 meaning more of the action is visible on screen, just as the filmmakers intended.

What is true IMAX aspect ratio?

1.43:1 is the only true IMAX aspect ratio.

What aspect ratio is IMAX laser?

IMAX with Laser It has an aspect ratio of 1.43, achieved with a vertical anamorphic stretch of the standard 1.9-ratio 4K image. It is designed to replace 15/70 film projection in the largest IMAX theaters, with screens over 80 feet (24 meters) wide.



IMAX® Presents: Expanded Aspect Ratio




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