With Oppenheimer dominating the IMAX Melbourne theatre and everyone scrambling to get in to see it in the best format possible, Alaisdair sat down with IMAX Operations Manager Jeremy Fee to discuss the best format you should book in and some amazing technical work the team put in to get this looking as good as it does in Melbourne.
What technical work went into making this happen from your team?
To fit the giant OPPENHEIMER film, our 1570 film reel platters needed to be extended 1.5cm to fit all 180 minutes – previously, the largest 1570 film reel was INTERSTELLAR, clocking in at around 170 minutes. Along with the platter extension, the film reel arrived in 53 individual reels that needed to be spliced together and tested by our Tech Manager, Dave.
We’ve seen the canisters on social media for the film, does this play on one continuous reel/file or does it require changeover?
The film has been spliced together to run on one continuous 18km reel that switches between the platters after each full run. In between sessions, the 1570 projector needs to be cleaned and the film needs to be threaded before the trailers begin.
What’s the difference between 4K v 1570?
Both presentations of OPPENHEIMER are quite similar and include the exclusive expanded aspect ratio along with a crystal-clear picture on the screen and earth-shattering sound. The 1570 Film offer a warmer feel, and in this instance, the presentation is authentic to the period the film is based on.
What aspects of the film do you think will impress audiences in the IMAX format?
Definitely, the sequences that expand to fill the entire seven-storey screen – as Nolan himself describes, it’s like watching a 3D film without the glasses. For fans who’ve experienced the 1.43 aspect ratio before, they’ll be surprised to see the sequences shot on B&W IMAX 1570 Film for the first time.
The demand for IMAX screenings is off the charts! Will you ever open a second screen?
We’ve talked about doing this forever and would love to open a second screen. If we could, we would! It would take many years to get one up and running.
Oppenheimer is currently showing at IMAX Melbourne, tickets are in demand, so be sure to plan ahead! Get tickets here
