Getting the IMAXimum From Cinema Published on Tue, 2016-01-05 09:45
Published: 31st December 2015 , The New Indian Express
CHENNAI: Say IMAX in Chennai these days and people go ga-ga. You can't blame them, considering how larger-than-life this latest big screen experience is. And this craze for new developments in cinema has been consistent from the days when film reels were wound and played by hand, especially in a cinema-crazy land like Chennai.
I remember threading a film projector when I was 13 years old, reminisces V Senthil Kumar, co-founder of Real Image Technologies, who pioneered digital cinema in India through Qube Cinema. This was a time when movie-goers would have to wait in suspense for the second half of MGR's Enga Veettu Pillai, as the film reel had to be manually changed behind the projector. And for nearly three-quarters of a century, between the 1940s up to the early 2000s, directors and audiences were okay reeling in cinema this way.
So of course when the idea of digital projection was pitched to theatre owners at the turn of the century, most were sceptical. You have to remember this was a time when crowds were so crazy about cinema that if a movie was stopped midway, they would break down the theatre, an industry source recalls.
A few forward thinking individuals decided to give the new age' projection system a go. But not without a few safety precautions first. In the early days, we had to ensure that there was always a support engineer present, and a back up film print ready to go, just in case there was a problem, says Senthil. This was in addition to providing digital projectors free of cost to get theatre owners on board.
Another big challenge was convincing cinematographers that the digital route would mean better looking' films. To achieve this, an industry source tells us that costs for conversion of films from print to digital would often be absorbed by the digital cinema provider - companies like Qube, UFO and PXD. Clearly, the digital way made quite an impression though.
We started with 35 screens in Tamil Nadu in 2005, says Senthil. Two years later, it was up to 100. No doubt, his movie moghul grandfather, the legendary A V Meiyappan Chettiar would have been proud when almost every single theatre was pushed to go digital by 2008.
With much excitement over the first IMAX screen at Jazz Cinemas, is this the way of the future? I think because of how expensive it is to set up, IMAX in the next decade is going to be in the niche 10% range for India or the world, explains Senthil.
Instead, he points to laser-based projection. But it costs about Rs 40-50 lakh per theatre to convert to laser. Thankfully for those of us in the audience, there's only one thing to do - to see how the story unfolds. Sit back and watch the screen.
From Reel to IMAX
1930s 35mm film reel was used for film projection in theatres for black and white movies
1984 India's first 3D film My Dear Kuttichathan released
2002 Prasad's 72-foot tall IMAX screen opens for business in Hyderabad
2015 IMAX rolls out laser digital projectors
42-ft High Screen, Coming Soon
Ever since Chennai got it's first IMAX screen, movie buffs haven't been able to stop talking about it. In fact, when the screen opened at Luxe Cinemas in Phoenix Market City last month, many said they were actually disappointed when the first movie it showed was Spectre. You need the right kind of movie like the Dark Knight Rises or Transformers to really get the visual awe that this format is known for, says Ajay Ayyapan, who makes it a point to catch films on IMAX screens every international trip he takes. So when Star Wars: The Force Awakens came, fans had double the reason to celebrate.
What sets an IMAX screen apart from any other is, literally, it's MAX size. In fact, Chennai's two screens - one at Luxe Cinemas and the other at SPI's Palazzo (soon to open in Forum Vijaya Mall) are almost half the size of the IMAX screen in Hyderabad that stands a mammoth 72-foot high and 95-foot wide. The screens, speakers and the projectors are shipped from the US and are installed by their technicians here. This is a global process and they ensure that they handle the whole thing themselves. It takes a good year or so to get it done, because of the sheer amount of setting up needed, says a source at SPI Cinemas, adding that no existing theatres can be converted - they have to be built from scratch.
The fact that these screens are curved and stretch from floor to ceiling also make for a more immersive experience. Not to forget, nuances like dual projectors and the fact that the rows of seats are raked much steeper than usual so that the audience is facing the screen directly, says a spokesperson from SPI Cinemas.
The approximate cost to construct an IMAX theatre is Rs 20-25 crore for a giant screen and Rs 15-18 crore for a smaller one, say sources. The IMAX screen that will open next year at Palazzo is 42 feet high and 75 feet wide, sources tell us, covering a massive two floors of the mall. The biggest obstacle that multiplex owners say they face is space. Not that we're surprised after the range of dimensions dished out so far!
Why Laser is Going to be Big
Ever wondered while watching a movie, why the screen is darker than it should be? It's because the bulb in the digital projector possibly needs to be replaced. This bulb change needs to be done at least five times a year, a spokesperson from a popular multiplex says. With laser projection however, this step can be skipped altogether with more vivid colours and sharper lines every time.
How It's Done
A project representative from IMAX vets space and blueprints designs before construction
Once theatre reaches basic level of infrastructure, a tech team from the company flies down from Singapore
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 15, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...
15/10/2025
Sheldon Nichols and Will Trickett to find and prepare more classic cars for budget conscious would-be owners from Wiser Films
UKTV have recommissioned the clas...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Nick Cave
JPEG (275 KB)
Explore the creative univer...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
From breaking up with your partner to quitting your job - new polling shows some messages are just too scary to send
Over a fifth (...
15/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz unveils compact MXO 3 oscilloscopes with 4 and 8 channels: Advan...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
14/10/2025
As League Takes Over Ops, NBA TV and NBA App Add 60 Games, Weekday Studio Show, ...
14/10/2025
Time and effort: World's largest student-led broadcast prepares to go On Air...
14/10/2025
(L-R) Guest, Kimberly Robinson Jones, Geeta Gandbhir, Pamela Dias, and Takema Ro...
14/10/2025
Lossless ist jetzt mit Spotify Premium verf gbar.
Verlustfreies Audio war eine...
14/10/2025
La qualit Lossless est disponible sur Spotify Premium.
Le format sans perte de...
14/10/2025
For the seventh edition of Spotify and FC Barcelona's artist jersey series, ...
14/10/2025
Spotify is committed to bringing the best listening experience to all our users, and that includes parents and families. That's why we're expanding mana...
14/10/2025
Since its debut, the Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been more than just a story; it's been a cultural sensation. The science fiction thriller captivat...
Getting the IMAXimum From Cinema Published on Tue, 2016-01-05 09:45
