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Topic: SW:EP2 in Imax ??

David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 09-10-2002 11:57 AM

My main concern is image quality (resolution), as opposed to image composition. Now on the other hand, if they could take an earlier SW film, like Empire Strikes Back, work some kind of digital magic on it, and show it in, say, 2.20:1 on an Imax screen [letterboxed] that could be a pretty impressive experience. Anything but those horrible 35mm "drive-in" prints.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-10-2002 01:16 PM

David wrote: "Now on the other hand, if they could take an earlier SW film, like Empire Strikes Back, work some kind of digital magic on it, and show it in, say, 2.20:1 on an Imax screen [letterboxed] that could be a pretty impressive experience."

I agree. Probably wouldn't need to do much "digital magic" either, as the "magic" was already there in the 70mm prints decades ago. Although enhancement using "digital intermediate" allows the best of both film and digital:
Kodak "Digital Intermediate" Tools

I assume the sound on these 70mm large format reissues is being remixed to take advantage of the IMAX-style speaker placement?

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: +1 585 477 5325 Cell: +1 585 781 4036 Fax: +1 585 722 7243
e-mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

posted 09-10-2002 01:30 PM

I should have specified In 70mm. "Attention Imax: Please don't waste your time with a 35mm release." A 70mm blowup from the original negative would be great, but I'd be curious to see what they could do with it in the digital domain first, then blown up to 70mm. I mentioned the 2.20:1 ratio since that's what the original 70mm blowups were (or thereabouts).

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 09-10-2002 02:50 PM

quote:
Adam, I am assuming that you meant "AOTC" and not "ATOC" for "Attack of the Clones" right?

Oops. To add to the confusion, some folks are calling it "SWAC".

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John Gordon
Film Handler

Posts: 62
From: Earth
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 09-10-2002 03:26 PM

What is the maximum running time for 15/70, without an intermission?

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-10-2002 03:36 PM

AFAIK, about 2 hours with the QT upgrades being installed for Apollo 13:
http://www.1570.org/discus/messages/2/669.html?1031340427

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 09-10-2002 06:33 PM

"Attack of the Clones" in IMAX. Jeez. I imagine it won't look like pixels the size of ceiling tiles. However, I strongly expect a lot of the stuff to be blurry as hell.

This kind of thing is a grave insult to the IMAX format.

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Claude S. Ayakawa
Film God

Posts: 2738
From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 09-10-2002 06:58 PM

I saw "SPECIAL EFFECTS" in IMAX a couple of years ago and I was very impressed with the way how the opening of the original "STAR WARS" looked on the full IMAX screen. I do not know if this footage was specially set up and photographed in IMAX or it was taken from a digital scan from the original 35mm negative. As far as the IMAX version of "ATTACK OF THE CLONES" is concerned, I dont knoow how George and IMAX will do it but I feel it will look great! George Lucas is not a fool and I doubt he will risk his reputation by using IMAX for his latest "STAR WARS" movie if the process will show a lot of the flaws of his digitally captured production. Although I do not like the man for his hard ball business pratice, George Lucas is a genious when it comes to film making and we must all give him credit for that.

-Claude

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 09-10-2002 07:48 PM

The current incarnation of upgraded QTRU is a 150-minute arm with a 120-minute reel. I don't know if there is a 150-minute reel or not at this point.

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Mike Schindler
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1039
From: Oak Park, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 09-10-2002 08:41 PM

Claude,
I'm not absolutely positive, but I seem to remember hearing (in the film itself, I think) that that sequence was created specially for the IMAX film.

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1383
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-10-2002 10:02 PM

Quote:

quote:
I doubt he will risk his reputation by using IMAX for his latest "STAR WARS" movie if the process will show a lot of the flaws of his digitally captured production.

Well, many people thought the process he shot AOTC in showed a lot of the flaws of a digital production on standard 35mm film. As far as me, it happened when he screwed with the original STAR WARS trilogy. Hans Solo shot FIRST, DAMN IT!

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 09-10-2002 10:50 PM

That footage in Special Effects was recreated. It was not original 35mm material.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 09-10-2002 11:55 PM

The blockade runner sequence in "Special Effects" was very different looking from the original film. It was composed for the IMAX frame (whereas the original was in 'scope). The footage was garishly more colorful than the original, and even had those extra shockwave blasts happening in the air. On top of that, you could tell by the razor sharp imagery it had to have been originated in large format 70mm.

BTW, "Special Effects" was a pretty cool feature. I really like all the stuff related to "Independence Day," including their footage of the white house model being exploded.

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Dave Macaulay
Film God

Posts: 2321
From: Toronto, Canada
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 09-11-2002 02:47 PM

IMAX Apollo 13 is apparently letterboxed, I don't know the actual image ratio.
The digital "magic" involves increasing the pixel density from the original data scanned off the negative. Imax has been working for quite a few years on the ways this is possible. Essentially yo don't gain any actual detail but the image doesn't have obvious pixellation or aliasing artifacts.
Scanning was done in LA (Cinesite?); the data manipulation, rendering, and film recording was done at Imax in Mississauga Canada.

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John Pytlak
Film God

Posts: 9987
From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-11-2002 03:06 PM

More on the IMAX DMR process:
http://www.redhat.com/partners/press_partner_dell2.html
http://www.bigmoviezone.com/articles/index.html?uniq=91
http://millimeter.com/ar/video_features_imax_6/

The Millimeter article says the (mostly Super-35) 35mm film negative of "Apollo 13" was scanned at 4K resolution, so they are starting out with many million more pixels than "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones".

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