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Author Topic: IMAX dome vs. flat Jimmy Peters Film Handler Posts: 8 From: Mumbai, India Registered: May 2001 posted 05-28-2004 11:30 PM                        Too much light ping-ponging due to the curved surface. Maybe, change the gain of the screen surface. Info  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 05-29-2004 03:11 AM                     I've never seen the dome version; there isn't one in this country. There is one not far from where I stay when I'm that side of the water, but I've never managed to get there. Maybe next year.  |  IP: Logged Darren Briggs Master Film Handler Posts: 371 From: York, UK Registered: Dec 2001 posted 05-31-2004 12:56 PM                        Imax Dome or OMNIMAX, looks great on 3D. Saw a film Echos of the Sun in Imax Solido (Dome plus 3D) Absolutly amazing! Sat in the middle the whole screen came to life. Flat Imax 3D seems to loose so much light at the top and corners due to silvered screen. Best Flat is 2D on White scrren i reckon. I Saw 2D Flat film Fires of Kuwait on Omnimax screen and it lookd very poor. So I prefer 3D on Dome 2D on Flat Darren  |  IP: Logged Andrew Lee Film Handler Posts: 99 From: Oakville, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2002 posted 05-31-2004 04:18 PM                     The Solido system was and still is the ultimate in 3D presentations. Unfortunately there were very few installations of this system due to lack of films and the high cost of operating and maintaining such a high end theatre. The dome surface for Solido was in fact a high gain silver coating as opposed to the grey finish of a standard Omnimax (Imax Dome). The Solido dome was especially good at preventing cross reflections thereby enhancing picture contrast. The contrast and brightness levels in a Solido dome were 5 times that of a regular 2D dome presentation. IMAX Dome screens have always had a flat grey finish which aided in preventing cross reflections as well as having a natural contrast enhancing capability. By the way I have the film frame specs for the IMAX Dome system. I just have to find them. When I do I will post them here.  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 05-31-2004 10:47 PM                     Is there any difference between "Omnimax" and "IMAX Dome"? Omnimax at Ceasar's Palace is called, well, Omnimax (duh!), but the Museum Of Science and Industry in Tampa has a dome theater that they just refer to as the IMAX Dome. As far as I can tell they are the same thing. Why two names? When I was in Tampa a few weeks ago, I managed to get a really nice long tour of the booth at MOSI. One of the things we talked about was 3D on a dome, and the projectionist said it doesn't work too well on the dome. Don't remember exactly why. I guess that's not entirely accurate, is it? I did not know that there were films shot specifically for the dome. Is that mostly what the Omnimax and IMAX Dome theaters play? I remember seeing Fires of Kuwait many years ago at Ceasars. There is one scene that will always stand out in my mind: the big tube that they were using to vent the smoke from the fires. Don't know if it was curved in real life or if it went straight up, but I remember it sure was cured on the screen. Quite noticeably. I assume that was due to distortion from the dome. But I have seen lots of other films at Ceasars, and don't recall any distortion. Overall, I really like the dome. I feel more like I'm actually in the movie. I like how it surrounds you. The only thing I don't like is those very noticeable seams. They can be very distracting. Other than that, I'd have to say I prefer the dome.  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 06-01-2004 12:58 AM                        Omnimax was the older name, IMAX Dome is the current name. As has been mentioned, only a few films were shot specifically for dome screens. Most films are shot for flat because they'll run reasonably well on both screens, whereas a dome film shown on a flat screen will have severe barrel distortion plus a significant portion of the frame will be black (the dome aperture is a truncated oval set within the rectangular IMAX frame). Apparently there was a printing process that allowed flat-screen films to be printed for dome screening (the so-called "shrink" prints), but I don't think that has been used very much. The demand just isn't there. I remember in The Dream is Alive the helicopter shot just before the static shot of the first launch shown is different depending on the print (flat or dome). In the flat version, the camera runs down the beach a ways with the pad framed over to the far left, then turns towards the pad while simultaneously climbing, producing a rather super looking "crane" shot. In the dome version, the camera tracks straight towards the pad, starting from out over the ocean, then climbs--there is no turn. Don't remember noticing any other IMAX films over the years that had alternate shots between the two kinds of prints, but there probably were others. I worked at the Caesars Omnimax off and on for a couple of years. The screen was an embarrassment, but everything else there was kept in good running condition. Once Dave Huskinson became the head projectionist there, it was a great place to work with good IATSE pay and culinary union benefits. Of course it's gone now--replaced by the Colosseum where Celine Dion now reigns. As for IMAX experience, I used to hang out a lot in the booth at the then new Mitsubishi IMAX in LA when Bruce Simballa was the head projectionist there. So I got to see lots of titles run in both formats. Sure do miss working with that stuff.  |  IP: Logged John Pytlak Film God Posts: 9987 From: Rochester, NY 14650-1922 Registered: Jan 2000 posted 06-01-2004 03:18 PM                        I saw "Echoes of the Sun" in 3D IMAX SOLIDO at the Fujitsu theatre in Chiba Japan in October 1991. When I first walked into the theatre, I was disappointed that you could see every seam in the perforated metal high gain dome screen. Once the movie started, the screen disappeared, and you were "in" the movie, surrounded by the action. I agree, a unique and memorable experience!  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 06-01-2004 05:15 PM                     WHAT!!??? Omnimax at Ceasars is GONE??? Excuse me while I take a moment.... What is this Colosseum?  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 06-02-2004 01:15 AM                        Ken, where have you been? Caesars Palace Omnimax 1979-2000 RIP The Colosseum at Caesars Palace [ 11-29-2004, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Paul Mayer ]  |  IP: Logged Ken Lackner Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1907 From: Atlanta, GA, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 06-02-2004 12:02 PM                     Under a rock, apparently. I haven't been to Vegas in about 6 or 7 years. I see that the "RIP Omnimax" thread was created in 2000. I hadn't even heard of Film-Tech then. I became a member in late 2001. So I never even saw that thread.  |  IP: Logged Stephen Furley Film God Posts: 3059 From: Coulsdon, Croydon, England Registered: May 2002 posted 06-02-2004 01:02 PM                     whatever happened to 'Le Tapis Magique' at Futuroscope? Is it still there? Was the system ever installed anywhere else. I've never been to see the place; maybe one day. I keep saying that, at my age there are not enough days left.  |  IP: Logged Andrew Lee Film Handler Posts: 99 From: Oakville, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jun 2002 posted 06-02-2004 01:57 PM                     Le Tapis Magique or Magic Carpet (IMAX) is still at Furturoscope. In fact they are making a new film for this venue which should be showing by this summer. There are no other venues like this in the world but rumour has it that a similar design is being worked on for a venue in China. John, those seams you saw in Chiba were impossible to prevent. Manufacturing a high gain silver finished dome screen without seams is just plain impossible. However, as you mentioned, the vibrant colours and rich contrast of "Echoes" along with the 3D effect all but eliminated that aspect of the presentation.  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 06-02-2004 02:26 PM                     I always liked the old "Cinema-180" (OmniVision) half-dome projection, especially when the films were true 65/70mm filmed with wide angle lenses, I remember being very impressed with a short film called FLIGHT 747 and another called IMPACT. (Ooops, this is only 5-perf, doesn't belong here... ) But I always wished I could see an old 70mm title like PATTOn (large number of extreme wide-angle shots!) on a Cinema-180 screen!  |  IP: Logged Sean Weitzel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 619 From: Vacaville, CA (1790 miles west of Rockwall) Registered: Dec 1999 posted 11-29-2004 06:14 PM                     Here's a (albiet poor quality) scan of a few Omnimax frames. I'd love to know which movie it came from.  |  IP: Logged Mike Bianchi Film Handler Posts: 40 From: Independence, KY, USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 12-21-2004 03:50 PM                        Brad Miller Said: quote: Brad Miller We have two eyes side by side, and as such we see "wider" than "taller". And I say: viva Cinerama!  |  IP: Logged

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