How IMAX 70MM Film is Projected!

Adam Savage went to IMAX’s LA headquarters to tour their vault of 70mm film prints, embed with technicians splicing reels as tall as a person, and visit the projection booth of their in-house theater where directors come to review and sign off on their vision printed in film’s largest format.

How IMAX 70MM Film is Scanned and Printed!:   • How IMAX 70MM Film is Scanned and Printed!  

Shot and edited by Joey Fameli Music by Jinglepunks

(Note: This video is not sponsored.)

IMAX 70mm film is widely considered the pinnacle of film projection due to its massive scale and technical specifications. As highlighted in the video (0:17 – 0:45) and confirmed by technical standards, here is what makes it so special:

• Massive Image Area: IMAX 70mm uses a unique “15-perforation” (15PF) format. Unlike standard film that runs vertically, this film runs horizontally through the projector. This allows for a frame size that is nearly 10 times larger than standard 35mm film (0:28 – 0:31).
• Unmatched Resolution: Due to the sheer size of the negative, IMAX 70mm offers an estimated visual fidelity of up to 18K resolution. This allows the image to be projected onto massive, 90-foot tall screens with exceptional clarity and minimal visible grain, as it requires significantly less magnification than smaller formats.
• Immersive Aspect Ratio: It utilizes a taller, near-square 1.43:1 aspect ratio, which is designed to fill large, floor-to-ceiling screens, creating a more immersive, expansive field of view than the traditional widescreen formats.
• Physical Craftsmanship: As shown in the video, the sheer scale of the equipment—including reels that weigh hundreds of pounds (13:06) and specialized, bespoke projection booths—reflects the incredible logistical effort required to exhibit these films at such a high quality.