How Oppenheimer Reinvented Imax

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The process behind creating Oppenheimer - where the story of a team’s struggle to push the bounds of science to create a new technology - mirrored the film crew’s very own push towards creating new Imax camera technology to tell that very story. Let's dive into the making of Oppenheimer.
Source: www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-...
Source: American Cinematographer, October 2023
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0:00 Introduction
0:52 How Imax Works
1:46 Why Shoot On Imax
2:52 System 65 Vs. Imax
4:05 Sound Issues
4:54 Custom Lenses
6:52 New Film Stock
8:56 Two Visual Approaches
9:46 Lighting Innovation
10:56 Conclusion
11:27 MUBI
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[@executerdelta]

There is a reason that IMAX cameras are this loud: The camera has a vacuum in the chamber where the negative is exposed so that the large negative film runs perfectly parallel horizontally and there is no distortion in the image we its captured. The small motor that draws the air out of the chamber and thus creates the vacuum is what is so loud. But the passage of the film itself is also loud of course.

[@rangeslider]

Really cool! Didn't know about the vacuum. Thanks for sharing!

[@Zombiesnyder13]

This is why cinema cannot die You cannot appreciate something like this at home The fact that you cannot pause it only adds to the experience

[@pobbityboppity1110]

What? Yes of course you can appreciate this at home. I was able to appreciate it in this youtube video, much less on a quality home projector. Or a 65" TV. Honestly home projection is probably more reliable and enjoyable when I can set the sound just loud enough, I can pee when I want to, and fully relax in my environment.

[@robertper4102]

I want to know how they did the edit. How was the film scanned, proceeded, obviously they had to do a physical cut of film but how do you add titles and the like.

[@AH-bm5xs]

Nolan is a director that is never satisfied with doing less and Oppenheimer is a the greatest example. The careful, skilful and thoughtful decisions that went into every detail within the script and direction is awe-inspiring. Editing, cinematography, sound and character exploration don’t really get any considerable or masterful. A formidable picture if ever I’ve seen one. Very different filmmaking, but to me it’s reminiscent of the care and control that great directors like Kubrick, Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Coppola, Malick, had over their craft. I think it’s Nolan’s first film that reaches those levels of sophistication and proficiency.

[@DavidSusiloUnscripted]

Except for sound. He did the least amount of work for all of his movies.

[@AH-bm5xs]

Astoundingly objectively wrong@@DavidSusiloUnscripted

[@trinityhewlett8074]

Couldn’t agree more

[@jt3360]

That’s some high praise putting this film in the conversation with the best of those directors. And it’s 100% accurate. One of the best films of all time. It also kinda reminded me of the meticulous craft of Orson Welles. Very reminiscent in creative scale and artistry.

[@TheFirstOkiro]

Really love this channel. It’s become a favorite of mine as of late. The in-depth observation of film is a beautiful thing Oppenheimer is a brilliant achievement, and Christopher Nolan deserves best Director at the very least for even accomplishing that film

[@TooManyHobbiesJeremy]

That was amazing. I really enjoy this nuts & bolts behind the scenes stuff. Merry Christmas 🎄

[@andreguilherme_]

Bro, this is already one of my favorite videos on the subject and cinema. Cool channel!

[@KoosCronje]

such a great video!!🔥

[@SwithinFeely]

How do you know so much, I am super impressed with your ability to explain these technical filmmaking aspects especially with relation to IMAX. Do you work for IMAX?

[@zacharyantle7940]

3rd, great to see you’re still at it my man! Still can’t believe I started watching you at like 900-something subs lol

[@lionheart4424]

Amazing video! Question: when you talk about lens(es) focal length(s) like in this case, you are strictly referring to the actual milimiters of distance within a lens rather than the full-frame filed of view equivalent right? I understand that this is under the Super35 sensor size?

[@LeonardoKlotz]

Hollywood needs the old-school auteurs more than ever

[@JurianWebbe]

Hey guys, does anyone happen to know what the frame with the open square in it is at 6:45? It's inside the matte box I see. Could it be a sort of sunshade or is it something different?

[@sshuggi]

Are there any examples of the reverse of this process? I.e., a technical breakthrough leading to a creative decision. I'm thinking of the wacky stuff they did in 80's music videos with early digital compositing, but I don't know if they did that in movies. Maybe Tron?

[@bgaesop]

There's the entire shot on video industry

[@jahosaphat]

So interesting.

[@alienlj]

thank you.

[@GivozLegacy]

Have you ever done a video on shooting in Black & White? I’d love to see that

[@MrArthurAxe]

He did. It's on the channel.

[@GivozLegacy]

@@MrArthurAxe Thanks!

[@vlcthefish]

As great as film IMAX is they really need to come up with a legit digital CMOS sensor version so we can actually start seeing more movies being made for that format. The tech is already there as the Big Sky camera dwarfs IMAX with a 3-inch by 3-inch 18k sensor. They don't need anything that big but if they could get something more practical that is less data intensive and closer to mimicking the IMAX size like the same sensor size used in the Phase One/Hasselblad full frame medium format cameras. That would bridge the gap a lot or go all the way and develop a sensor that is the same size as IMAX. There is just no practical way to get film IMAX being used in a lot of productions. Right now it's basically a Nolan film every 3 years though Jordan Peele did use it for Nope. But regardless there continues to be less theaters that have the ability to even show 70mm IMAX. It's simply too difficult to operate and slow(they can't show as many movies in a day with it due to setup). Really the future is digital large format cinema.

[@yotam6x7]

Beyond accessibility- digital large format video also has the potential to allow use in quiet scenes as with proper cooling it can be nearly silent

[@vlcthefish]

@@yotam6x7 Right. Thats what I mean about accessibility from the film making side. Everything about IMAX film is an issue for a production. Expensive, the cameras are extremely large/heavy and loud plus more issues with handling the larger format reels for time. I believe they are making new IMAX 70mm cameras to help with some noise issues and might be smaller but I would assume it's still going to be a challenge. I like the format but we need to move on with technology to make it a real viable format beyond the Nolan tentpole that comes around every few years.

[@bagnome]

You can kind of tell what scenes are being shot in black and white in the behind-the-scenes because the magazines are taped up with black and white checkered tape. I'm only inferring this as other scenes in the behind-the-scenes you see blue or orange tape like you see in other movies to denote daylight or tungsten as well.

[@Wdc6872]

some points in the film the switching aspect ratios were jarring especially when they're in the same scene and the imax shot only lasts for a few seconds

[@RyukiPlaysGames]

Alt title for the video: "Sh*t you can only do if your Christopher Nolan."

[@prtksrm]

I am second. It feels lonely.

[@kureki147]

The two different frame sizes in 1 scene give off the inconsistency imo. Maybe IMAX should make a new 15 perf camera with lower noise.

[@julianezekielyaranon9037]

they are already making it

[@eruannster]

This is very interesting! I did wonder how they shot so much dialogue with IMAX, it makes sense that they would use an entirely different (quieter) camera system. I'm not too hot on the way they kept swapping aspect ratios (even within scenes) and I think they could have/should have done it a bit smoother - at least keeping to an aspect ratio within a singular scene. I also found some of the scenes exhibited a noticeable flicker (mostly in the background). Overall it's a very cool film, but some of this stuff does feel a bit like a beta test for Nolan's next film which I imagine will fix a lot of these niggling issues.

[@soumyadeepmajumdar8776]

what is the meaning of "perf"?

[@hanmariuspettersen]

Perforations on the film stock. The tiny holes used to drag the film through the system. They are also used to visualize how much film is exposed in each frame.

[@MylezNevison]

In as much as l respect their efforts, Mr Nolan & Hoytema's technical decisions on this project ended up demonstrating & falling victim to the *Law of Diminishing Returns.* Such is life that after a certain optimal threshold is reached, any additional factors of production will result in smaller inconsequential increases in output. Weathly people fall victim to this law as well, the more money they make past a certain wealth threshold, the smaller the changes in their lifestyles get. The lesson being, *there is such a thing as too much...* "Overfilled, the cupped hands drip, better to stop pouring. *Sharpen a blade too much and its edge will soon be lost." - Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)*

[@user-ru4ri9jv9i]

1st

[@Turnoutburndown]

I didn’t really like the movie but you gotta respect the skills!

[@mysticmarble94]

It's abundantly clear that several of those cinematography decisions could have been done without and 99.999% of the audience of this movie would never be able to tell an inkling of a difference.

[@mysticmarble94]

Nolan did a much better job back with "Prestige", making all the environments feel time appropriate and alive, while eons away from the technical equipment he was utilizing in "Oppenheimer".

[@princepeachfuzz]

bruh

[@wordoftheday7650]

well if they produced films purely on what general audiences could notice, most of them would look totally atrocious

[@mysticmarble94]

@@wordoftheday7650 "Atrocious" ? In that case it would no longer fall under the category in which " 99.999% of the audience [...] would never be able to tell an inkling of a difference ".

[@AH-bm5xs]

And yet that’s why it’s so much better. Nolan isn’t settling for average or any version lesser than his maximum effort and highest craft. He’s always pushing for better. You seem to mean this comment as a negative but it’s actually a tremendous compliment and endorsement.

[@Endimione17]

I'll say it again: although Imax is a splendid format, I find this propaganda around it entertaining. It is an absolutely anti-democratic format in the first instance and secondly its use presents multiple disadvantages, starting from the very few theaters equipped for such screening. Furthermore - something that no one ever points out - when it comes to making a DIT for TV and digital screens, the Imax essentially loses all the characteristics for which it was designed - being designed for a projection at 75 IRE -

[@ZzdeathangelzZ]

lol sorry but this video is a circlejerk for how 'amazing' Imax is. The fucking nuclear explosion in Oppenheimer was also terribly done with practical effects and should've been CGI or a mixture at least. Look like some gas explosion scaled up lmao

[@Lazarusart]

Still a totally overrated film ! Dull, over dramatized. Yet more glorifying mediocrity.

[@Robstrap]

Maybe you're just dull

[@callumdrew]

Agreed, a three hour snooze that'd been more appropriate as a book. The trinity bomb sequence was the only moment worth putting on the screen and David Lynch did the explosion part better in Twin Peaks the Return anyway...the rest.... why'd we need to see that shit cinematically?

[@toorandomenvi]

Controversial take but the visuals were nothing special compared to the sound in that movie