Imax Film Scan

Wait. Isn't IMAX now digital? The current "IMAX with Laser" projectors are digital. But the term IMAX film scan is evolving. Today, many movies shot on IMAX-certified digital cameras (like the Arri Alexa 65, which is not actually IMAX film) still require a "fake film scan."

Producers are now shooting digital, printing the digital file onto IMAX film (a film recorder), then re-scanning that film back to digital. Why? To add the gate weave, the halation, and the grain texture of IMAX. It is the analog warmth plugin, done physically.

This "Analog Sunset" workflow ensures that IMAX film scan services will not die with celluloid. They will become the final step in creating the "vintage blockbuster" aesthetic. imax film scan

You cannot put an IMAX reel into a standard Lasergraphics or Blackmagic Cintel scanner. The physical transport mechanism would snap. The optical lens wouldn't cover the width.

The industry standard for the IMAX film scan is a machine that looks like it belongs in a nuclear facility: The Imagica XE (or its predecessors, like the custom-built MKIII scanners used by IMAX themselves). Result: You will get optical resolution of about

There is a growing community of "cine-archivists" trying to DIY an IMAX film scan. With the bankruptcy of Kodakâs motion picture division (unless revived), some collectors own actual IMAX prints.

The DIY method:

Result: You will get optical resolution of about 2K due to lens softness. You will also scratch the film. It is not recommended unless you are treating the film as "expendable."

There is a persistent myth that "IMAX is infinite resolution." It isnât. The resolution is limited by the grain size (RMS granularity). The Verdict: A true archival IMAX film scan

The Verdict: A true archival IMAX film scan is always performed at 8K 16-bit TIFF sequences. That single movie (assuming 2.5 hours) results in approximately 75 Terabytes of raw data.